Chondrus crispus, commonly called Irish moss or carrageenan moss, is a species of red seaweed that grows along the rocky shores of the Atlantic coast of Europe and North America. It is soft and cartilaginous, and varies in color from greenish yellow to red, dark purple to brown.
The main component is a mucilaginous body, composed of the polysaccharide carrageenan, which constitutes 55% of its dry weight. The body also consists of almost 10% protein by dry weight and approximately 15% mineral matter by dry weight.
