I'm not totally sure but I have been doing alot of seaweed research lately . I crave it and am about to order it today . What I did read was that the stuff they sell is usually blanched (wakame /hijaki ) .Not sure if you can get it raw . There are other types that can be raw (alaria / dulse /nori untoasted / laver / bladder wrack ) On the sites that I linked a few posts down ..