sea lettuce
Refers to green algae of the genus Ulva, often found in intertidal zones and used in some Japanese dishes.
A lot of sea lettuce was attached to the rocks on the shore.
アオサは味噌汁の具として使われることがある。
Sea lettuce is sometimes used as an ingredient in miso soup.
Katakana spelling is common for this seaweed name; usually written in kana.
Kanji form is rare and uses a gikun reading; not commonly encountered.
Hiragana spelling is also used.
The name likely derives from 青 (ao, 'blue/green') and 藻 (mo, 'algae'), but the exact derivation is uncertain.