Bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) is a large brown seaweed with a single long stipe topped by a gas-filled float and blades, found along cold, wave-exposed Pacific coastline from Alaska to central California. It is a distinct, fast-growing annual species, not the same as giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), though the two are sometimes confused. Coastal Indigenous communities have harvested it for food for generations; the blades have a briny, slightly sweet flavor and a crunchy texture, and are eaten raw, pickled, or cooked in soups, stews, and salads, or used as a seasoning or garnish. The stipe can be sliced as a noodle substitute or dried and ground into a seasoning powder.