Osmundea pinnatifida is an edible red seaweed well-known for its strong smell and a slightly spicy taste that resembles mussels, crabs, or truffles, therefore being commonly called “pepper dulse” or “truffle of the sea.” Due to these features, it has a great potential for gastronomic purposes (either in simple/traditional or haute cuisine dishes), which led to an interest in its farming. However, to date, there is no known commercial cultivation of this species, which might be due mostly to its nature (it is a light-sensitive seaweed) and slow growth. The present work compiles the published literature on O. pinnatifida and presents a concise review on this species’ nomenclature and taxonomy, ecology, geographical distribution, cultivation, and of its biotechnological potential, namely in bioremediation, gastronomy, and pharmacology (nutritional and biological activities—prebiotic, antioxidant, antitumor, antiviral, antiprotozoal, antibacterial, antifouling, and antifungal).

Osmundea pinnatifida是一种可食用的红海藻，以其强烈的气味和略带辛辣的味道而闻名，类似于贻贝，螃蟹或松露，因此通常被称为“胡椒酱”或“海松露”。由于这些特性，它在烹饪方面（在简单/传统或高级菜肴中）具有很大的潜力，这引起了人们对其养殖的兴趣。但是，迄今为止，尚无该物种的商业化种植，这可能主要是由于其性质（它是对光敏感的海藻）和生长缓慢。本工作汇编了关于O. pinnatifida的已发表文献。 并简要概述了该物种的名称和分类，生态学，地理分布，栽培及其生物技术潜力，即在生物修复，美食和药理学（营养和生物活性，如益生元，抗氧化剂，抗肿瘤，抗病毒，抗原生动物，抗菌，防污和抗真菌）。