While the exact origin of Belize's seaweed-based drinks is unknown, many believed the recipes arrived in Belize by way of Jamaica, where sea moss smoothies are popular. Many edible marine plants can be used as thickening agents due to their carrageenan content, a jelly-like carbohydrate that's now widely used in the food industry to make desserts like ice cream, puddings and custards. This knowledge was likely brought to the Caribbean from the United Kingdom and Ireland, where the use of Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) in traditional cooking dates back centuries.