Spirulina History: From the Aztecs to Lake Chad

Long before spirulina capsules, a tiny spiral-shaped blue-green microorganism was being scooped from a Mexican lake, pressed into cakes and sold at market, and, on the other side of the Atlantic, dried on the sandy shores of a lake in Chad and stirred into family sauces. Both traditions are documented, both are still being studied, and together they explain why spirulina is one of the very few microorganisms humans have eaten as a staple food. This is the story of how it got from those lakeshores to a modern supplement shelf, told with the sources and with honest notes on what historians can and cannot confirm.

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The short answer: a food older than its name

Spirulina's history is really two histories that ran in parallel for centuries without knowing about each other. In the Valley of Mexico, a harvested lake alga called tecuitlatl appears in sixteenth-century Spanish accounts. In the Kanem region around Lake Chad, a dried cake called dihe is still part of everyday cooking. The scientific world connected the two, and identified the organism behind them, only in the twentieth century [1][2][6].

If you are new to the organism itself, our complete guide to what spirulina is covers the basics. This article is the origin story.

What are we actually talking about?

Spirulina is the common name for a group of filamentous cyanobacteria, sometimes still called blue-green algae, that grow as tiny helical coils in warm, alkaline, mineral-rich water. The two forms that dominate the history are the one eaten near Lake Texcoco, usually identified as Arthrospira maxima, and the one eaten near Lake Chad, usually identified as Arthrospira platensis [1][2][6].

The naming has been untidy. A 2024 review in Foods traces how the main constituent of tecuitlatl was described as Spirulina in the nineteenth century, how the genus Arthrospira was erected in 1852 and later folded back into Spirulina in the 1930s, and how taxonomists have since proposed the name Limnospira for the commercially important species [6]. In this article, “spirulina” refers to the food.

Lake Texcoco and tecuitlatl

What the sixteenth-century sources say

The Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, sat on an island in a system of shallow, mineral-rich lakes. When the Spanish arrived, they recorded a food that the local people gathered from those waters. According to the FAO review by Habib and colleagues, Spanish chroniclers described fishermen using fine nets to collect a blue-colored substance they called techuitlatl and forming it into blue-green cakes [2]. Ciferri's classic 1983 review in Microbiological Reviews is the standard secondary source for these accounts, and later reviews draw on it [1][7].

Three named sixteenth-century voices come up repeatedly in the literature. One review, summarizing Ciferri, attributes to the friar Bernardino de Sahagun the information that the natives called the food tecuitlatl, a word translated as roughly “excrement of stones” [7]. The same review reports that in 1524 the friar Toribio of Benavente described pressing the harvest in cloth and drying the dough on sand in the sun [7]. And it credits Bernal Diaz del Castillo, a soldier in the army of Hernan Cortes, with reporting that the material was harvested from Lake Texcoco and sold dried in the Tenochtitlan market, in small cakes made from a kind of ooze with a flavor something like cheese [7].

What we know less well

Why the practice faded is also uncertain. Habib and colleagues report that naturalists mention techuitlatl until the end of the sixteenth century and then stop, probably because the lakes were drained for urban and agricultural development [2]. Another review lists disease, new foods and social, political and religious change as possible causes while acknowledging it is a suggestion [7]. Lake Texcoco, the FAO review adds, still hosts a spirulina population [2].

Lake Chad and the Kanembu: dihe, a living tradition

Dihe, from lake to cooking pot

The African story is different in one important way. It is not a lost tradition rediscovered in archives. It is a living one. The Kanembu people of the Kanem region around Lake Chad have long gathered spirulina from alkaline lakes and ponds and dried it into a cake called dihe [2][3][7].

The most detailed field study is a survey by Abdulqader, Barsanti and Tredici, published in 2000 in the Journal of Applied Phycology. Working at Lake Kossorom in Chad's Lac prefecture in 1997, the researchers interviewed the women who go to the lake daily to harvest. The women filter the algal biomass and sun-dry it on the sandy shore. The semi-dried product is cut into small squares and carried to the villages, where it is dried completely on mats. Dihe is used mainly to make la souce, a broth of fish or meat and vegetables [3].

The authors estimated that about 40 tonnes were harvested annually at that site, with a local trading value above US$100,000 a year, which they describe as an important contribution to the area's economy [3]. Habib and colleagues add that dihe is crumbled into a sauce of tomatoes and peppers and poured over millet, beans, fish or meat [2]. Another review reports that spirulina use in Chad has a long history stretching back to the Kanem Empire in the early ninth century [8]. We could not verify that date from a primary historical source, so treat it as a claim reported in the literature.

Why this matters for the history

Dihe is the strongest argument that spirulina is a genuine food and not merely a modern supplement idea. People have eaten it in ordinary meals, as a flavoring and protein source alongside other foods, over many generations. A 1975 French study of dietary consumption of the blue-green algae among several Kanem populations is among the early efforts to document this in nutritional terms [4].

How science found it again: 1940 to 1983

Western science first took notice of the Chad cake in 1940, when the French phycologist P. Dangeard published a report on the consumption of dihe by the Kanembu. He concluded it was a puree of a blue-green alga and noted that the same alga dominated several lakes in the African Rift Valley [2][7]. The Foods review likewise dates spirulina's reintroduction to the scientific world to a sample of dihe from near Lake Chad in 1940 [6].

Interest picked up again in the 1960s. Jean Leonard, a botanist on the Belgian Trans-Saharan Expedition of 1964 to 1965, reported finding a curious greenish, edible cake in the market at Fort-Lamy (now N'Djamena) and traced it to the algal blooms of the lake region. A colleague, Compere, corroborated the earlier report [2][7]. Samples were identified as mostly Spirulina platensis, and around the same period spirulina was found again at Lake Texcoco [6].

Nutrition research followed. In 1967 Clement, Giddey and Menzi published an amino acid analysis of Spirulina maxima [5]. Early analyses of the organism showed an exceptionally high protein content, on the order of 60 to 70 percent of dry weight, as the FAO review summarizes [2]. In 1983 Ciferri's review in Microbiological Reviews pulled the historical, botanical, biochemical and nutritional literature together [1].

Texcoco again: from soda ponds to a pilot plant

The modern production story also starts at Texcoco, though in an unexpected setting. According to the FAO review, the Institut francais du petrole asked to study an algal bloom in the evaporation ponds of Sosa-Texcoco Ltd., a sodium bicarbonate plant near Mexico City. Doctoral work by Zarrouk in 1966 on the growth requirements of the organism became, in the review's words, the basis for the first large-scale production plant [2].

The same review reports that the first pilot plant at Sosa-Texcoco began producing in 1973, and that large-scale microalgae culture overall began in Japan in the early 1960s with Chlorella, followed by spirulina in the early 1970s at Lake Texcoco [2]. A second review dates the first large-scale spirulina plant to the early 1970s and the Sosa Texcoco company [8]. The decade's wider backdrop was a search for new protein sources. As the FAO review puts it, early analyses showing very high protein content sparked industrial interest in microbial protein, though no single microorganism ended up delivering the cheap bulk protein once hoped for [2].

Japan, California, Hawaii and China: the industry takes shape

Japan: chlorella first, then spirulina and phycocyanin

Japan was the first country to produce chlorella at commercial scale as a food, in the early 1960s [2][7]. Spirulina followed, and Japanese companies were central to what came next. The FAO review notes that spirulina phycocyanin, the blue pigment, was first marketed in 1980 by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals under the brand name Lina Blue-A [2]. Phycocyanin remains one of the most recognized compounds in spirulina today.

California and Hawaii

A review of spirulina in the literature reports that the first American spirulina plant, Earthrise Farms in Calipatria, California, was built in 1981 and resulted from research by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals and the Proteus Corporation of California [7]. The FAO review describes Earthrise as a 43-hectare site in the Sonoran Desert of southeastern California, producing about 450 tonnes in 2002 [2]. In Hawaii, Cyanotech grows a spirulina species on ponds beside the Pacific; the FAO review reports 350 tonnes a year [2].

China and the global market

China began producing spirulina in factories in 1990, and according to the FAO review there were more than 80 factories by 1997. FAO fishery statistics show recorded Chinese production of 19,080 tonnes in 2003 rising to 41,570 tonnes in 2004 [2]. Spirulina is now grown in many countries, from open-pond systems to closed photobioreactors.

Spirulina history at a glance

Space agencies and the protein question

Spirulina's association with space is real, though sometimes inflated. What the record supports is research interest. In the 1980s, NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System program, which studied how to feed and supply oxygen to crews on long missions, included work on spirulina. A 1988 NASA contractor report characterized two spirulina strains as a potential diet component and found that, under optimal conditions, protein made up nearly 70 percent of the organic dry weight [9]. A 1987 paper from Japan's National Aerospace Laboratory, presented in the same NASA conference series, tested a spirulina culture that produced oxygen while also offering protein [10].

The European Space Agency's MELiSSA project, a closed-loop system that recovers food, water and oxygen from waste, has worked with spirulina for many years. ESA says spirulina grows readily, converts carbon dioxide to oxygen, is protein-rich and tolerates radiation. It launched spirulina to the International Space Station in December 2017 for the Artemiss experiment, which found oxygen production in orbit matched what is seen on Earth [11][12]. ESA also describes a Belgian-led project near Bikoro in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that applies the same spirulina research to local nutrition, where the staple diet is low in protein [11].

The United Nations chapter, read carefully

Spirulina also appears in international development history. The FAO review says that in 1967 the International Association of Applied Microbiology called spirulina a “wonderful future food source” [2]. A later chapter involves the United Nations. In a 2001 letter to the UN Economic and Social Council, an organization called the Intergovernmental Institution for the Use of Micro-alga Spirulina against Malnutrition, usually abbreviated IIMSAM, asked for observer status. The letter says the declarations of the 1974 World Food Conference identified spirulina as an outstanding future foodstuff, and that the organization was registered with the UN Secretary-General in June 2001 [13].

A fair reading is that this is the organization's own account. The letter is an accreditation request, not a UN finding. We were not able to review the 1974 conference documents themselves, so we describe that claim as reported by the institution and do not treat it as an official UN position on spirulina. The more solid takeaway is that spirulina has been discussed in food-security circles for roughly half a century, mainly because of its protein density and its ability to grow in simple, small-scale systems.

What the history means for a bag of tablets today

History is context, not proof, but it shapes how we think about spirulina today. Both traditions treated it as a food: gathered, dried, and mixed into meals. That fits how ENERGYbits describes it, as a whole food and not a synthetic supplement. ENERGYbits is a single ingredient with no fillers or additives, grown in freshwater, gently dried at low temperatures and third-party tested for purity and contaminants.

Because the nutrition story is part of why the organism drew researchers in the first place, here is what a modern serving looks like. Each ENERGYbits tablet is 250 mg, and a full serving is 30 tablets, or 7.5 g. Using USDA FoodData Central values for dried spirulina per 100 g (about 57.5 g protein, 28.5 mg iron and 290 kcal) [14], the calculations for one 7.5 g serving are below.

These are calculations from database values for dried spirulina, not label claims, and actual content varies by batch and product. A serving is a modest amount of food, so spirulina complements a varied diet rather than replacing meals. If you want to explore amounts further, see our dosage guide.

What history proves and what it does not

Centuries of traditional use is meaningful evidence that spirulina is a food people can eat. It is not evidence that spirulina treats or prevents any condition, and traditional diets differ from modern supplement use in amount, preparation and context. The historical record also contains few quantitative intake data. Even the Chad study reports harvest and trade volumes, not per-person intake [3].

A short precautions note: spirulina is generally well tolerated, but check with your healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or nursing, have phenylketonuria, an autoimmune condition, a bleeding disorder, or take blood thinners or immunosuppressants. ENERGYbits is third-party tested for purity and contaminants, which matters because spirulina from open water can accumulate contaminants and source quality varies widely.

Conclusion

Spirulina's past is unusually well anchored for a supplement ingredient. It was gathered in the Valley of Mexico, dried and eaten in Chad, rediscovered by European scientists, scaled up beside a soda plant outside Mexico City, and then carried to California, Hawaii, China and beyond. Today it also interests researchers working on food security and life support. The details we cannot confirm, from runner legends to precise dates, are worth saying out loud, because the confirmed story is already compelling.

If you would like to try the food this history is about, the ENERGYbits spirulina page explains our sourcing, and the VITALITYbits spirulina and chlorella blend brings both algae together. Both are single-ingredient whole foods with no fillers or additives.

Frequently asked questions

When was spirulina first eaten? +

Spirulina has been eaten for centuries. Spanish accounts from the 1500s describe Aztec people gathering a blue-green lake food in Mexico [2], and the Kanembu of Chad have long dried it into dihe cakes [3]. Earlier origins are likely, but they are not documented in the sources we reviewed.

What did the Aztecs call spirulina? +

The Aztecs' name for it was tecuitlatl, translated in reviews as roughly stone's excrement [7]. The Spanish also wrote it as techuitlatl [2]. Modern scholars identify the organism as a spirulina.

Did the Aztecs farm spirulina? +

The sources reviewed describe collecting it from natural lake blooms with fine nets and similar tools, then drying it into cakes [2][7]. They do not describe deliberate pond cultivation, which came in the twentieth century.

What is dihe? +

Dihe is a dried spirulina cake made by the Kanembu people near Lake Chad. Women harvest and sun-dry the algae, cut it into squares and use it in sauces, usually with fish, meat or vegetables [2][3].

Who rediscovered spirulina for science? +

French phycologist P. Dangeard reported on dihe in 1940 [2]. Belgian botanist Jean Leonard found edible spirulina cakes in Chad markets during the 1964 to 1965 Trans-Saharan Expedition [2][7].

Where was the first commercial spirulina plant? +

According to the FAO review, the first large-scale plant grew out of research on an algal bloom at Sosa-Texcoco's soda ponds near Mexico City, with a pilot plant producing in 1973 [2]. Another review dates it to the early 1970s [8].

Did NASA make spirulina famous? +

NASA studied spirulina in the 1980s as a possible component of closed-loop life support systems [9]. Those were research projects. The documents reviewed are not endorsements of a consumer supplement.

What was the 1974 World Food Conference's role? +

An organization called IIMSAM says in a letter to a UN council that the 1974 conference declarations identified spirulina as an outstanding future foodstuff [13]. We could not independently review the conference documents, so this is reported, not confirmed.

How much protein is in spirulina? +

USDA lists dried spirulina at about 57.5 g of protein per 100 g [14]. A 7.5 g serving, which is 30 ENERGYbits tablets of 250 mg, supplies roughly 4.3 g by calculation.

Is traditional use proof that spirulina is healthy? +

Traditional use shows it can be a food in ordinary diets. It does not show that it treats or prevents any condition. Health questions need modern human trials, and this article does not make health claims.

Is spirulina safe for everyone? +

Spirulina is generally well tolerated, but people who are pregnant or nursing, or who have phenylketonuria, an autoimmune condition or a bleeding disorder, or who take blood thinners or immunosuppressants, should check with a healthcare provider first. Choose products that are third-party tested.

This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. ENERGYbits® products are whole-food supplements and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk with your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or managing a medical condition.

References

1. Ciferri O. Spirulina, the edible microorganism. Microbiol Rev. 1983;47(4):551-578. https://doi.org/10.1128/mr.47.4.551-578.1983
2. Habib MAB, Parvin M, Huntington TC, Hasan MR. A review on culture, production and use of spirulina as food for humans and feeds for domestic animals and fish. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular No. 1034. Rome: FAO; 2008. https://www.fao.org/3/i0424e/i0424e00.htm
3. Abdulqader G, Barsanti L, Tredici MR. Harvest of Arthrospira platensis from Lake Kossorom (Chad) and its household usage among the Kanembu. J Appl Phycol. 2000;12(3):493-498. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008177925799
4. Delpeuch F, Joseph A, Cavelier C. Consommation alimentaire et apport nutritionnel des algues bleues (Oscillatoria platensis) chez quelques populations du Kanem (Tchad). Ann Nutr Aliment. 1975. (Cited in the reference list of Ciferri 1983.) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC283708/
5. Clement G, Giddey C, Menzi R. Amino acid composition and nutritive value of the alga Spirulina maxima. J Sci Food Agric. 1967. (Listed in the reference list of Ciferri 1983; we did not review the paper itself.) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC283708/
6. Sinetova MA, Kupriyanova EV, Los DA. Spirulina/Arthrospira/Limnospira: Three Names of the Single Organism. Foods. 2024;13(17):2762. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13172762
7. Spirulina (Arthrospira): an edible microorganism. A review. Universitas Scientiarum (Pontificia Universidad Javeriana). https://revistas.javeriana.edu.co/index.php/scientarium/article/view/4842
8. Tiruha et al. Arthrospira review, Int J Food 2018 (University of Florence repository copy; cites Ali and Saleh 2012 on Chad and Belay 2013 on Sosa Texcoco). https://flore.unifi.it/bitstream/2158/1141370/1/TiruhaArthrospira_InternJFood2018.pdf
9. Tadros MG. Characterization of Spirulina biomass for CELSS diet potential. NASA Contractor Report NASA-CR-185329. 1988. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19890016190
10. Oguchi M, Otsubo K, Nitta K, Hatayama S. Food production and gas exchange system using blue-green alga (spirulina) for CELSS. NASA Ames CELSS conference. 1987. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19880002871
11. European Space Agency. Full circle: space algae fighting malnutrition in Congo. https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Research/Full_circle_space_algae_fighting_malnutrition_in_Congo
12. European Space Agency. Green smoothies in space. https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Research/Green_smoothies_in_space
13. United Nations Economic and Social Council. Document E/2002/3 (10 January 2002): request for observer accreditation from the Intergovernmental Institution for the Use of Micro-alga Spirulina against malnutrition. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/456328/files/E_2002_3-EN.pdf
14. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central. Seaweed, spirulina, dried (FDC ID 170495, SR Legacy). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170495/nutrients