The browning of Gracilaria lemaneiformis during salting decreases the sensory quality and commercial value of this alga. This study determined whether or not hot water treatment preserves the colour of salted G. lemaneiformis. During hot water treatment, brown materials were dissolved in hot water and separated from G. lemaneiformis, which resulted in the recovery of the natural colour of the alga. The optimised colour preservation conditions were 100°C extraction temperature and 20 min extraction time. Hot water treatment can potentially preserve the colour of G. Lemaneiformis.