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{{short description|Used in fresh or dried form in various cuisines.}}
{{Short description|Marine foodstuff}}
{{Chinese|title=Sea cucumber|pic=Sea Cucumber with Scallions.jpeg|picsize=225px|t={{linktext|海|參}}|s={{linktext|海|参}}|p=hǎishēn|j=hoi2 sam1|poj=hái-sam<br/>hái-sim<br/>hái-sum|l=sea ginseng|showflag=pj|hangul=해삼|hanja=海蔘|rr=haesam|mr=haesam|vie=hải sâm}}
{{Infobox Chinese|title=Sea cucumber|pic=Prickly sea cucumber soup.jpg|picsize=225px|t={{linktext|海|參}}|s={{linktext|海|参}}|p=hǎishēn|j=hoi2 sam1|poj=hái-sam<br/>hái-sim<br/>hái-sum|l=sea ginseng|showflag=pj|hangul=해삼|hanja=海蔘|rr=haesam|mr=haesam|vie=hải sâm}}


'''[[Sea cucumber]]s''' are marine animals of the class [[Holothuroidea]]. They can be used as food, in fresh or dried form, in various cuisines. In some cultural contexts the sea cucumber is thought to have medicinal value.
[[Sea cucumber]]s are marine animals of the class [[Holothuroidea]]. They can be used as food, in fresh or dried form, in various cuisines. In some cultural contexts the sea cucumber is thought to have medicinal value.


The creature and the food product are commonly known as ''bêche-de-mer'' in [[French language|French]], from [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] ''bicho do mar'' (literally "sea animal"), ''trepang'' (or ''trīpang'') in [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]], ''namako'' in [[Japanese language|Japanese]], ''balatan'' in [[Filipino language|Tagalog]], ''loli'' in [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] and ''deniz patlıcanı'' (sea eggplant) in [[Turkish language|Turkish]] . In [[Malay language|Malay]], it is known as the ''[[gamat]]''.<ref name="Alessandro Lovatelli 2004">Alessandro Lovatelli, C. Conand, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ''Advances in sea cucumber aquaculture and management'': ''Volume 463 of FAO fisheries technical paper'' United Nations Food & Agriculture Org., 2004. {{ISBN|978-92-5-105163-4}}. 425 pages: 58</ref>
The creature and the food product are commonly known as ''bêche-de-mer'' in [[French language|French]], from [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] ''bicho do mar'' (literally "sea animal"), ''trepang'' (or ''trīpang'') in [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]], ''namako'' in [[Japanese language|Japanese]], ''balatan'' in [[Filipino language|Tagalog]], ''loli'' in [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] and ''deniz patlıcanı'' (sea aubergine) in [[Turkish language|Turkish]]. In [[Malay language|Malay]], it is known as the ''[[gamat]]''.<ref name="Alessandro Lovatelli 2004">Alessandro Lovatelli, C. Conand, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ''Advances in sea cucumber aquaculture and management'': ''Volume 463 of FAO fisheries technical paper'' United Nations Food & Agriculture Org., 2004. {{ISBN|978-92-5-105163-4}}. 425 pages: 58</ref>


Most cultures in [[East Asia|East]] and [[Southeast Asia]] regard sea cucumbers as a [[delicacy]]. A number of dishes are made with sea cucumber, and in most dishes it has a slippery texture. Common ingredients that go with sea cucumber dishes include [[winter melon]], [[conpoy]], ''[[kai-lan]]'', [[Shiitake|shiitake mushroom]], and [[Chinese cabbage]].
Most cultures in [[East Asia|East]] and [[Southeast Asia]] regard sea cucumbers as a [[delicacy]]. A number of dishes are made with sea cucumber, and in most dishes it has a slippery texture. Common ingredients that go with sea cucumber dishes include [[winter melon]], [[conpoy]], ''[[kai-lan]]'', [[Shiitake|shiitake mushroom]], and [[Chinese cabbage]].
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*''[[Holothuria scabra]]'' (sandfish)<ref>{{seaLifeBase species| genus=Holothuria | species= scabra| year=2011 | month=November }}</ref>
*''[[Holothuria scabra]]'' (sandfish)<ref>{{seaLifeBase species| genus=Holothuria | species= scabra| year=2011 | month=November }}</ref>
*''[[Holothuria arguinensi|Holothuria arguinensis]]''<ref>{{seaLifeBase species| genus=Holothuria | species= arguinensi| year=2020 | month=April}}</ref>
*''[[Holothuria arguinensi]]s''<ref>{{seaLifeBase species| genus=Holothuria | species= arguinensi| year=2020 | month=April}}</ref>
*''[[Holothuria spinifera]]'' (brown sandfish)<ref>{{seaLifeBase species| genus=Holothuria | species= spinifera| year=2011 | month=November }}</ref>
*''[[Holothuria spinifera]]'' (brown sandfish)<ref>{{seaLifeBase species| genus=Holothuria | species= spinifera| year=2011 | month=November }}</ref>
*''[[Holothuria fuscogilva]]'' (''bat susu'', white teatfish)<ref>{{seaLifeBase species| genus=Holothuria | species= fuscogilva| year=2011 | month=November }}</ref>
*''[[Holothuria fuscogilva]]'' (''bat susu'', white teatfish)<ref>{{seaLifeBase species| genus=Holothuria | species= fuscogilva| year=2011 | month=November }}</ref>
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[[File:Yokohama Chinese Medicine Sea cucumber 1.jpg|thumb|Jar of dried, gutted sea cucumbers at a [[traditional Chinese medicine]] emporium in [[Yokohama]], [[Japan]]]]
[[File:Yokohama Chinese Medicine Sea cucumber 1.jpg|thumb|Jar of dried, gutted sea cucumbers at a [[traditional Chinese medicine]] emporium in [[Yokohama]], [[Japan]]]]
{{See also|Gamat}}
{{See also|Gamat}}
From the 17th or 18th century CE onwards, traders from [[Sulawesi]] established [[Makassan contact with Australia|extensive seasonal trade links]] with the [[Indigenous Australians|Indigenous]] peoples of [[Kimberley (Western Australia)|Kimberley region]], the modern-day Northern Territory, and [[Arnhem Land]].<ref name="Macknight-2011">{{cite journal | title = The view from Marege': Australian knowledge of Makassar and the impact of the trepangindustry across two centuries
The trade in ''trepang'', between Macassans seafarers and the aborigines of Arnhem Land, to supply the markets of Southern China is the first recorded example of trade between the inhabitants of the Australian continent and their Asian neighbours.
| last = Macknight | first = Charles Campbell
| journal = [[Aboriginal History]]
| year = 2011 | volume = 35 | pages = 121–143
| jstor = 24046930
| doi = 10.22459/AH.35.2011.06
| doi-access = free}}</ref> They collected ''trepang'' ([[sea cucumber]]) in particular to supply markets in Southern China.<ref name="Macknight-2011"/>


The Asian market for sea cucumber is estimated to be [[United states dollar|US$]]60 million. The dried form accounts for 95% of the sea cucumber traded annually in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, and Japan.
The Asian market for sea cucumber is estimated to be [[United states dollar|US$]]60 million. The dried form accounts for 95% of the sea cucumber traded annually in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, and Japan.
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The dried ovary of sea cucumber is also eaten, which is called ''konoko'' (このこ) or ''kuchiko'' (くちこ).
The dried ovary of sea cucumber is also eaten, which is called ''konoko'' (このこ) or ''kuchiko'' (くちこ).


Sea cucumbers are considered non-[[kosher]] in Jewish dietary law.<ref>{{cite web|title=SHE SELLS SEA SHELLS – BUT ARE THEY KOSHER? THE KASHRUS STATUS OF GLUCOSAMINE AND OTHER ARTHRITIS REMEDIES|url=http://www.star-k.org/articles/articles/medicine/457/she-sells-sea-shells-but-are-they-kosher-the-kashrus-status-of-glucosamine-and-other-arthritis-remedies/}}</ref>
Sea cucumbers are considered non-[[kosher]] in Jewish dietary law, since they lack scales.<ref>{{cite web|title=SHE SELLS SEA SHELLS – BUT ARE THEY KOSHER? THE KASHRUS STATUS OF GLUCOSAMINE AND OTHER ARTHRITIS REMEDIES|url=http://www.star-k.org/articles/articles/medicine/457/she-sells-sea-shells-but-are-they-kosher-the-kashrus-status-of-glucosamine-and-other-arthritis-remedies/}}</ref>


==Culinary use==
==Culinary use==
Both a fresh form and a dried form are used for cooking, though its preparation is complex due to its taste being entirely "tasteless and bland".<ref>Rone de Beauvoir, 2005. ''Decadent Meals and Desserts: How to Conjure Up Love with Aprhodisaics''. Lulu.com, 2005. {{ISBN|978-1-882682-01-0}}, pp60{{self-published source}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}} In the [[Suiyuan shidan]], the Chinese [[Qing Dynasty]] manual of [[gastronomy]], it is stated: "As an ingredient, sea cucumbers have little to no taste, are full of sand, and are fishy in smell. For these reasons, it is also the most difficult ingredient to prepare well."(海參，無味之物，沙多氣腥，最難討好。) Much of the preparation of sea cucumber goes into cleaning and boiling it, then stewing it in meat broths and extracts to infuse each sea cucumber with flavour.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seafoods 2: Three Ways of Preparing Sea Cucumbers (海參三法) |website=Translating the Suiyuan Shidan|url=https://wayoftheeating.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/seafoods-2-three-ways-of-preparing-sea-cucumbers-%E6%B5%B7%E5%8F%83%E4%B8%89%E6%B3%95/|year=2014}}</ref>
Both a fresh form and a dried form are used for cooking, though its preparation is complex due to its taste being entirely "tasteless and bland".<ref>Rone de Beauvoir, 2005. ''Decadent Meals and Desserts: How to Conjure Up Love with Aprhodisaics''. Lulu.com, 2005. {{ISBN|978-1-882682-01-0}}, pp60{{self-published source|date=June 2022}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}} In the [[Suiyuan shidan]], the Chinese [[Qing Dynasty]] manual of [[gastronomy]], it is stated: "As an ingredient, sea cucumbers have little to no taste, are full of sand, and are fishy in smell. For these reasons, it is also the most difficult ingredient to prepare well."(海參，無味之物，沙多氣腥，最難討好。) Much of the preparation of sea cucumber goes into cleaning and boiling it, then stewing it in meat broths and extracts to infuse each sea cucumber with flavour.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seafoods 2: Three Ways of Preparing Sea Cucumbers (海參三法) |website=Translating the Suiyuan Shidan|url=https://wayoftheeating.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/seafoods-2-three-ways-of-preparing-sea-cucumbers-%E6%B5%B7%E5%8F%83%E4%B8%89%E6%B3%95/|year=2014}}</ref>


Chinese folk belief attributes male sexual health and [[aphrodisiac]] qualities to the sea cucumber, as it physically resembles a [[phallus]], and uses a defence mechanism similar to [[ejaculation]] as it stiffens and squirts its own entrails at the aggressor. It is also considered a restorative for [[tendonitis]] and [[arthritis]].<ref name="Alessandro Lovatelli 2004"/>
Chinese folk belief attributes male sexual health and [[aphrodisiac]] qualities to the sea cucumber, as it physically resembles a [[phallus]], and uses a defence mechanism similar to [[ejaculation]] as it stiffens and squirts its own entrails at the aggressor. It is also considered a restorative for [[tendonitis]] and [[arthritis]].<ref name="Alessandro Lovatelli 2004"/>

Following campaigns encouraging people to avoid [[shark fin soup]], sea cucumber has become an increasingly popular replacement in China.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Harrell |first=Stevan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DiByzwEACAAJ |title=An Ecological History of Modern China |date=2023 |publisher=University of Washington Press |isbn=978-0-295-75171-9 |language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|page=270}}


<gallery>
<gallery>
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File:Sea cucumber dish 2.jpg | Sea cucumber dish
File:Sea cucumber dish 2.jpg | Sea cucumber dish
File:Sea cucumber dish 3.jpg | Fried sea cucumber
File:Sea cucumber dish 3.jpg | Fried sea cucumber
File:Braised Guandong Sea Cucumber with Scallion in Sauce.jpg| Braised sea cucumber
File:Sea cucumber dish.jpg | Braised sea cucumber with mushrooms, pork, and [[tea egg]]s
File:Sea cucumber dish.jpg | Braised sea cucumber with mushrooms, pork, and [[tea egg]]s
File:Sea cucumber rice roll.jpg | Sea cucumber rice roll
File:Sea cucumber rice roll.jpg | Sea cucumber rice roll
File:Sea Cucumber with Scallions.jpeg | Sea cucumber with scallions, a famous [[Shandong cuisine|Shandong]] dish
</gallery>
</gallery>


==See also==
==See also==
* ''[[Bao yu]]''
* ''[[Bao yu]]''
* [[Shark fin soup]]
* [[Buddha Jumps Over the Wall]]
* [[Buddha Jumps Over the Wall]]


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{{seafood|state=expanded}}
{{seafood|state=expanded}}
{{Cantonese cuisine}}
{{Cantonese cuisine}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Holothuroidea]]
[[Category:Holothuroidea]]
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[[Category:Animal-based seafood]]
[[Category:Animal-based seafood]]
[[Category:Korean seafood]]
[[Category:Korean seafood]]
[[Category:Echinoderms as food]]
[[Category:Sea cucumbers as food| ]]
[[Category:Types of food]]


[[ja:ナマコ#食材としてのナマコ]]
[[ja:ナマコ#食材としてのナマコ]]

Revision as of 20:30, 3 July 2024

Sea cucumber
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese海參
Simplified Chinese海参
Hanyu Pinyinhǎishēn
Jyutpinghoi2 sam1
Literal meaningsea ginseng
Vietnamese name
Vietnamesehải sâm
Korean name
Hangul해삼
Hanja海蔘

Sea cucumbers are marine animals of the class Holothuroidea. They can be used as food, in fresh or dried form, in various cuisines. In some cultural contexts the sea cucumber is thought to have medicinal value.

The creature and the food product are commonly known as bêche-de-mer in French, from Portuguese bicho do mar (literally "sea animal"), trepang (or trīpang) in Indonesian, namako in Japanese, balatan in Tagalog, loli in Hawaiian and deniz patlıcanı (sea aubergine) in Turkish. In Malay, it is known as the gamat.[1]

Most cultures in East and Southeast Asia regard sea cucumbers as a delicacy. A number of dishes are made with sea cucumber, and in most dishes it has a slippery texture. Common ingredients that go with sea cucumber dishes include winter melon, conpoy, kai-lan, shiitake mushroom, and Chinese cabbage.

Many sea cucumber species are endangered and are at risk of overfishing due to their consumption.

Harvest

Main article: Trepanging
The Philippine balatan or sea cucumber breeding/harvesting

Sea cucumbers destined for food are traditionally harvested by hand from small watercraft, a process called "trepanging" after the Indonesian Malay word for sea cucumber teripang.[2] They are dried for preservation, and must be rehydrated by boiling and soaking in water for several days. They are mainly used as an ingredient in Chinese cuisine soups or stews.

Many commercially important species of sea cucumber are harvested and dried for export for use in Chinese cuisine as 海参 (pinyin: hǎishēn). Some of the more commonly found species in markets include:[3]

Haisom cah jamur, Chinese Indonesian sea cucumber with mushroom
Dried sea cucumbers

Western Australia has sea cucumber fisheries from Exmouth to the border of the Northern Territory; almost all of the catch is sandfish (Holothuria scabra). The fishing of the various species known as bêche-de-mer is regulated by state and federal legislation.

Five other species are targeted in the state's bêche-de-mer harvest, these are Holothuria nobilis (black teatfish), Holothuria whitmaei (black fish), Thelenota ananas (prickly redfish), Actinopyga echninitis (deep-water redfish), and Holothuria atra (lolly fish).[13]

In the far north of Queensland, Australia, sea cucumber are harvested from the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. Targeted species include Holothuria noblis (white teatfish), Holothuria whitmaei (black teatfish) and H. scabra (sand fish). Divers are supplied air via hose or "hookah" from the surface and collect their catch by hand, diving to depths of up to 40 m.

Market

Jar of dried, gutted sea cucumbers at a traditional Chinese medicine emporium in Yokohama, Japan
See also: Gamat

From the 17th or 18th century CE onwards, traders from Sulawesi established extensive seasonal trade links with the Indigenous peoples of Kimberley region, the modern-day Northern Territory, and Arnhem Land.[14] They collected trepang (sea cucumber) in particular to supply markets in Southern China.[14]

The Asian market for sea cucumber is estimated to be US$60 million. The dried form accounts for 95% of the sea cucumber traded annually in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, and Japan.

It is typically used in Chinese cuisines. The biggest re-exporters in the trade are Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Singapore.[15] Of the 650 species of sea cucumbers, just 10 species have commercial value.[15] In 2013, the Chinese government cracked down on the purchasing of sea cucumbers by officials as their expensive price tag could be seen as a sign of opulence.[16]

In Japan, sea cucumber is also eaten raw, as sashimi or sunomono, and its intestine is also eaten as konowata, which is salted and fermented food (a variety of shiokara). The dried ovary of sea cucumber is also eaten, which is called konoko (このこ) or kuchiko (くちこ).

Sea cucumbers are considered non-kosher in Jewish dietary law, since they lack scales.[17]

Culinary use

Both a fresh form and a dried form are used for cooking, though its preparation is complex due to its taste being entirely "tasteless and bland".[18][self-published source?] In the Suiyuan shidan, the Chinese Qing Dynasty manual of gastronomy, it is stated: "As an ingredient, sea cucumbers have little to no taste, are full of sand, and are fishy in smell. For these reasons, it is also the most difficult ingredient to prepare well."(海參，無味之物，沙多氣腥，最難討好。) Much of the preparation of sea cucumber goes into cleaning and boiling it, then stewing it in meat broths and extracts to infuse each sea cucumber with flavour.[19]

Chinese folk belief attributes male sexual health and aphrodisiac qualities to the sea cucumber, as it physically resembles a phallus, and uses a defence mechanism similar to ejaculation as it stiffens and squirts its own entrails at the aggressor. It is also considered a restorative for tendonitis and arthritis.[1]

Following campaigns encouraging people to avoid shark fin soup, sea cucumber has become an increasingly popular replacement in China.[20]: 270 

  • Cooked sea cucumber
    Cooked sea cucumber
  • Sea cucumber dish
    Sea cucumber dish
  • Fried sea cucumber
    Fried sea cucumber
  • Braised sea cucumber
    Braised sea cucumber
  • Braised sea cucumber with mushrooms, pork, and tea eggs
    Braised sea cucumber with mushrooms, pork, and tea eggs
  • Sea cucumber rice roll
    Sea cucumber rice roll
  • Sea cucumber with scallions, a famous Shandong dish
    Sea cucumber with scallions, a famous Shandong dish

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Alessandro Lovatelli, C. Conand, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Advances in sea cucumber aquaculture and management: Volume 463 of FAO fisheries technical paper United Nations Food & Agriculture Org., 2004. ISBN 978-92-5-105163-4. 425 pages: 58
  2. ^ "Teripang". Merriam Webster Dictionary.
  3. ^ RAMOFAFIA C.; BYRNE M.; BATTAGLENE S. C (2003). "Development of three commercial sea cucumbers, Holothuria scabra, H. fuscogilva and Actinopyga mauritiana: larval structure and growth". Marine and Freshwater Research. 54 (5): 657–667. doi:10.1071/MF02145. ISSN 1323-1650.
  4. ^ Palomares ML, Pauly D, eds. (2011). "Holothuria scabra" in SeaLifeBase. November 2011 version.
  5. ^ Palomares ML, Pauly D, eds. (2020). "Holothuria arguinensi" in SeaLifeBase. April 2020 version.
  6. ^ Palomares ML, Pauly D, eds. (2011). "Holothuria spinifera" in SeaLifeBase. November 2011 version.
  7. ^ Palomares ML, Pauly D, eds. (2011). "Holothuria fuscogilva" in SeaLifeBase. November 2011 version.
  8. ^ "Holothuria nobilis, black teatfish : fisheries". www.sealifebase.org. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  9. ^ Palomares ML, Pauly D, eds. (2011). "Actinopyga mauritiana" in SeaLifeBase. November 2011 version.
  10. ^ Parastichopus californicus Census of Life. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  11. ^ Palomares ML, Pauly D, eds. (2011). "Thelenota ananas" in SeaLifeBase. November 2011 version.
  12. ^ Palomares ML, Pauly D, eds. (2011). "Acaudina molpadioides" in SeaLifeBase. November 2011 version.
  13. ^ Brown, S.; Hart, A. (May 2004). "Beche-de-mer fishery status report" (PDF). State of the fisheries report. Department of fisheries. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
  14. ^ a b Macknight, Charles Campbell (2011). "The view from Marege': Australian knowledge of Makassar and the impact of the trepangindustry across two centuries". Aboriginal History. 35: 121–143. doi:10.22459/AH.35.2011.06. JSTOR 24046930.
  15. ^ a b Huang, Yao-Wen. Liu KeShun. Wang, Catharina Yung-Kang. Ang. [1999] (1999). ISBN 1-56676-736-9
  16. ^ "Sea cucumbers, abalone off the menu in China frugality drive". Reuters. 2013-05-07.
  17. ^ "SHE SELLS SEA SHELLS – BUT ARE THEY KOSHER? THE KASHRUS STATUS OF GLUCOSAMINE AND OTHER ARTHRITIS REMEDIES".
  18. ^ Rone de Beauvoir, 2005. Decadent Meals and Desserts: How to Conjure Up Love with Aprhodisaics. Lulu.com, 2005. ISBN 978-1-882682-01-0, pp60[self-published source]
  19. ^ "Seafoods 2: Three Ways of Preparing Sea Cucumbers (海參三法)". Translating the Suiyuan Shidan. 2014.
  20. ^ Harrell, Stevan (2023). An Ecological History of Modern China. University of Washington Press. ISBN 978-0-295-75171-9.
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