Sea Cucumbers and Brittle Stars Codexery

Sea cucumbers as food

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Sea cucumbers are known by many regional names including bêche-de-mer, trepang, and gamat.[1][2] They are harvested by hand from small boats in a process called trepanging, then dried for preservation.[3] Only about 10 of the 650 sea cucumber species have commercial value, with most exported to China, Hong Kong, and Singapore.[4]

Quick Facts

Estimated annual market value
US$60 million
Commercial species count
10
Total species count
650
Diving depth for harvest
up to 40 m / 131 ft

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

In Chinese cuisine, sea cucumber is considered tasteless and bland, requiring complex preparation.[5] Because of its heavy texture, the manual advises against cooking sea cucumber in mild soups.[6] Preparations for guests must begin a full day ahead, as the sea cucumber needs to simmer all day to become soft.[6] To prepare the dried product for cooking, it must be boiled and then left to soak in water for multiple days.[3]

Jewish dietary rules classify sea cucumbers as non-kosher because they do not possess scales.[7]

What the cited sources add

The Suiyuan shidan translation describes a dish from Assistant Minister Jiang’s home using simmered tofu sheets, chicken thighs, and mushrooms with sea cucumbers.[6] The same source notes that any “fresh” sea cucumbers sold should be suspect, as they are almost never sold fresh.[6] A 2013 kosher certification article states that skin and muscle extracts of sea cucumbers are derived from non-kosher species.[8] That article also explains that glucosamine, chitosan, and chitin from non-kosher seafood derivatives are non-kosher.[8]

The kosher article notes that collagen in general is used in many ways, from food additives like gelatin to medical treatments for wounds, but does not specifically state that sea cucumber collagen is used for these purposes.[8]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Sea cucumbers as food" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ramón, "Royal cucumber (Stichopus regalis) in the northwestern Mediterranean: Distribution pattern and fishery", Fisheries Research, June 2010, p. 21–27 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Sea cucumbers as food" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Poh-Sze, "Advances in Sea Cucumber Aquaculture and Management", Food and Agriculture Organization, 2004, p. 57–58 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Sea cucumbers as food" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Teripang", Merriam Webster Dictionary (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Sea cucumbers as food" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Huang, Yao-Wen. Liu KeShun. Wang, Catharina Yung-Kang. Ang. [1999] (1999).; Huang, Yao-Wen. Liu KeShun. Wang, Catharina Yung-Kang. Ang. [1999] (1999).; "Sea cucumbers, abalone off the menu in China frugality drive", Reuters, 2013-05-07 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Sea cucumbers as food" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Rone de Beauvoir, 2005. Decadent Meals and Desserts: How to Conjure Up Love with Aprhodisaics. Lulu.com, 2005. , pp60 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. "Seafoods 2: Three Ways of Preparing Sea Cucumbers (海參三法)", Translating the Suiyuan Shidan, 2014. facts only, no text reused. wayoftheeating.wordpress.com
  7. Wikipedia, "Sea cucumbers as food" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "SHE SELLS SEA SHELLS – BUT ARE THEY KOSHER? THE KASHRUS STATUS OF GLUCOSAMINE AND OTHER ARTHRITIS REMEDIES", 15 August 2013 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. "SHE SELLS SEA SHELLS – BUT ARE THEY KOSHER? THE KASHRUS STATUS OF GLUCOSAMINE AND OTHER ARTHRITIS REMEDIES", 15 August 2013. facts only, no text reused. star-k.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Sea cucumbers as food (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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