Sea cucumbers as food
Sea cucumbers are a prized delicacy in East and Southeast Asian cuisines.
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Sea cucumbers are bottom-dwelling echinoderms from the class Holothuroidea, eaten as seafood either fresh or dried in many Asian and Oceanian cooking traditions. Some cultures also believe they have medicinal properties. In East and Southeast Asia, they are often considered a delicacy, and in Chinese cuisine, they rank among the four sea delicacies.
These creatures go by many names: in French, bêche-de-mer (from Portuguese bicho do mar, meaning "sea animal"); in Catalan, espardenya; in Indonesian, trepang or trīpang; in Japanese, namako; in Tagalog, balatan; in Hawaiian, loli; in Turkish, deniz patlıcanı ("sea aubergine"); in Sicilian, minch' i mari; and in Malay, gamat.
Harvest
Sea cucumbers are traditionally harvested by hand from small boats, a method called "trepanging," based on the Indonesian Malay word teripang. They are dried for preservation and later rehydrated by boiling and soaking for several days. They are mainly used in Chinese soups and stews.
Many commercially important species are dried and exported for Chinese cuisine as 海参 (hǎishēn). Common species include Holothuria edulis (pinkfish), Holothuria scabra (sandfish), Holothuria arguinensis, Holothuria spinifera (brown sandfish), Holothuria fuscogilva (bat susu, white teatfish), Holothuria nobilis (black teatfish), Actinopyga mauritiana (spiny sea cucumber), Apostichopus japonicus (Japanese sea cucumber), Parastichopus californicus (giant California sea cucumber), Parastichopus regalis (royal sea cucumber, or espardenya), Thelenota ananas (prickly redfish), and Acaudina molpadioides. Western Australia has fisheries from Exmouth to the Northern Territory border, mostly targeting sandfish (Holothuria scabra), and fishing is regulated by state and federal laws.
Five other species are also harvested there: Holothuria nobilis (black teatfish), Holothuria whitmaei (black fish), Thelenota ananas (prickly redfish), Actinopyga echninitis (deep-water redfish), and Holothuria atra (lolly fish). In far north Queensland, sea cucumbers are taken from the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, targeting Holothuria noblis (white teatfish), Holothuria whitmaei (black teatfish), and H. scabra (sandfish). Divers use surface-supplied air via hose or "hookah" and collect them by hand at depths up to 40 meters.
Market
Trade in sea cucumbers goes back centuries.
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.
Background
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. 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 and stews. From the 17th or 18th century CE onwards, traders from Sulawesi established extensive seasonal trade links with the Indigenous peoples of the Kimberley region, the modern-day Northern Territory, and Arnhem Land, collecting trepang to supply markets in Southern China.
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. The dried ovary of sea cucumber is also eaten, called konoko or kuchiko. It is also considered a delicacy in the northwestern Mediterranean, particularly in Catalan cuisine, often as an ingredient in rice dishes.
Did You Know?
- Sea cucumbers are considered non-kosher in Jewish dietary law since they lack scales.
Frequently Asked Questions
What names do fans and cooks use for edible sea cucumbers?
The creature carries a wide array of cultural names, including bêche-de-mer in French, trepang in Indonesian, namako in Japanese, balatan in Tagalog, and loli in Hawaiian. This variety of nomenclature mirrors how widely the species appears in global seafood markets.
How large is the commercial sea cucumber food trade?
The annual market is estimated at roughly US$60 million, with about 95 percent of the trade moving in dried form. Only around ten of the approximately 650 known species are harvested commercially, usually by divers working at depths of up to 40 metres.
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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.
- Wikipedia: Sea cucumbers as food (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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