Sea cucumbers as food
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| Sea cucumbers as food | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 海參 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 海参 | ||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | hǎi shēn | ||||||||||
| Jyutping | hoi2 sam1 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | sea ginseng | ||||||||||
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Hoi sam is the name given to sea cucumber or sea slugs when used as an ingredient in a number of Chinese cuisines. Most cultures in East and Southeast Asia classify it as a delicacy.
Market
The Asian market for sea cucumber is estimated to be US$60 million. The dried form account for 95% of the sea cucumber trade annually in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Korea and Japan. The biggest re-exporter in the trade is China, Hong Kong and Singapore[1]. There are also 650 species of sea cucumbers, of which just 10 species have commercial value[1].
Variety
There is a fresh form and there is a dried form. Both the fresh and dried form are used for cooking. Individually the dried is also used for traditional Chinese medicine. There are a number of dishes made with hoi sum as this ingredient is expected to have a strong cultural emphasis on health. In most dishes, the sea cucumber comes out with a slippery texture. Common ingredients that go with hoi sum dishes include winter melon, dried scallop, broccoli, Chinese black mushroom, and Chinese cabbage.