Interesting Facts about Sea Cucumbers
-Stichopus chloronotus's most prevelent common name is
Greenfish, however it has other common names such as Trepang Verte and
Dabalaya.
-Although Stichopus chloronotus does not contain them, most sea cucumbers
use cuvierian tubes as another defense mechanism (see picture below).
Cuvierian tubes are basically organs that the sea cucumber does not use.
When threatened, the sea cucumber will expel these sticky organs from their
body as a distraction. To see this process in action, follow this
link!
-The lifespan of a sea cucumber ranges from 5-10 years.
-In some deep ocean trenches sea cucumbers can make up more than 80% of the
total biomass!
Recipes
Sea cucumbers are considered a delicacy in the places like Malaysia and
China. Here are some recipes from Malaysia that call for bęche-de-mer.
They are adapted from A Hand-book on Indian Sea-Cucumbers by
James, D. B. and P. S.B. R. James:
Sea-Cucumber and Fish Soup
-1 Sea
-cucumber
-1 oz Yellow fish
-1 Bamboo shoot
-1 Tbsp of Chopped Ham
-6 spring onion sections
-4 sliced
ginger
-1 Tbsp Chopped coriander
-1 ˝ Tsp of salt
- 1 Tsp of wine
- 1 egg white
- A little pepper
- 1 Tbsp of corn starch
- 2 ˝ Tsp of salt
- A dash of MSG
- 4 Cups of stock
1.Blanch sea-cucumber in water and add
spring onion, ginger, and wine. Remove and rinse in cold water. Cut into small
pieces. Boil Bamboo shoot and cut into small pieces.
2.Remove head of yellow fish. Slit open
from the back. Remove center bone and fin. Trim fish meat and cut into
cubes. Marinate in (1) for ten minutes.
3.Fry spring onion section, ginger in 2
Tbsp oil until fragrant. Add stock. Remove spring onion ginger. Add bamboo
shoot, sea cucumber and (2). Bring to boil before you add in fish. Thicken
with corn-starch mixture before scoop on bowl. Sprinkle with chopped ham and
coriander.
Braised Sea-Cucumber and Shrimp Roe
- 2 lbs Sea-Cucumber
- 3 spring onion
- 4 sliced ginger
- One Tbsp of Shrimp Roe
- 3 Tbsp of soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp Ginger Water
- A dash of MSG
- A dash of sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp corn-starch
1. Slice sea-cucumber diagonally. Add
one spring onion, 2 slices ginger, 1 tsp wine together with half a pot
of water. Bring to boil. Blanch sea-cucumber to remove the unpleasant smell.
Rinse in cold water. Drain and leave aside.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp oil. Add in spring onion
section and ginger. Stir fry for a while. Add sea-cucumber. Fry well. Lastly
add soy sauce, sugar, ginger water, MSG, sesame oil, corn starch and shrimp
roe. Stir well and remove.
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