Shark fin soup is a dish dating back hundreds of years. For the first time, historians found a mention of him during the reign of the Ming Dynasty, that is, from the 14th century. It was very much appreciated in China, its best cooks prepared only for members of the imperial family. Over time, he could be seen at a dinner with the noble and wealthy Chinese, at weddings. It was considered the highest respect for the guest if he was served at the reception with shark fin soup.
Demand for shark fins
Chinese healers attributed the stew to many healing properties, increasing the demand for such a dish among the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom. Shark fishing has become a barbarian business that has spread rapidly in eastern and African countries. Poachers annually destroy a huge number of these fish, and often on ships they are caught by nets, only the pectoral, dorsal fins and tail are cut, and the rest, still living fish, is thrown overboard. A living creature dies in terrible torment, which leads to a strong concern of the entire civilized world.
In many countries, a ban on the extermination of sharks in such a barbaric way is declared, and it is even forbidden to cook this dish in restaurants. Greenpeace activists staged protests near the entrance to restaurants and hotels, where they continue to use shark fins for making soup. It is difficult to cope with the problem because of the passion of profit, because shark fin soup costs from 100 to 200 dollars (from 6500 to 13 000 rubles). Despite the high price, many rich people want to try this exotic dish, considering it as a status dish. You can order it not only in Chinese restaurants, but also in many countries of the world. Fins are purchased in dried or canned form.
In the article, we will consider what shark fin soup is, why its price is so high, we will find out whether it is so tasty and wholesome as Chinese healers describe it. We will tell you the recipe for its preparation in all details, what else is added to the soup, why it has been prepared for so long, and many other interesting facts.
Benefits According to Chinese Healers
As you know, Chinese traditional medicine is very different from the world. There, each product, often absolutely specific, is credited with beneficial properties. They promise that after tasting the dried organ of an animal or a crocodile, a person will get rid of many problems. Sharks, the fins of which, during cooking, are laid out on elastin filaments, the so-called elastotrichies, which provide a jelly-like consistency to this dish, did not bypass their attention.
According to Chinese healers, shark fin soup brings great benefits, increasing male strength and improving skin tone, it is also believed that shark fins will save you blood cholesterol and prevent diseases of the cardiovascular system. Another shark stew should rejuvenate and heal from anemia, and will also have a beneficial effect on the internal organs - lungs, kidneys, and even skeleton bones. Eastern healers believe that sharks do not get cancer, so eating soup will save you from such a problem.
Research by official physicians
Let's get acquainted with the studies of doctors of official medicine. During the study of nutrients in this soup, it was concluded that the fins are quite poor in vitamins. Any vegetable soup will bring a person more benefits than the shark fin option. However, it was found that they contain a large number of minerals, namely, iron, zinc, phosphorus, as well as sodium and potassium.
However, as in all other species of ocean predators, many heavy metals and other harmful substances accumulate in sharks, which are associated with pollution of the oceans. American scientists found a large amount of mercury in the fins, which has a negative effect on health, refuting the opinion about the use of fins for increasing male potency. Mercury just has the opposite effect on men's health, in large quantities leads to infertility, both male and female.
Researchers have also tested the benefits of shark fin soup for cancer. As a result, its absolute uselessness and effectiveness were revealed at the placebo level of both the fins and the cartilage shark in general.
Shark fishing
The growing popularity of fins dishes makes greedy entrepreneurs rush for sharks, despite bans and resentment from environmental organizations. Annually, up to 70 million individuals are caught, often in a terrible poaching method, by cutting off fins from still living fish. Without them, the shark is not able to swim and dies a slow death.
In many countries, it is strictly forbidden to catch sharks just for the fin. Fishermen are required to show a full catch, with a whole carcass. In this case, they cut it for meat and skins, and not just for cutting fins. This is considered a more humane way of catching. Environmentalists argue that shark capture on such a scale threatens the world population of this species of predatory fish. After all, fins for making soup are used from any shark, even with a rare whale. The bounty hunters are absolutely indifferent to the fate of these majestic and safe representatives of the marine fauna. Only a decrease in demand for this dish will benefit the ecology of the planet and the oceans, which depends on you and me.
The taste of shark fin soup
Everyone who tastes this soup will call it tasty, but the most interesting thing is that if you remove fins from it and leave the rest of the ingredients unchanged, the taste of the dish will not change at all, only its consistency will change. Thanks to elastin threads, the soup has a jelly-like structure, which makes it look like a jelly melted in a warm room.
By the way, many restaurateurs, eager for easy money, take advantage of this and serve fakes on the table, replacing shark fin threads with "glass" rice noodles. A person who has never tried this dish is easy to fool by slipping a substitute. The basis of the taste is made up of other types of meat and spices, which are essential components of the soup.
All that shark fins give for soup is viscosity, because if you make soup only from them, it will have no smell or taste. Before ordering an expensive and such “useful” shark fin soup in a restaurant (photo is presented in the article), make sure that you are given a real dish, not a substitute.
Also consider whether eating soup once in a while can affect your health. After all, it is impossible to recover from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract if you drink one glass of mineral water from a source. So is it worth it to pay $ 200 for a bowl of soup just for the sake of exotics, knowing that for the sake of your whim millions of living things in the ocean are being killed, and in a barbaric way?
How do fins cook?
Most often, dried fins are used to make soup, which are obtained legally, tested and pre-cleaned from hard skin. If you yourself caught a shark, for example, the Black Sea Katran, then the fins will have to be cleaned at home, the bones removed. A dark filet should remain, which becomes white during the boiling process. Fresh shark fin soup recipe requires pre-treatment. For one pot of soup, take two or four fins.
Put the prepared fins in a pan and pour boiling water over them. Set aside to insist all night. Then the fins are washed under running water and soaked again, but already in cold water. It is enough to hold for 2 or 3 hours, and then transfer to a cooking pot with a capacity of 5 liters and put on fire. In order to rid the fins of the smell of ammonia, add 1 peeled ginger root to the pan. Cook for 3 hours.
But that is not all. The resulting first broth is poured and not used. Cool the fins and select all the cartilages from the softened fin fibers. They have a brownish-golden color. Then put them back into the pan, but already 2 liters, and cook the broth for another 5 hours. This time add 1 peeled ginger root and 1 peeled onion. The resulting broth is poured again, and the shark cartilage is boiled again. Then leave them on a plate and dry. Only now can we start cooking the soup itself.
Shark Fin Soup Recipe
When the fins are processed and ready to join the rest of the ingredients, dip them in a separately cooked chicken stock, chop the chicken meat, salt and spices to taste there. Cook for another half hour on low heat.
When serving, add chopped chicken breast - 150 grams, boiled pork ham - 150 grams and a few feathers of green onion, finely chopped with a knife. You can use ham, and serve the soup with Chinese "black" eggs.
Cooking options
The main broth is cooked from chicken, pork tenderloin and shank in plenty of water. The broth is boiled like jelly from 8 to 12 hours. Prepared fins are separately boiled together with crab meat for another 10 minutes, and then sent to the finished broth for another 1 minute.
It is recommended to eat the soup infused, only the next day, but fresh soup is also tasty. If desired, you can add fresh herbs.
How to prepare dried fins?
For steaming dried shark fins, you can put them for 1 hour in a double boiler. Then throw the workpiece into boiling water and leave it with the lid closed for the whole night.
Fins from hot water are steamed, and it is easy to divide them into fibers, as well as get rid of small bones. Then they are washed and boiled in new water for another 2 hours. Then they cook with other ingredients according to the recipe.
Opinions of people
According to reviews, shark fin soup turns out to be tasty, but it takes a long time to make it. The fins themselves after a long treatment completely get rid of taste and smell, add only viscosity to the soup. Thanks to other tasty ingredients - different types of meat, crab or shrimp, as well as herbs and spices - the soup turns out to be rich and tasty, reminiscent of aspic or meat pudding.