What is Sea Cucumber?:
The sea cucumber is an oblong shaped, gelatinous creature that is distantly related to star fish and sea urchins. The sea cucumber comes by its name honestly: it is indeed shaped like a cucumber. In fact, you could say it has a distinctly phallic appearance, which may account for its reputation as an aphrodisiac. Another distinguishing feature is the tentacles around its mouth, which it uses to take in food.
Other Names:
There are hundreds of varieties of sea cucumber found in oceans throughout the world. Depending on where you travel, you'll find it called everything from the romantic sounding beche de mer to the somewhat less attractive sea rat. (It is also sometimes referred to as a sea slug; somewhat confusing since the real sea slug is another animal entirely).
The Chinese name for sea cucumber - hai shen - translates roughly into "sea ginseng." It's unclear whether this is in recognition of the sea cucumber's reputation as an aphrodisiac, or because it is considered to be quite healthful. It may also have something to do with its slippery feel, as the texture of food weights more heavily in Chinese cooking than other cuisines. In any event, the Chinese have been harvesting sea cucumbers for centuries.
Medicinal Uses Built in Self Defense Mechanism:
One of the more interesting features about the sea cucumber is a self-defense mechanism known as "autoevisceration." If sufficiently threatened, the animal will rid itself of its gut area. Far from being a bizarre form of aquatic suicide, the animal quickly grows a new digestive track to replace the old one.
Medicinal Uses:
In Chinese medicine, sea cucumber has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat everything from high blood pressure in humans to joint pain in pot-bellied pigs!
Preparing Sea Cucumber:
When first caught, sea cucumber requires an extensive amount of preparation before making the transition from ocean floor to your dinner plate. The complicated procedure takes place over several days and involves slitting open the belly and removing the guts, as well as washing and boiling the animal several times. Fresh sea cucumber that has already been cleaned and soaked is sometimes available in Asian markets, usually in the cold foods section or in containers of water.
Many Asian stores also carry dried sea cucumber, which resembles a piece of dried cement (fortunately it's not as heavy!) It also needs to be soaked for several hours before cooking.
How to Cook it:
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