Shark fin soup

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Shark fin soup
Chinese cuisine-Shark fin soup-01.jpg
Shark fin soup
Traditional Chinese 魚翅
Simplified Chinese 鱼翅
Cantonese Jyutping jyu4 ci3
Hanyu Pinyin yú chì
Literal meaning Fish fin

Shark fin soup (or shark's fin soup) is a popular soup item of Chinese cuisine usually served at special occasions such as weddings and banquets,[1][2] or as a luxury item in Chinese culture.[2] The shark fins provide texture while the taste comes from the other soup ingredients.[1] The soup originated centuries ago during the Ming Dynasty. Demand for the soup has increased as income levels of Chinese communities worldwide have risen. Concerns over the sustainability and welfare of sharks have impacted consumption and availability of the soup.

Contents

[edit] Historical background

Shark fin soup dates back to China's Ming Dynasty[3] and is considered by Chinese as one of the eight treasured foods from the sea.[4] The popularity of shark fin soup rose in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as standards of living began to improve.[1] The delicacy was coveted by emperors because it was rare, delicious, and required elaborate preparation.[5][6] Holding both culinary and symbolic significance, the dish is popular at important occasions such as weddings, banquets, and important business deals.[5][7][8] It symbolizes wealth, power, prestige and honor.[7][8] This staple of gourmet Chinese cuisine is a show of respect, honor, and appreciation to the guests.[5][9]

[edit] Preparation

Genuine shark fin soup or stew is made with shark fins obtained from any of a variety of shark species. Raw shark fins are processed by first removing the skin and denticles, then trimming them to shape and bleaching to a more desirable color. [10]

Shark fins are the cartilaginous dorsal, pectoral and caudal fins of a shark.

Sharks' fins are sold in many forms: dried, cooked, wet and frozen. Canned ready-to-eat shark fin soup is also available in Asian markets.[10]

There are two types of the dried form, cooked/skinned (shredded) and raw/unskinned which requires more preparation.[11] Both need to be softened before they can be used to prepare soup.

[edit] Taste

In shark fin soup, the fins themselves are virtually tasteless. The taste comes from the soup, while the fins are valued for their texture. Keith Bradsher of The New York Times describes it as a "chewy, sinewy, stringy" texture.[1] Krista Mahr of TIME called it "somewhere between chewy and crunchy."[12] Dave Lieberman of OC Weekly wrote that it is a "snappy, gelatinous texture." Most westerners' reaction to eating shark fin soup for the first time is that it has almost no taste. However, texture is prized as much as taste in Asian cuisine.[13]

[edit] Health impact

Shark fins and other shark parts for sale in a Chinese pharmacy

Chinese culture has lauded shark fins' alleged properties to boost sexual potency, enhance skin quality, increase one's qi or energy, prevent heart disease, and lower cholesterol.[9]

It is documented in old Chinese medical books that shark fin's helps in areas of rejuvenation, appetite enhancement, blood nourishment and is beneficial to vital energy, kidneys, lungs, bones and many other parts of the body.[10]

Vitamin content of typical shark fin soup is much less than that of typical vegetable soup, containing almost no vitamin A. However, it contains slightly more iron, zinc, riboflavin, and phosphorus than normal vegetable soup.[14][15]

There are apparently false claims that shark fins prevent cancer.[16][17] No scientific proof supports these claims; at least one study has shown shark cartilage to be of no value in cancer treatment.[18]

WildAid, a wildlife non-governmental organization, warned that eating too much shark fin can cause sterility in men.[19] It is known that larger fish like shark, tuna and swordfish contains high level of methylmercury,[20] but as the soup is not a staple food and only served on important occasions, the health risk to adults is likely negligible.[original research?] However, for soon-to-be pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children, FDA/EPA have advised them to avoid consumption of fish high in mercury.[21][22]


[edit] Market

[edit] Demand

Shark fin soup is a popular delicacy in China, and is eaten in Chinese restaurants around the world.[23][24] Peter Knights, executive director of WildAid, said in 2001 that the shark fin trade more than doubled in the prior 15 years.[3]

A survey carried out in China in 2006 by WildAid and the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association found that 35% of participants said they had consumed shark fin soup in the last year,[23] while 83% of participants in an online survey conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature, said that they had consumed shark fin soup at some time.[25]

In Hong Kong restaurants, where the market has traditionally been strong, demand from Hong Kong natives has reportedly dropped, but this has been more than balanced by an increase in demand from the Chinese mainland,[26] as the economic growth of China has put this expensive delicacy within the reach of a growing middle class.[27]

Based on information gathered from the Hong Kong trade in fins, the market is estimated to be growing by 5% a year.[28] Consumption of shark fin soup has risen dramatically with the middle class becoming more affluent, as Chinese communities around the world enjoy increasing income levels.[1][3][29] The high price of the soup means it is often used as a way to impress guests or at celebrations,[26] Fifty-eight percent of those questioned in the WWF survey said they ate the soup at a celebration or gathering.[25]

[edit] Bans

Some groups discourage the consumption of the soup due to concerns with the world’s shark population and how inhumanely sharks are slaughtered. The prevalence of shark finning and the sustainability of sharks are both debated.[30][31] Others feel targeting the Chinese tradition is Sinophobic.[32][33] Major hotel operators The Peninsula Hotels and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts stopped serving shark fin soup in the interest of offering sustainable seafood.[34][35] The three largest supermarket chains in Singapore—Cold Storage, NTUC FairPrice and Carrefour—have stopped selling shark fins while also citing sustainability concerns.[36] Hong Kong Disneyland dropped the soup from its menu after it could not find a sustainable source.[37] The University of Hong Kong banned serving shark fin soup, hoping "to give a lead which others in Hong Kong will follow".[38] Malaysia's Natural Resources and Environment Ministry banned shark's fin soup from official functions in a commitment to the Malaysian Nature Society to conserve the shark species.[39] In the United States, Hawaii,[40] Washington,[41] Oregon,[42][43] California,[44] Guam,[45] and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have banned the sale and possession of shark fins, effectively eliminating the availability of the soup.[46] California governor Jerry Brown cited the cruelty of finning and potential threats to the environment and commercial fishing in signing the bill.[44] Opponents charged the ban was discriminatory against Chinese, the main consumers of the shark fin soup, when federal laws already banned the practice of finning. Whole sharks would still be legally fished, but the fins could no longer be sold.[44]Toronto, Canada’s largest city, joined other municipalities like Brantford and Mississauga in adopting a shark fin ban on 13th October 2011.[47]

[edit] Artificial shark fin

Question book-new.svg This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Substitutes for shark fin exist. Products can be made from gelatin. Vegetarian shark fin made from soy can be found on the markets. A Japanese company product is made from pork gelatin.

Restaurants often mix artificial with real shark fin to make the dish more authentic. However a trained diner is able to tell the difference as artificial fins are less elastic, break easily and do not withstand heat well.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Keith Bradsher, Disneyland in China Offers a Soup and Lands in a Stew, June 17, 2005 The New York Times
  2. ^ a b Caroline Li, Lobster replaces shark's fin at Disney, The Standard, July 16, 2005
  3. ^ a b c Bird, Maryann (February 26, 2001). "Man Bites Shark". TIME. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,100660,00.html?iid=fb_share. Retrieved February 16, 2011. 
  4. ^ Vannuccini, S. 1999/ Shark utilization, marketing and trade. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 389. Rome, FAO. http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/X3690E/x3690e0p.htm, retrieved March 17, 2009.
  5. ^ a b c Barboza, David (August 13, 2006). "Waiter, There’s a Celebrity in My Shark Fin Soup". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/13/weekinreview/13barboza.html. Retrieved February 16, 2011. 
  6. ^ "Recipes: Shark's Fin Soup". The New York Times. November 3, 1982. http://events.nytimes.com/recipes/2925/1982/11/03/Sharks-Fin-Soup/recipe.html?pagewanted=print. Retrieved February 17, 2012. 
  7. ^ a b Fleshler, David; Ludmilla, Lelis (June 8, 2008). "Demand for delicacy puts sharks in peril". Orlando Sentinel. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2008-06-08/news/sharkfin08_1_shark-fins-shark-species-shark-fin-soup/2. Retrieved February 16, 2011. 
  8. ^ a b Viegas, Jennifer (December 1, 2009). "Shark fins traced to endangered populations". MSNBC.com. Discovery News. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34225165/ns/technology_and_science-science/. Retrieved February 16, 2011. 
  9. ^ a b Woo, Joyce (September 5, 2010). "Shark tale: Hong Kong's use of fins as a delicacy under fire". The Washington Post. Associated Press. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/04/AR2010090400452.html. Retrieved February 16, 2011. 
  10. ^ a b c "FAO Techpaper 389, Background info". FAO. http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/x3690e/x3690e1g.htm. Retrieved 16 January 2002. 
  11. ^ "Shark's Fin in Chinese Cooking". chinesefood-recipes.com. http://www.chinesefood-recipes.com/food_articles/sharks_fin_chinese_cooking.php. Retrieved 6 January 2007. 
  12. ^ Mahr, Krista (August 9, 2010). "Shark-Fin Soup and the Conservation Challenge". TIME. http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,2009391,00.html. 
  13. ^ Lieberman, Dave (May 3, 2010). "Why Is Shark's Fin So Controversial?". Orange County Weekly. http://blogs.ocweekly.com/stickaforkinit/2010/05/why_is_sharks_fin_so_controver.php. Retrieved February 17, 2012. 
  14. ^ "Shark Fin Soup Nutrition Facts". http://www.nutrientfacts.com/foodpages/nutritionfacts/nutritionfacts_shark_fin_soup.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-03. 
  15. ^ "Vegetarian Vegetable Soup Nutrition Facts". http://www.nutrientfacts.com/searchfood.exe?var=5&word=Vegetarian+Vegetable+Soup&x=33&y=8. Retrieved 2011-02-03. 
  16. ^ "Alternative approaches to prostate cancer treatment.". http://www.prostatecancertreatment.co.uk/treatment-options/alternative-approaches. Retrieved 2008-06-23. 
  17. ^ Pollack, Andrew (3 June 2007). "Shark Cartilage, Not a Cancer Therapy". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/health/03cancer.html. Retrieved 2009-08-29. 
  18. ^ The results of a study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, and led by Dr. Charles Lu of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology on 2 June 2007 in Chicago. Cancer patients treated with extracts from shark cartilage had a shorter median lifespan than patients receiving a placebo. "Shark fin won’t help fight cancer, but ginseng will". http://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/library/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=338&Itemid=27. Retrieved 2008-06-23. [dead link]
  19. ^ "Watch out for shark fin soup". China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-05/21/content_444520.htm. Retrieved 21 May 2005. 
  20. ^ "Beware of shark meat, FDA warns". CNN. 26 April 1996. http://edition.cnn.com/HEALTH/indepth.food/meat/seafood/shark.mercury/index.html. 
  21. ^ "What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish". FDA. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/UCM182158.pdf. Retrieved 2004. 
  22. ^ "What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish". EPA. http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/fishshellfish/outreach/advice_index.cfm. Retrieved 2004. 
  23. ^ a b Laura Marquez (2006-10-30). "Decimating Shark Population for Some Soup". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=2616156&page=1. Retrieved 8 January 2007. 
  24. ^ Karliah Brown (2009-09-). "Fins for sale". London: The Independent. http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article1096219.ece. Retrieved 8 January 2007. 
  25. ^ a b "WWF Marine Awareness Survey: Seafood consumption". WWF. 2005-10-13. http://www.wwf.org.hk/eng/pdf/references/marine%20awareness%20II%20accomp%20051013_1.pdf. Retrieved 8 January 2007. 
  26. ^ a b "Yao Ming unlikely to curb China's shark fin appetite". Taipei Times. 2006-05-03. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2006/09/03/2003325993. Retrieved 8 January 2007. 
  27. ^ "Media silent on shark fin soup affair". The Standard. 2006-09-01. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=9&art_id=26301&sid=9676185&con_type=3&d_str=20060901. Retrieved 8 January 2007. 
  28. ^ Julie Chao (2004-05-19). "Chinese Taste For Endangered Seafood Growing". Cox News Service. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/innews/taste2004.html. Retrieved 8 January 2007. 
  29. ^ "Shark fin soup alters an ecosystem - CNN.com". CNN. 15 December 2008. http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/12/10/pip.shark.finning/index.html. Retrieved 23 May 2010. 
  30. ^ Lem, Sharon (July 5, 2011). "Shark fins banned in Oakville | Toronto & GTA | News". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on January 27, 2012. http://www.webcitation.org/6514uvJ5H. 
  31. ^ Giam, Choo Hoo (1 Dec 2006). "Shark fin's soup - eat without guilt". The Straits Times. http://www.iwmc.org/PDF/StraitsTPress.pdf. 
  32. ^ Li, Zoe (March 8, 2011). "Is a shark's fin ban anti-Chinese?". CNNGo. http://www.cnngo.com/hong-kong/eat/sharks-fin-ban-anti-asian-257823. Retrieved February 17, 2012. 
  33. ^ "Hong Kong's shark fin traders feel pressure". The Sydney Morning Herald. November 28, 2011. http://www.smh.com.au/world/hong-kongs-shark-fin-traders-feel-pressure-20111127-1o16m.html. Retrieved February 17, 2012. 
  34. ^ "Shark Fins off the menu at top hotel". CNN. 22 Nov 2011. http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/22/world/asia/hotel-shark-fin-ban/index.html. 
  35. ^ "Shangri-La Announces Sustainable Seafood Policy And Discontinuing Use Of All Shark Fin Products in 72 hotels and resorts". Shangrila. 17 Jan 2012. http://www.shangri-la.com/en/corporate/press/pressrelease/57020. 
  36. ^ "Carrefour says no to shark's fin". Yahoo. 7 Jan 2012. http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ntuc-s--no-shark-s-fin--policy-to-kick-in-by-end-april.html. 
  37. ^ Chester Yung and Teddy Ng (2005-06-25). "Disney ditches shark's fin". The Standard. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Metro/GF25Ak01.html. Retrieved 8 January 2007. 
  38. ^ Doug Crets and Mimi Lau (2005-11-03). "HKU bans shark fin dishes". The Standard. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=4810&sid=5300167&con_type=1. Retrieved 8 January 2007. 
  39. ^ "ChannelNewsAsia.com, Malaysian ministry bans shark's fin soup". Channelnewsasia.com. 2007-09-15. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/299995/1/.html. Retrieved 2011-11-01. 
  40. ^ "Hawaii: Shark Fin Soup Is Off the Menu". The New York Times. Associated Press: p. A16. 2010-05-29. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/us/29brfs-SHARKFINSOUP_BRF.html. Retrieved 2011-06-20. "Gov. Linda Lingle signed a bill on Friday prohibiting the possession, sale, trade or distribution of shark fins, which are used in expensive Chinese dishes." 
  41. ^ "Washington bans sale, trade of shark fins". Seattletimes.nwsource.com. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015040424_apwaxgrsharkfinban.html. Retrieved 2011-11-01. 
  42. ^ Oregon House of Representatives bills of 2011 Oregon's shark fin bill was HB 2838 by Representative Brad Witt. Passed Senate unanimously, passed House 58 to 1. Signed into law by Governor John Kitzhaber on 2011-06-16.
  43. ^ "Bills Signed by Oregon Governor Kitzhaber". Data.oregon.gov. https://data.oregon.gov/dataset/Bills-Signed-by-Governor-Kitzhaber/4aug-3v37/374. Retrieved 2011-11-01. 
  44. ^ a b c Harmon, Steven (October 8, 2011). "Gov. Jerry Brown signs bill banning shark fins in California". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on December 9, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/63o5QtaCv. Retrieved October 10, 2011. 
  45. ^ "Guam Moves to Protect Sharks - Governor Calvo Signs Shark Fin Ban Into Law in Guam". Thomson Reuters. 2011-03-09. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/10/idUS23020+10-Mar-2011+PRN20110310. Retrieved 2011-06-23. "... Guam has now become the third place in the Pacific that has taken a definite stand against shark finning, the trade of fins and shark fin soup." 
  46. ^ "Shark Fin Possession Bill Made Law Today in Guam". Guammicronesiadivetravel.com. http://www.guammicronesiadivetravel.com/travelblog1/?p=1155. Retrieved 2011-11-01. 
  47. ^ http://www.torontosun.com/2011/10/12/toronto-councillors-consider-shark-fin-ban

[edit] Further reading

  • Baum J.K., Myers R.A., Kehler D.G., Worm B., Harley S.J., Doherty P.A. (2003) — Collapse and Conservation of Shark Populations in the Northwest Atlantic. Science, 5605: 389–392.

[edit] External links

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