Shark fin soup

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Shark fin soup

Shark fin soup ( Chinese  魚翅 羹 , Pinyin Yúchì Gēng , IPA ( standard Chinese) [ y̌.ʈʂʰɨ̂ kə́ŋ ], Yale Yùh-chi Gāng , IPA (Cantonese) [jy̏ː.tsʰīː kɐ́ŋ] ), an originally Cantonese regional dish, is one of the classic dishes of the chinese cuisine .

In China it is valued less for its taste than for its gelatinous consistency, which is similar to that of bird's nest soup. In addition, it has the reputation of strengthening vitality and internal organs. Because of its high price, it is now mainly consumed for reasons of prestige, for example at banquets and weddings. Some people believe that shark fin soup helps with potency problems.

The basis of the soup is the actually tasteless, cartilaginous substance of which the shark's fins are made. They are cooked in chicken broth until they dissolve into their fibrous components, which in the end are similar to thin glass noodles made from mung bean starch - which are therefore also used as a cheap substitute. The commercially available dried and bleached shark fins are counted among the four treasures of the sea in Chinese cuisine ; this also includes abalones , sea ​​cucumbers and the swim bladder of certain fish.

market

Shark fins and other shark parts in a Chinese pharmacy

The consumption of shark fins in restaurants in Hong Kong has declined in recent years, but overall it has increased due to increasing demand from China as the economic boom in China makes the expensive delicacy affordable for a larger audience.

Based on information from the Hong Kong shark fin trade, an annual rate of increase of 5% can be assumed.

The fins of the endangered sawfish "are highly valued on the Asian markets and are among the most valuable shark fins" . Sawfish are among the most protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), Appendix I , but given the huge volume of trade in shark fins and the difficulty of identifying fins severed from the trunk, the CITES rating is doubtful significantly influenced the sawfish fin trade.

A third of all shark fins imported into Hong Kong come from Europe. Spain is by far the largest supplier with 2,000 to 5,000 tons per year. Norway supplies 39 tonnes, but England, France, Portugal and Italy are also major suppliers.

At least 50%, maybe even 80% of world trade in shark fins is carried out via Hong Kong; the main suppliers come from Europe, Taiwan , Indonesia , Singapore , United Arab Emirates , USA , Yemen , India , Japan and Mexico .

Malaysia has announced that it will ban shark hunting off the coast of Sabah from 2012 .

criticism

The “extraction” of shark fins is heavily and often criticized by biologists and environmental protection organizations outside Asia. According to their statements, various types of shark are targeted or used as by-catch ; The fins of the mostly still living animals are cut off (the so-called shark finning ) and the animals are thrown back into the sea, where they either die due to blood loss or suffocate, since in sharks oxygen-rich water is only moved past the gills by constantly swimming . Estimates of the number of sharks killed in this way range between 10 and 100 million animals per year.

Another negative aspect is based on the fact that sharks are at the end of the food chain and accordingly store many pollutants in the organism. In particular, mercury could pose a health risk if shark products are consumed frequently.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Yao Ming unlikely to curb China's shark fin appetite , Taipei Times, May 3, 2006, accessed May 17, 2011.
  2. ↑ Shark fins against potency problems? In: hai-seite.de. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016 ; accessed on April 13, 2016 .
  3. ↑ Media silent on shark fin soup affair ( Memento from November 2, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) The Standard from September 1, 2006, accessed on May 17, 2011.
  4. ↑ Julie Chao: Chinese Taste For Endangered Seafood Growing . flmnh.ufl.edu. September 19, 2004. Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved on July 10, 2011.
  5. ↑ Recovery Plan for Smalltooth Sawfish (Pristis pectinata) (PDF; 2.5 MB), National Marine Fisheries Service. 2009, accessed May 17, 2011.
  6. ↑ Richard Black: Sawfish protection acquires teeth , BBC News 2007, accessed May 17, 2011.
  7. ^ Shark fisheries and trade in Europe. (PDF) Shark Alliance, accessed January 6, 2007 .
  8. ↑ EU faces shark fin ban call BBC, June 25, 2001, accessed May 17, 2011.
  9. ↑ Ian Sample: Sharks pay high price as demand for fins soars . guardian.co.uk. August 31, 2006. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  10. ^ Steve Connor: Growth in shark fin trade could lead to species extinction , The Independent, London, August 31, 2006. Accessed = 31. January 2011.
  11. ↑ Sarah Fowler and Dr John A Musick: Shark Specialist Group Finning Statement (PDF; 152 kB), IUCN Shark Specialist Group, June 2, 2006, accessed May 17, 2011.
  12. ↑ Masidi Manjun, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, quoted in THE STAR, May 16, 2011 edition, p. N29.
  13. ↑ planet-Wissen ( Memento from February 26, 2009 in the Internet Archive )

Web links

Commons : Shark Fin Soup  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files
Wiktionary: Shark fin soup  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations