Just in case you wanted to know what sea cucumbers look like – live ones. (They were lifted out of the water briefly for the photo shoot).
And these things are delicacies?? They look like over-sized well-fed leeches…
About 15 cm (6″), but they can stretch themselves into a slim 30 cm too.
I must admit I wouldn’t be too happy eating one of those. I do have a recipe in one of my Chinese cookbooks though. However, sea cucumbers are not that prevalent round here, what a shame.
I was wondering the other day, when you posted the picture… have you ever tried it? No opinion attached, just a question. What does it taste like? Tough and rubbery?
I think I probably have tasted it, but without knowing what it was. We do get invited out to Chinese dinners from time to time and they often have tidbits in their combination entrees, with funny looking rubbery stuff in it. I just eat without asking. I reckon that’s wiser…
As a rule, I don’t deliberately ask for dishes like this. As a conservationist, I am not keen on taking food from the wild – even fish – unless there is some kind of control applied by law to ensure there is no overharvesting. Malaysia has no such laws, at least, not ones that are enforced.
I totally agree with you on the environmental stuff, that’s why I said no opinion attached. I just wondered curiously what it tastes like. Because it’s not likely I’ll ever find out for just that reason.