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Source of Sea Cucumbers?

Paul Bacino

By Paul Bacino
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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, Paul Bacino said:

Just curious if one can source, Sea Cucumbers ( live )/ or some type of product!!

 

FYI--I live in Nebraska USA  

 

Paul

 

You could call these people to see if they ship:  San Diego Whole Seafoods

They are over-harvested in some areas and there is an illegal smuggling trade.  

I've only had them in Chinese restaurants.  First time I had them was in Shanghai where it was offered as a speciality item. The Chinese friend I was traveling with refused to have anything to do with them.  

Chinese restaurants in the LA area have them, as do some Korean sushi places so Asian markets might be a source. 

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Paul Bacino

Paul Bacino

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Posted
2 hours ago, heidih said:

Well should you acquire fresh ones we eagerly await. I am imaging geoduck chewy and flavorful braising liquid. Maybe have to peel first? Or sashimi prep?

 

 

Looks like you rub them with coarse salt first!!  From what I saw.  u remove the beak and the whole thing is then edible

 

Its good to have Morels

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Paul Bacino said:

 

 

Looks like you rub them with coarse salt first!!  From what I saw.  u remove the beak and the whole thing is then edible

 

 

I was told that it's also very important to clean them carefully to make sure any sand is flushed out of their innerds.  Since they're mostly about texture, you don't want any grit spoiling your gelatinous treat 🙃

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Tri2Cook

Tri2Cook

Posted
Posted

Tried it one time, many years ago in a Korean restaurant. It's been a long time and my memory can be called to question at times but I don't remember anything particular special about it that I couldn't have got from cutting up a handy used tire and braising it for a bit. But as I said, that was the one and only time I've tried it and I can't vouch for whether that rubbery texture is a characteristic or was a result of mishandling. 

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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 8/20/2020 at 6:46 AM, Tri2Cook said:

Tried it one time, many years ago in a Korean restaurant. It's been a long time and my memory can be called to question at times but I don't remember anything particular special about it that I couldn't have got from cutting up a handy used tire and braising it for a bit. But as I said, that was the one and only time I've tried it and I can't vouch for whether that rubbery texture is a characteristic or was a result of mishandling. 

 

Pretty normal.

A useful tip: if you can't source the sea cucumbers (海参 - hǎi shēn), take a kid's party balloon and stuff it with play-doh. I'm not sure the play-doh or the balloon manufactures do the correct color, but hey,  it's all about taste, not color. You won't notice the difference.

Edited by liuzhou (log)
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

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liuzhou

liuzhou

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Posted (edited)

The first time my daughter visited me in China, some twenty years ago, we were in the local market and she wandered off while I was negotiating with the bean sprout lady over her outrageous prices.

 

Daughter rushed back and said:

"Dad! Dad! There is a man over there selling dog turds! Why????"

 

I knew immedaitely what she had seen.

 

421798297_seacucumber.thumb.jpg.2755d5235391d2cc71edf81475041dee.jpg

Dried

 

1079226839_seacucumber2.thumb.jpg.7e642b23161ab917ec72d682f5ac1f1b.jpg

Wet

Edited by liuzhou (log)
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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

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heidih

heidih

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1 minute ago, liuzhou said:

 

Look again. I labelled them.

 

It is 2am and things not going well. There is a poor little lizzie in here and everyone screamed so much she went into hiding. Really! a 4 inch lizard is gonna wreck your life? Idiots. By wet is that reconstituted or hello ugly/cute I plucked you from sea bottom?

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liuzhou

liuzhou

Posted
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16 minutes ago, heidih said:

 

By wet is that reconstituted or hello ugly/cute I plucked you from sea bottom?

 

It may may be a UK/USA language difference. To me, 'wet' in this context means never dried / fresh. As in 'wet fish shop' or 'wet market'.

If some were rehydrated that is how I would describe it.

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...your dancing child with his Chinese suit.

 

The Kitchen Scale Manifesto

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Paul Bacino

Paul Bacino

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Posted

So,  recently returning from Bora Bora...had a chance to see live sea cucumbers.  They are all over the place.

Heck why not grab and touch one!!!!!

Whoa if u haven't,  these things secret the most godly sticky gooy sh*t.

Had to laugh, my son in law.. said what the heck is coming out of that  thing.  I hadnt noticed till it was stringing out about a foot

Got it all over my had..crazy stuff

 

51684453311_3d6ae87596_m.jpg

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Its good to have Morels

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heidih

heidih

Posted
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Lovely snorkel/dive spot. I think the live ones are pretty ooey/gooey  I do recall long ago trying to avoid stepping on some when there was a swarm in towards tide pools -  https://caseagrant.ucsd.edu/seafood-profiles/california-sea-cucumber

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JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, Paul Bacino said:

So,  recently returning from Bora Bora...had a chance to see live sea cucumbers.  They are all over the place.

Heck why not grab and touch one!!!!!

Whoa if u haven't,  these things secret the most godly sticky gooy sh*t.

Had to laugh, my son in law.. said what the heck is coming out of that  thing.  I hadnt noticed till it was stringing out about a foot

Got it all over my had..crazy stuff

 

51684453311_3d6ae87596_m.jpg

 

You could try sourcing from West Africa...

 

https://forums.egullet.org/topic/162555-two-other-food-related-articles-in-the-economist/

 

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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