If they are called sea cucumbers it is because of their shape because they are certainly not vegetables. Their real name is holothurians and they are highly appreciated because of the important ecosystem functions they perform. These marine creatures, in fact, lend a hand in the process of recycling nutrients that can, in turn, feed algae and corals. In areas where there are coral reefs , they are even more important because they oppose ocean acidification, favoring their conservation.
It doesn’t sound great, but sea cucumbers are the “garbage collectors of the sea,” precious and therefore worth protecting because they in turn protect entire marine ecosystems and marine biodiversity.
Sea Cucumbers: What Are They?
Although they resemble cucumbers in shape, they are marine animals that belong to the class of echinoderms. They are invertebrates, with a skeleton made up of spiny calcareous plates, a bit like starfish and sea urchins that are perhaps more familiar to us.
Officially they belong to the class of Oloturoidea (Holothuroidea), they are known and recognized for their particular appearance, they can be seen in the sea while crawling on the seabed. Their diet is based on organic particles of mud, they prefer the waters of temperate and tropical seas and oceans but they can be found almost everywhere.
Sea cucumber: recipes
The world’s leading consumer of sea cucumbers is China , which has understood that it is a very healthy food and has made it a very common ingredient in its recipes.
Being also animals rich in proteins , we find sea cucumbers also used for the treatment of many pathologies, for millennia, due to their anti-oxidant properties that slow down aging. In the kitchen, they are mainly included in slimming recipes based on fish because they have less than 2% fat and a very high concentration of vitamins.
In most cases they are used after being subjected to a long drying process, but no one forbids us to use them fresh, especially in sushi. The most popular method of preparation is cooking them in soups and fish stews, accompanied by mushrooms or Chinese cabbage leaves , but they appear on Chinese and oriental menus in general, so don’t be surprised to find them fried or smoked.
There is also sea cucumber extract , used in herbal medicine to make ointments that are then applied to the face, hands, feet, joints, muscles, scalp, hair, mouth, gums and other sensitive areas.
Sea cucumbers: price
They are highly sought after and have a very high price, real fishing trips for sea cucumbers are organised to then use them for food purposes in the Mediterranean, in the waters of the Far East, in the Indian Ocean and in the Pacific.
In China and many other Eastern countries – for now the fashion has not reached the West – they are very expensive, they are sold at prices that fluctuate between 10 and 600 dollars per kilo, for the more “normal” species while the more valuable ones reach three thousand dollars per kilo.
Being so sought after, some species are at risk of extinction, sixteen of 377 species are counted today, in these conditions and also included in the IUCN Red List, others could be added if the exploitation continues. The extinction of these animals can cause damage not only to the biodiversity of our planet but also to the marine ecosystem, this would cause food security problems even for us who eat what we fish in the seas cleaned by them.
Edible Sea Cucumbers
As already mentioned, they are edible and also highly sought after in some gastronomic traditions of the world, even though there are some health and hygiene issues. The fact that they are highly sought after fuels clandestine fishing and the smuggling of these creatures that, when they do not pass from the sea to the table through official channels, could be dangerous.
In China, despite the price and dangers, it remains in high demand. Those who suffer from conditions such as arthritis and joint pain use it to combat fatigue, some use it against constipation and some as a kidney tonic, or to cleanse the blood. There is also a rumor, again in China, that it can solve reproductive problems, including impotence, and problems with blood cholesterol.
Dangerous Sea Cucumber
It is not a dangerous animal if encountered at sea, on the contrary, at sea it is a precious ally for those who want clean waters. We are more than anything else dangerous for sea cucumbers, if we continue to fish them without the slightest control we risk making other species end up on the IUCN red list depriving the sea of its most effective scavenger.
Like sea cucumbers, mussels are filter-feeding organisms, for example, and are also capable of absorbing viruses, bacteria, algal biotoxins and heavy metals. Sea Lemons and Sea Cucumbers are also interesting.