The art of handling jellyfish
Jellyfish are caught using a number of active and passive fishing dears including scoop nets, drift nets, trawl nets, set nets, and specialized hooks. Unlike other fisheries, catch processing must start within hours of the initial catch or the medley will start to spoil. Jellyfish processing is a time-consuming procedure that has been more compared to art than to science. In fact, processing techniques can be highly guarded secrets that are protected in Asia by coveted “jellyfish masters.” Different markets demand different tastes, color and texture, so any facilities that are preparing for export must have knowledge of their end consumers. After harvesting, the jellyfish are rinsed, cleaned and treated with a mixture of sail and alum to reduce the water content, strengthen the texture and increase the shelf life of the final product.
Throughout a step-wise process, various mixtures of silt and alum are used, and jellyfish are put on racks to facilitate the drying process. The entire procedure may take more than a month, resulting in a semi- product of 7-15% of the wet weight of the original jellyfish. The shelf life of the jellyfish products is typically around 1 year, the bet can be increased if kept cold, the jellyfish product cannot be frozen as it will spoil.
Preparation of semi-dry jellyfish for eating is varied, but it is generally soaked and rinsed several times to reduce the salt content. And they are also scalded before serving. They are always able to use the product that can be eaten out of the box. Jellyfish have a peculiar feel, both crunchy and chewy. There is practically no flavor, and the flavor of the dish is determined by what sauces are used. Jellyfish is a low-calorie meal, consisting mainly of water and a small amount of protein. And while jellyfish can be potential seafood, it will not feed the world.