food 食物

陈小将

While giant sharks are more common sea monsters in films, jellyfish also pose a major threat in real life – with some able to kill people with their stings. And the potential danger they cause doesn’t stop there, with reports of them attacking salmon farms, shutting down power stations and incapacitating warships. There are even some scientists in Australia researching whether box jellyfish could ultimately destroy our oceans – so could devouring them be a possible solution?
The huge number of jellyfish in our oceans means that if we did start eating them, there is already a large supply of these potential morsels to be dined on. Also, some people argue that due to their reproductive cycle, jellyfish are actually a sustainable food source. Removing a jellyfish from the ocean doesn’t stop new ones being born. This is because they are spawned from polyps on the seabed. In some ways, you can compare them to apples. When you take an apple from a tree, the tree still goes on to produce more apples.
What about their nutritional value? Jellyfish contain 36 calories per ounce, which puts it on a par with iceberg lettuce. However, unlike lettuce, it is full of protein, making it potentially a great diet food. And indeed, in many parts of the world, particularly in Asia, they are already consumed, often raw, fried or chopped up as part of a salad. The demand for these animals, combined with their numbers, means that selling jellyfish is becoming an ever more lucrative business.
But what do they taste like? While some say they are flavourless, others describe them as having a salty taste. This could be due to their absorbent nature, which also leads them to being often served in a sauce. As for the texture, some people negatively compare the experience to eating gristle.
So, the next time you fancy chowing down on some fish, you might look at jellyfish as a sustainable alternative. They might not be the tastiest thing you’ve ever eaten, but it beats fleeing the sea to avoid being stung.