Shark meat is a seafood consisting of the flesh of sharks. Several sharks are fished for human consumption, such as porbeagles, shortfin mako shark, requiem shark, and thresher shark, among others. [1] Shark meat is popular in Asia, where it is often consumed dried, smoked, or salted. [2] Shark meat is consumed regularly in Iceland, Japan, Australia, parts of India, parts of Canada, Sri Lanka, areas of Africa, Mexico and Yemen. [2] [3]
Sharks have been eaten at least since the Late Bronze Age (1550-1130 BC), for example in the Levant. [4]
Unprocessed shark meat may have a strong odor of ammonia, due to the high urea content that develops as the fish decomposes. [5] The urea content and ammonia odor can be reduced by marinating the meat in liquids such as lemon juice, vinegar, milk, or saltwater. [6] Preparation methods include slicing the meat into steaks and fillets. [1]
In Eastern Africa and islands in the Indian Ocean, shark meat has been traded and has been a significant source of protein for centuries. [1] Its consumption may occur primarily in coastal areas. It may be preserved using salt curing to extend its shelf life and to enable easier transportation. [1]
Shark meat is common and popular in Asia. [2] In 1999, the combined countries of Asia led in the number of sharks caught. [1] Asian fisheries harvested 55.4% of the world's shark catch in 1996. [1]
Japan has a large market share in the trade of frozen and fresh shark meat, for both importation and exportation. [1] Shark meat is typically consumed in prepared forms in Japan, such as in prepared fish sausage, surimi, fish paste, fish balls, and other products. [1]
In Korea, dombaegi (돔배기), salted shark meat, is eaten in North Gyeongsang Province, and it is considered to be a local food in Yeongcheon that is common in holidays. [7]
Mori mutton, also known as moryechi xacuti, is a spicy Goan shark fish curry. This spicy curry is made by marinating baby shark in green masala and cooking it in a curry of onion, spices, and coconut. [8] [9]
Salted, dried shark meat known as Lakham (لخم) is widely consumed in the Southeastern part of Yemen, particularly Hadhramaut.
Shark meat is popular in Australia, where it is known as flake. Flake is sourced primarily from gummy shark, a small, bottom-feeding species abundant along the east coast of Australia. However, due to the depletion of Australian and then New Zealand shark stocks, this demand is increasingly being filled by gummy sharks sourced from South Africa. [10] [3] Flake can be purchased as a ready-made meal from most Australian fish and chip shops, usually in the form of battered or grilled fillets. [11]
Per the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), European countries are major markets for shark meat. [1] Pickled dogfish is popular food in Germany, France, and other northern European countries. [1] The meat is typically processed and consumed in steaks and fillets. [1] In Germany, though, a preference exists for backs, belly, and smoked belly flaps, which are referred to as Schillerlocken. [1] Per the FAO, Italy led globally in the importation of shark meat in 1999, with France and Spain following. [1] In 1999, France imported the second-largest amount of shark meat on a global level. [1]
Small sharks are sold in Britain as rock salmon by fish and chips shops.[ citation needed ]
In Iceland, hákarl is a national dish prepared using Greenland shark [12] or sleeper shark. The shark meat is buried and fermented to cure it, and then hung to dry for several months. [12]
In the island of Sardinia, the Burrida (a local version of Buridda) is a popular antipasto, [13] [ circular reference ] made boiling usually a catshark [14] (less commonly using a Common smooth-hound [15] ) on vinegar with onion and walnuts. [16] A similar dish also called Burrida is prepared in the Balearic islands of Spain with tunas instead of catsharks.
Ceviche, cebiche, sebiche, or seviche is a dish consisting of fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings, recognized by UNESCO as an expression of Peruvian traditional cuisine and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, although different versions of ceviche are part of the culinary culture of various Spanish-American countries along the Pacific Ocean where each one is native: Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru. In Peru it is also considered a flagship dish and cultural heritage.
Biltong is a form of dried, cured meat which originated in Southern African countries. Various types of meat are used to produce it, ranging from beef to game meats such as ostrich or kudu. The cut may also vary being either fillets of meat cut into strips following the grain of the muscle, or flat pieces sliced across the grain. It is related to beef jerky; both are spiced, dried meats; however the typical ingredients, taste, and production processes may differ.
Vindaloo or Vindalho is an Indian curry dish, originally from Vasai and Goa.
South African cuisine reflects the diverse range of culinary traditions embodied by the various communities that inhabit the country. Among the indigenous peoples of South Africa, the Khoisan foraged over 300 species of edible food plants, such as the rooibos shrub legume, whose culinary value continues to exert a salient influence on South African cuisine. Subsequent encounters with Bantu pastoralists facilitated the emergence of cultivated crops and domestic cattle, which supplemented traditional Khoisan techniques of meat preservation. In addition, Bantu-speaking communities forged an extensive repertoire of culinary ingredients and dishes, many of which are still consumed today in traditional settlements and urban entrepôts alike.
Hákarl, referred to as fermented shark in English, is a national dish of Iceland consisting of Greenland shark or other sleeper shark that has been cured with a particular fermentation process and hung to dry for four to five months. It has a strong ammonia-rich smell and fishy taste, making hákarl an acquired taste.
Pickling is the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar. The pickling procedure typically affects the food's texture and flavor. The resulting food is called a pickle, or, if named, the name is prefaced with the word "pickled". Foods that are pickled include vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, meats, fish, dairy and eggs.
Chili sauce and chili paste are condiments prepared with chili peppers.
Fresh fish rapidly deteriorates unless some way can be found to preserve it. Drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Open air drying using sun and wind has been practiced since ancient times to preserve food. Water is usually removed by evaporation but, in the case of freeze-drying, food is first frozen and then the water is removed by sublimation. Bacteria, yeasts and molds need the water in the food to grow, and drying effectively prevents them from surviving in the food.
Cured fish is fish which has been cured by subjecting it to fermentation, pickling, smoking, or some combination of these before it is eaten. These food preservation processes can include adding salt, nitrates, nitrite or sugar, can involve smoking and flavoring the fish, and may include cooking it. The earliest form of curing fish was dehydration. Other methods, such as smoking fish or salt-curing also go back for thousands of years. The term "cure" is derived from the Latin curare, meaning to take care of. It was first recorded in reference to fish in 1743.
Goan cuisine consists of regional foods popular in Goa, an Indian state located along India's west coast on the shore of the Arabian Sea. Rice, seafood, coconut, vegetables, meat, bread, pork and local spices are some of the main ingredients in Goan cuisine. Use of kokum and vinegar is another distinct feature. Goan food is considered incomplete without fish.
Indian Singaporean cuisine refers to food and beverages produced and consumed in Singapore that are derived, wholly or in part, from South Asian culinary traditions. The great variety of Singapore food includes Indian food, which tends to be Tamil cuisine and especially local Tamil Muslim cuisine, although North Indian food has become more visible recently. Indian dishes have become modified to different degrees, after years of contact with other Singapore cultures, and in response to locally available ingredients as well as changing local tastes. The local forms of Indian food may be seen as localised or even regional variations of Indian food, or in some cases, a form of hybrid Indian-Singaporean cuisine. Popular 'Indian' dishes and elements of Indian cuisine include:
A Gatsby is a South African submarine sandwich consisting of a bread roll filled with chips and a choice of fillings and sauces. It originated in Cape Town and is popular throughout the Western Cape province. The sandwich is typically large and shared by several people.
Sundanese cuisine is the cuisine of the Sundanese people of Western Java, and Banten, Indonesia. It is one of the most popular foods in Indonesia. Sundanese food is characterised by its freshness; the famous lalab eaten with sambal and also karedok demonstrate the Sundanese fondness for fresh raw vegetables. Unlike the rich and spicy taste, infused with coconut milk and curry of Minangkabau cuisine, the Sundanese cuisine displays the simple and clear taste; ranged from savoury salty, fresh sourness, mild sweetness, to hot and spicy.
Boquerones en vinagre are a type of appetizer or tapa found in Spain. The central ingredient of the dish is the boquerones, fresh anchovies. The fillets are marinated in vinegar or a mixture of vinegar and olive oil, and seasoned with garlic and parsley. It is commonly served with beer or soft drinks, and rarely with wine.
Anchovies are small, common saltwater forage fish in the family Engraulidae that are used as human food and fish bait. There are 144 species in 17 genera found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovies are usually classified as oily fish. They are small, green fish with blue reflections due to a silver longitudinal stripe that runs from the base of the caudal fin. They range from 2 centimetres (0.79 in) to 40 centimetres (16 in) in adult length, and the body shape is variable, with more slender fish in northern populations.