Cucumber in the Sea

Hey guys

Nothing is better than fresh seafood and in Singapore, if you're able to rise early, there are "wet" markets just for you. These "wet" markets are basically markets that sell fresh produce. Meat, vegetable, seafood and many other things. As the produce are all fresh, by 9 am most of the items are sold and the market starts to wrap up.

One such item is the Sea Cucumber. It is shaped like a cucumber (hence the name) and is an animal (not a vegetable) found in all seas of the world, at all depths and usually lying on the bottom on one flattened side. Their tubular bodies are rubbery without bony skeletons. Some of the larger species are delicacies in this part of the world. When cooked, it is soft, cartilaginous, almost transparent and absorbs the flavors of the sauces it is cooked with.

The Chinese name Hai Shen translates roughly into "Sea Ginseng" and it has been used for years as a treatment for arthritis. Sea Cucumbers contain substances known as mucopolysaccharides and chondroitins, which are often lacking in people with arthritis and connective tissue disorders. In addition, they provide vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), and B3 (niacin), and C, as well as minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc.

Western medicine is successfully using Sea Cucumber to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and connective tissue disorders. Australia has approved the use of sea cucumber as an over-the-counter treatment for arthritis and the Japanese have a patent using sea cucumber chondroitin sulfate for HIV therapy.

Isn't it amazing what a little animal lying on the bottom of the ocean can offer.

AlejandroQ.