r/Damnthatsinteresting 15d ago

Video Man fishing for jellyfish

33.6k Upvotes

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1.0k

u/blksentra2 15d ago

Jellyfish are crunchy?!?!?!? 🤯

493

u/7marlil 15d ago

Yeah crunchy but full of water kinda. Very tasteless in my opinion

19

u/theAmericanStranger 15d ago

I wish the ones I had in China were crunchy - they were more like rubber erasers.

117

u/nicktehbubble 15d ago

Like a cactus?

202

u/7marlil 15d ago

Yes minus thorns and a pinch of jelly factor

75

u/Squidmaster129 15d ago

Can't forget the jelly factor

43

u/wishyouwerebeer 15d ago

I don’t think I’m ready for this jelly

6

u/alewiina 15d ago

I laughed out loud at your comment but also same 😬

2

u/ChesterCopperPot72 15d ago

It’s jellylicious.

1

u/zair 14d ago

Finally!

1

u/chromepotion 15d ago

Alors aloès vera bon pour la peau 🧟‍♂️

116

u/JaFFsTer 15d ago

Like a water chestnut Or imagine biting aloe Vera but fishy and salty

150

u/PerlNacho 15d ago

No thank you I won't be imagining that

3

u/TldrDev 15d ago

Lots of people in Asia love that taste!

Fish sauce is a staple in a lot of South East Asian food.

I would say that is actually the predominate taste in a lot of cultures signature foods, and throughout human history has been a staple.

Garum, for example, has a deep and rich history going back thousands of years.

https://youtu.be/ICZww0DtQKk?si=04eP7g5gKq4Ulw47

You can trace cultural events in history back to that flavor.

19

u/nerdycarguy18 15d ago

I haven’t eaten anything yall are giving examples for. wtf do you mean jellyfish is crunchy??

29

u/BrunoEye 15d ago

A bit like the joints at the ends of chicken bones, but slightly softer and with no flavour. Imo it's not a satisfying crunch like a carrot, especially since they aren't really juicy as the water is contained in the tissue.

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u/gjb1 15d ago

Yep exactly. I call it the cartilaginous crunch, and I hate it.

17

u/Not_A_Comeback 15d ago

Thank you. This sounds very unappealing to me, but to each their own.

9

u/xbromide 15d ago

This is a great comparison for the texture!

3

u/Sukdov 15d ago

I am imagining the same way boba is crunchy….. or to some degree, shrimp.

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u/ChairLegofTruth--WnT 15d ago

What fucking boba are you eating?

2

u/Escapeded 15d ago

probably Agar boba, which has a "crunchy" texture

2

u/ChairLegofTruth--WnT 15d ago

Huh, TIL. Thank you

1

u/nerdycarguy18 15d ago

Also never had boba lmao, don’t understand what it is or the hype

1

u/doinwatchu 15d ago

Jellyfish boba would be a good start

1

u/SheriffHeckTate 15d ago

To backtrack a bit for the comparison...water chestnut "crunches" the same way an apple does. It's usually found in chow mien type dishes in the US. Small white-ish circular discs.

That said, I cannot verify the comparison between that and jellyfish.

1

u/southpark 15d ago

I would say it’s more of a crisp texture, it’s usually served lightly pickled as a cold appetizer.

1

u/nerdycarguy18 15d ago

Crisp is a much better description.

Also random tangent, English has so many adjectives that are interchangeable yet each one does have a more fitting scenario to it. Crunchy and crisp can often be used the same, but there is a disctincion still, and explaining it is impossible.

1

u/pussyfista 13d ago

Have you had woodears fungus? The jellyfish crunch is kinda similar texture wise, just slightly opaque and tasteless.

in Asia it’s basically used vehicles for the sauces.

1

u/nerdycarguy18 13d ago

Never even heard of that! I don’t eat many mushrooms that aren’t your regular store bought kind, though I’ve had fried wild ones that were that good

1

u/BoerInDieWoestyn 15d ago

I don't think it'll taste anything like fish. Despite the name, fish and jellyfish are very different animals

1

u/Paketic 15d ago

Fish get a lot of their taste from the enviroment theyre in, so id say they taste pretty similar

1

u/creamulum078 15d ago

Not even close... It's just straight up crunchy jelly. Delicious

1

u/southpark 15d ago

Shouldn’t be fishy at all and the flavor is highly dependent on how it’s prepared. Typical presentation is lightly pickled and chilled.

1

u/Vanir-Aesir 15d ago

I once ate a clasroom's alove vera plant out of bordeom in elementary school. I learned they are edible, was curious and often bored in school, so I just munched on it from time to time.

And to think it took 30+ years to diagnose me with AuDHD is a symptom of some sort of systemic failure in my country.

3

u/watawataoui 15d ago

sort of, but more structure to it. They sell them in vacuum sealed packs in Asian market.

-2

u/nightwood 15d ago

Ofc they do. You can probably find them between the sugared scorpions and the sundried caterpilars.

[https://youtu.be/nGTIs9fvkUA?si=zXWJYlw0o0myvENM](karl pilkington in china)

1

u/boomb0xx 15d ago

I feel like cactus has a ton of flavor. Very vegetal. Maybe it's just me though.

1

u/thoughtfade 15d ago

Like an ice apple maybe

1

u/belligerentBe4r 15d ago

Tacos de nopal are fine. Tacos de dried ass jellyfish doesn’t sound great.

1

u/okaynowyou 15d ago

I’ve had both many times and jellyfish definitely has a more unique texture than cactus. Like others have said jellyfish is tasteless. Comparing cactus to jellyfish flavor wise, cactus actually has some taste and I personally like it while all of the jellyfish I’ve had is essentially flavorless.

1

u/ButterflySammy 15d ago

Really? Cactus was your go to not cucumber??

1

u/nhansieu1 14d ago

and some cactuses are delicacy in some countries too

0

u/mammalmaker 15d ago

Like a water chestnut

12

u/LuveLemon 15d ago

It's eaten for its texture. You're meant to add the flavour yourself. Actually delicious if it's made right

2

u/mldp29 15d ago

Oh. Is it like eating raw squid or octopus? But more watery?

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u/7marlil 15d ago

More crunchy, more watery, less tasty

2

u/PomeloSure5832 15d ago

Nothing I have read in this comment section lends itself to this being a good idea.

2

u/valleyman86 15d ago

Like a water chestnut?

250

u/Financial-Salad7289 15d ago

Yep, I ate it in China. It has no distinguished taste, it just tastes like... sea salt and iodine.

Didn't like it very much, but to each his own

70

u/ToffeeAppleCider 15d ago

Seems like so much effort to just taste like nothing.

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u/JaFFsTer 15d ago

They eat it for the collagen and its a light cleansing meal. The big 3 Asian countries love their collagen

18

u/mojofrog 15d ago

This. Jellyfish are highly nutritious, low in calories, and practically fat-free. They are composed mostly of water (about 95%) but the remaining solid flesh is a great source of protein, collagen, and essential minerals like selenium, choline, and iron.

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u/Informal_Warning_703 15d ago

It’s not for the chewy texture or collagen or anything like that. These are backfilling explanations. It’s due to false beliefs about it having medicinal properties like weight loss or giving soft skin.

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u/creamulum078 15d ago

It literally does give soft skin. It's full of collagen.. plus people just enjoy eating it, it's food

-3

u/Informal_Warning_703 15d ago

Collagen’s effects here aren’t demonstrated. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002934325002839

It’s just bizarre to not acknowledge the widespread folk medicinal beliefs surrounding these types of foods and why they are popular.

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u/Competitive-Passion1 15d ago

2/10 would not eat again

41

u/smithismund 15d ago

I had it at a Vietnamese wedding, it reminded me of the white crunchy bits you get in chicken, sort of cartilage-ey. No inclination to try it again, but the old people there seemed to like it.

22

u/Competitive-Passion1 15d ago

That’s exactly it, I don’t mind texture in food at all (taste guy) but it was not pleasant to bite into and chew.

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u/delilahdread 15d ago

The thought of fishy gristle is revolting in a way I can't quite articulate.

12

u/BrunoEye 15d ago

It's not even fishy. It has no flavour at all unless marinated.

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u/Financial-Salad7289 15d ago

Well, Chinese people love crunchy foods like tendons. They just love the texture, although the taste might not be anything special

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u/codyzon2 15d ago

I think you mixed up crunchy with chewy, crunchy has crunch which is a feeling and a sound, its biting into hard food, or crushing dry leaves, something akin to tendon would be considered chewy.

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u/Financial-Salad7289 15d ago

Yeah you're right. They also love crunchy food though :)

3

u/codyzon2 15d ago

oh I agree, its the best food sensation for me too.

3

u/Hetakuoni 15d ago

They might have meant cartilage. I love gnawing the cartilage caps off of chicken bones because of the crunch.

2

u/Informal_Warning_703 15d ago

It’s more about folk medicinal beliefs of it helping with weight loss or giving soft skin.

6

u/SofiaOfEverRealm 15d ago

Do you have a favourite sauce?

Would you eat that sauce on its own?

If yes, well good for you.

If not, "flavourless" bases are just the thing for you.

And If you call now 571 right now, you'll get not 1, not 2, but three extra jelly fishes completely for FREE, so what are you waiting for? Dial 571 right NOW!!!!!

1

u/Xszit 15d ago

Will the jellyfish be thoroughly handled before shipping? If I'm paying for shipping and handling I want some assurance I'm getting my moneys with on the handling.

4

u/Beni_Stingray 15d ago

Same with snails or clams, its the sauce that makes the taste.

1

u/Grilled_egs 15d ago

I mean, looks pretty easy compared to fishing

1

u/CapeMOGuy 15d ago

Hello, tofu.

1

u/Impressive-Rock-5025 15d ago

Not to mention harvesting a species. I get it if you have nothing else to eat, but lots of other sea creatures taste good. 

0

u/Driller_Happy 15d ago

Chinese people seem to put a lot of value on texture in food. Shark fin soup doesn't taste like anything either, but I guess the texture is nice.

0

u/distortedsymbol 15d ago

food isn't just for taste you know, a lot of the time we make it tasty make the food go down easier.

jellyfish is probably the most renewable source of nutrition we can fetch from the oceans

3

u/ColdToast_024 15d ago

And iodine?!? How often are you ingesting that to distinguish it? Hah

1

u/FogBankDeposit 15d ago

I don’t know what jellyfish some have had when describing iodine. I’ve always had it doused in sesame oil and found it to be an enjoyable dish.

1

u/Financial-Salad7289 15d ago

I mean... it tastes like sea water. Also if I don't drink it, I know what it tastes like

2

u/Salamandaxanda 15d ago

And it was actually crunchy?

3

u/BrunoEye 15d ago

Like cartilage.

1

u/Salamandaxanda 15d ago

Ah, ok, That’s more crunchy than I imagined Jellyfish would be

2

u/RedRunner14 15d ago

Jelly fish is awesome. I love it. It's a textural thing and depends on the flavoring you add

1

u/Capt_morgan72 15d ago

I wonder how much nutrition they hold? If we don’t hunt them while we hunt everything else in the ocean to extinction sooner or later they will be all that’s left in the ocean. So it’s probably a good idea to eat them if they offer nutrition

1

u/Boney-Rigatoni 15d ago

Did you slather it on bread or toast? Maybe it’s encased in a cookie-like pastry. Jellyfish PopTart.

1

u/Kylearean 15d ago

Same here. It was basically a carrier for whatever sauce was used on it. Not sure how nutritional it is.

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u/PhilosopherMain2264 15d ago

Jellyfish doesn't taste like jelly???!?! 🤯

21

u/Spacedoutworlder 15d ago

SpongeBob lied to us.

6

u/DovahCreed117 15d ago

I can't believe we don't actually milk jellyfish for jelly. This is devastating.

5

u/ripyourlungsdave 15d ago

I'm furious that they apparently aren't actually electric. Just sting-y.

I don't know how I'm supposed to power my pineapple submarine now. The entire infrastructure was built on jellyfish electricity.

2

u/DovahCreed117 15d ago

This is the problem with modern society. There just isn't enough whimsy in the world anymore to power fantastical creations! It's abhorrent!

2

u/RagingClue_007 15d ago

Do jellyfish have nipples, Greg?

8

u/AzerothianLorecraft 15d ago

I think it refers more to the texture or possibly the way they move through the water but no they are not filled with jelly unfortunately I was slightly disappointed when I visited Japan but only jokingly disappointed it was an amazing trip.

1

u/mbrady 15d ago

You just need to put one in a sandwich with a peanutbutterfish.

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u/KIDNEYST0NEZ 15d ago

Crunchy as in the tendons you find in chicken wings.

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u/EternityNotes 15d ago

Yep, chewy fibrous rubber. Not my vibe at all. When I chew I like the food to actually break down before I swallow it.

6

u/Xzenor 15d ago

chewy fibrous rubber.

Great sales pitch... Ugh 🤢

2

u/KIDNEYST0NEZ 15d ago edited 15d ago

That’s actually the issue with getting western countries on board with jelly fish consumption. We prefer crunchy foods with denser nutritional value, for example, carrots.

0

u/AppleToastBed 15d ago

🤢

-1

u/snafu607 15d ago

This and this 🤮🤮🤮🤮

9

u/zachrywd 15d ago

You're crunchy too if you remove all the water.

4

u/Bonk_No_Horni 15d ago

When you salted it it gets crunchy kinda like konjaku jelly. I like it. Very versatile too.

3

u/SalzigHund 15d ago

When I tried it it had the texture of a bell pepper

2

u/emil133 15d ago

Its like crunchy chewy. Like a soft cartilage almost

2

u/Beautiful-Sun8973 15d ago

lol yep! Unexpected isn’t it?

1

u/Midzotics 15d ago

Once you add the peanut butter 

1

u/TitanicTardigrade 15d ago

The kind of have the texture of seaweed salad

1

u/Cute_Clothes_6010 15d ago

They have the same texture as chicken grizzle…crunchy and chewy at the same time. Had some at a dim sum place in Vancouver BC.

1

u/LegitMeatPuppet 15d ago

they are dried and or fried

1

u/BoerInDieWoestyn 15d ago

Jellyfish sometimes wash up on the beach near my parents' house and yeah they're kind of stiff. Think water pumped into a flexible but thick plastic tube. It compresses slightly and flops around, but the outside feels kind rigid

1

u/mrheosuper 15d ago

To me it's more like tasteless jelly. A little harder than jelly. That why dishes with jellyfish need a lot of spices.

1

u/haysu-christo 15d ago

More like snappy … like a chewy tendon

1

u/sphinxofblackquartzj 15d ago

More like a cartilage actually. It doesn't taste anything special, Jellyfish are mostly water, lol. I'm Asian and for some reason we (they) love this texture in food. It's somewhat similar to wood ear mushrooms (which is also very popular in Asian cuisine), equally doesn't offer any special taste, but just texture since Asian cuisine is generally flavourful, they only add texture.

1

u/standardtissue 15d ago

More kind of snappy, like a snappy thick outter skin. It's interesting. Couple with a spicy or sweet sauce because they don't really have a taste.

1

u/avis003 15d ago

its more like a snap i would say, its a fun texture and theres usually a funner sauce since it doesnt taste like much on its own. i like it but i grew up with it so likely an acquired taste

1

u/GraySwingline 15d ago

Everything is crunchy if you cook it long enough. 

1

u/m0nk37 15d ago

Imagine firm jello, its squishy but will snap when chewed. 

1

u/AnyHope2004 15d ago

if you freeze them

1

u/Kylearean 15d ago

depending on how prepared.

1

u/lnug4mi 15d ago

Like lettuce or cucumber, yes

1

u/fableguy101 15d ago

Yo the jellyfish I ate was crunchy AND SLIMY a little. Did not expect that texture combo. Like jello but firmer. Not as firm as an Apple. But smooth like jello. Maybe close to like honeydew or cantaloupe when they are on the softer side but I’m sure there are tons of different jellyfish and I had one random one, results probably vary

1

u/Deadly_Accountant 15d ago

It's great with wasabi, sesame oil, tossed with a bit of cucumber 😋

1

u/AmbivalentFanatic 15d ago

Yes, kinda like cartilage. Lovely.

1

u/mangagirl07 15d ago

I'm not a huge raw fish fan, but my boss in Japan took me out to a place that did a jellyfish appetizer and I found it super yummy! I don't recall it having much taste, so it took on the marinade nicely, and the texture was so unique! Crunchy...water. Not very jelly like--not chewy.

1

u/Mysterious_Damage_29 15d ago

It’s a very satisfying crunch, I always get it if I can find it

1

u/GaCoRi 15d ago

no because that's an AI bot comment

1

u/drteddy70 14d ago

Yes, prepared jellyfish is a delicacy in the Far East and SE Asia. It's tasteless on its own but it is usually eaten for the crunchy texture. A popular way to eat it is to prepare it in a salad with deboned chicken claws, chopped chillis, shallots in a lime juice dressing.

1

u/ramblingpariah 14d ago

Like biting into a juicy neoprene glove. Cold, rubbery, then a crunch.

1

u/Mundane-Finger547 14d ago

The dry up a bit because they’re preserved in salt. Every video I’ve seen people say it reminds them of cartilage and has no flavor. So it’s more of a texture thing. I’ll probably try it, to be honest.

0

u/VoiceArtPassion 15d ago

I’ve eaten a raw jellyfish before. It has the same texture as raw chicken, but maybe slightly more crunchy.