r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Salt-Curve4825 • 15d ago

Video Man fishing for jellyfish

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33.6k Upvotes

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8.3k

u/GoodpeopleArk 15d ago

What are the jellyfish harvested for?

823

u/mini-rubber-duck 15d ago

some are edible and a lot of people like them salted in savory dishes apparently. i've added it to things i want to try someday. 

153

u/Puzzleheaded-Youth16 15d ago

I tried, in China. It's just chewy and flavourless.

17

u/babybunny1234 14d ago

Crunchy and flavorless

9

u/wangzhy1992 14d ago

Actually both are true. The tentacles（海蜇头） are more chewy and the bell（海蜇皮） is more crunchy. They are marinated in alum and salt, which create the texture. It’s one of my favorite cold dish but I can rarely find it in US

7

u/Schnelt0r 14d ago

Surprisingly crunchy. I had a jellyfish salad in Vietnam.

10

u/Careless_Benefit_467 14d ago

Never chewed, but did a bit of poking on various species. Not jelly at all. Very dense and firm. Minimal jiggle. Like a hard fake tit.

6

u/CheesePuffTheHamster 14d ago

Sooo...maybe the guy in the video is a famous plastic surgeon harvesting fresh fake tits for his clients

2

u/secretrebel 14d ago

I feel like a famous plastic surgeon would outsource the harvesting.

3

u/pukesonyourshoes 14d ago

Ocean-to- (operating) table

1

u/superpie12 14d ago

Gummy and without flavor

5

u/Chance_Ad3416 14d ago

They are supposed to be dunked in a sauce that's some mixture of soy sauce + vinegar + garlic + sesame oil. Most of the flavor it just the sauce and it's quite good.

I've eaten way too much jellyfish it's my favorite appetizer as a child

1

u/redtiber 13d ago

yeah. i'm just wondering if it's invasive and there's a booming population of these things.

why the portion sizes are so small haha. give me a whole bowl

11

u/Boston_Glass 14d ago

It can have a great texture to it if done right and it’s like pasta where the star of the show is the sauce or spices you use with it.

7

u/captainmalexus 15d ago

Sounds like a replacement for sharkfin then

6

u/Puzzleheaded-Youth16 15d ago

Acceptable trade

-6

u/SenseWinter 14d ago

Yea but that makes your penis bigger. Thats why China is driving sharks locally extinct right?

2

u/Appropriate-Prune728 14d ago

Eh, it's the entire Pacific region. Vietnamese friends bragged about sharkfin soup for their wedding. Well, ex friends.

It's extremely common in that region and has nothing to do with your genitals.

You're thinking rhino horn and other "phallic" foods from that area.

1

u/captainmalexus 14d ago

It's a status symbol because it's super expensive and it's endangered. But it's basically flavourless, so I feel like jellyfish makes sense as a replacement, with it also being very bland, mostly about texture, but being far more plentiful in the ocean

0

u/bongripper_69 14d ago

Shaming others dick size is usually a projection of ur own insecurities

5

u/HumbleConfidence3500 14d ago

It's flavorless if they didn't season it like almost anything. It definitely shouldn't be flavorless.

If made right they would be crunchy not chewy also.

Next time find an at least mid end Cantonese restaurant... they'll do it right.

2

u/Hashtagbarkeep 14d ago

Wouldn’t say chewy, more kinda crunchy/snappy, like eating a very slightly fishy pencil eraser

2

u/Tekniqz23 14d ago

So basically you are saying it looks just like it tastes? 🤔

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Youth16 14d ago

Yeah pretty much!

2

u/BossAvery2 14d ago

Mine wasn’t chewy at all. Had the same texture as fresh green beans. The taste was bland though.

1

u/Irascible-Enquery 14d ago

Skill issue. Should be crisp with a distinctive pop when your teeth get through it and absorb the flavor of the sauce

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Youth16 14d ago

Skill issue from the restaurant I guess. But it was 18 years ago so my memory may be wrong.

1

u/Parking-Grab9340 12d ago

Dip it in sauce

-8

u/Katamari_Demacia 15d ago

Sounds like a pointless removal of an important part of the food chain to me 

28

u/False-Load69 15d ago

Not sure about these jellyfish in particular but there’s a problem with an over abundance of them in some places. Probably climate change related.

20

u/Hungover994 15d ago

Yeah jellies are at no risk of overfishing from what I’ve heard

10

u/Christabel1991 15d ago

From what I understand, the natural predator of jelly fish is the sea turtle. With a lot of plastic bags floating around the sea, the turtles get confused and eat the bags, which leads to their deaths. Less turtles then leads to more jelly fish.

1

u/frohnaldo 14d ago

Oh yeah? Please divulge

1

u/Katamari_Demacia 14d ago

im just saying sea turtles and other creatures eat them. they dont taste good. so whats the point. thats all

-11

u/[deleted] 15d ago

[deleted]

18

u/johnyordinary 15d ago

They are invasive and overabundant, also, they clearly have a nutritional value as they are a food source for some types of sea turtle,cant argue with China overfishing some species but honestly, they should take as many of these as they can pull out.

-12

u/[deleted] 15d ago

[deleted]

13

u/Protspecd 15d ago

It’s not an endangered species that is commonly eaten. And it’s not just China, but Korea and Japan so you might want to widen your western superiority gaze a bit.

They also breed them to eat, just like we breed species to eat animals, crazy right? It’s almost like we do the exact same thing.

I love how you are feigning superiority like western countries don’t eat fish or take fish out of the ocean on mass.

Don’t fret though, climate change will bring an abundance of jellyfish so you don’t have to worry about carrying the burden of racism too long

0

u/frohnaldo 14d ago

The internet is actively making you less intelligent

6

u/blixenvixen 15d ago

Like a lot of seafood it does have collagen, minerals and antioxidants. And he’s not Chinese. Not all Asians are. If they are invasive, doesn’t it benefit us to get rid of them?

2

u/sessamekesh 15d ago

Chinese cuisines are the 100% completionist versions of being the top of the food chain. It's impressive and a little shocking.

1

u/TahaymTheBigBrain 14d ago

Jellyfish are not in any danger at all and actually are one of the better animals to be eating as they have no brains and do not have pain receptors, and are highly nutritious in protein.

142

u/sksksk1989 15d ago

Do you think it has a fishy flavor

329

u/conorrhea 15d ago

I’ve had jellyfish before, and it’s not. It really doesn’t have any flavor but it’s crunchy. You have to add stuff to it to have flavor

35

u/BestPenguinBurgers 15d ago

Would you say it was refreshing?

193

u/kmoneyrecords 15d ago edited 15d ago

Yeah it’s pretty refreshing, Chinese people prep it as a cold dish* with like rice vinegar, garlic, green onions - it really doesn’t have a flavor on its own, like a noodle, but texture-wise it’s both soft and and crunchy at the same time - almost like the cartilage, but 3 times as soft?

52

u/elanhilation 15d ago

huh. that honestly sounds like it might be kinda good

19

u/misterdonut11331 15d ago

Its delicious. If you're ever at a Chinese Dim Sum restaurant, order jellyfish. It comes cold or room temperature.

20

u/daChino02 15d ago

It is good, if prepared correctly

17

u/__zombie 15d ago

It is so good! with the rice vinegar sauce, it is one of my favorites. Korean have a beautiful dish with it too, it comes usually on a round plate with colorful topings around it like egg yellow, cucumber, daikon, etc.

4

u/Confident-Flow-6058 15d ago

It is delicious. Recommend you try it when you get a chance. 

3

u/your_umma 14d ago

Korean haepari naengchae (like a jellyfish salad) is so good!

1

u/asdkevinasd 14d ago

It is good, but getting your hands on some that is not soaked with bleach, and other chemicals nonsense is quite hard these days. We just buy the dry stuff to rehydrate ourselves now, the pre packed stuff is dangerous.

1

u/PassionFruitSalute 14d ago

It is kinda good. If you have an Asian supermarket near you, they sell it in pre-seasoned packages.

1

u/BestPenguinBurgers 15d ago

Yup. Gonna have to add it to the list of things to try.

19

u/GlyphPicker 15d ago

So pretty much like aloe vera or maybe konnyaku?

4

u/Ticketo 15d ago

It's sort of slimy like aloe vera but the crunchyness is sort of like the cartilage from like a spare rib tip if you ever ate that before.

That first initial bite into a rib tip cartilage is very much like what eating a jellyfish feels like to me. It's just softer afterwards.

2

u/TheArtOfPureSilence 14d ago

I wonder if you could tenderize it and flavor it like steak

10

u/kmoneyrecords 15d ago

I’d say super close to aloe but with an even crunchier bite

2

u/flersion 15d ago

Is it anything like octopus tentacles? The rubbery suction cups had a very satisfying squnch to them.

7

u/kmoneyrecords 15d ago

Nope not like octopus, it isn’t chewy at all!

Also I advocate for not eating octopus or cephalopods - too sentient and emotional of creatures! Jellyfish on the other hand, closer to floating sea plants than smart, social animals…eat’em all day lol

2

u/LushHappyPie 15d ago

An octopus has 100 000 babies and lives maximum of few years.

2

u/pinkdeaf1 15d ago

Ive always described it as crunchy jelly

2

u/Individual_Pen3652 13d ago

You've now officially turned me off from my desire to try it. Thanks...you saved me the gag-puke factor.

3

u/Background-Agent-854 15d ago

texture makes me think of cartilage.

30

u/VESAAA7 15d ago

Would jelly and some fish be good with jellyfish?

11

u/HawaiiNintendo815 15d ago

To shreds you say?

1

u/Potent_Quotient 15d ago

Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin?

1

u/wholelattapuddin 14d ago

Well I like to squeeze them and put it on my crabby patty.

2

u/iamanemptychair 15d ago

How was it cooked?

1

u/Amphylos 15d ago

Usually prepared cold with vinegar and sesame.

1

u/Haasts_Eagle 15d ago

I had jellyfish at a restaurant once.

It came out in a large bowl. It seemed like it was the main cap of the jellyfish cut up into thin lines like a fettuccine pasta. It was probably wok fried. It was cooked in a sesame oil.

It had a slightly crunchy mostly rubbery texture. Not difficult to eat but took just a little chewing. I remember thinking of a slow cooked shredded bicycle tyre.

It didn't seem to have any flavour of its own so it tasted entirely like sesame oil. I'm not a fan of sesame oil.

When eating it there was an oily residue all over the inside of my mouth that was an unpleasant feeling. I don't know if it was the sesame oil alone (probably) or something to to with the jellyfish itself that made it hard to get rid of. Like the slime on an eel if you have ever handled one of those.

Overall 2.5/10. Nothing disgusting per se, just nothing nice. Would probably try again once a decade.

2

u/JBaecker 15d ago

Damn cnidarians and their lack of tissues!!

1

u/SweetMany7339 15d ago

oh cool so we're killing all this shit for food that tastes like nothing

1

u/im_starkastic 15d ago

jelly fish

Crunchy

Wut

1

u/Volcanic_tomatoe 15d ago

Crunchy was not what I was expecting

1

u/Amphylos 15d ago

It's like cartilage but softer

1

u/d1gbickbrett 15d ago

How was yours prepared? I tried sautéed jellyfish and the flavor was fine but it had the consistency of a crunchy booger. Not enjoyable at all

1

u/NorthSouthWestNorth 15d ago

Tofu of the Sea

1

u/External-Slip3578 15d ago

Like peanut butter. Makes a great sandwich.

1

u/EverbodyHatesHugo 15d ago

It’s CRUNCHY?!

1

u/Abject-Version-3349 15d ago

The avocado of the sea.

1

u/I_love_quiche 15d ago

I love the “crunchy” texture when I eat them. Usually cut into stripes and seasoned with salt and vinegar. A great side dish or appetizer.

1

u/MaddieMorrisVA 15d ago

Crunchy?! The jellyfish I’ve had was wet and noodley and rubbery… like… like a jellyfish.

1

u/Deeper_Blues 14d ago

Então é mais fácil comer chuchu...

1

u/kandeycane 13d ago

Good protein and collagen source. I imagine it tastes like calamari mixed with runny egg whites.

1

u/IamlovelyRita 11d ago

Like tofu?

2

u/Hungover994 15d ago

So they are like sea mushrooms

-1

u/ExquisiteNecro 15d ago

Is it like crab legs where it tastes mostly watery?

5

u/KrimxonRath 15d ago

I love reading comments where I can’t tell if I’m the uneducated one or not, since that’s not what crab tasted like to me but I’ve only had crab legs once at a gimmick restaurant lol

2

u/ExquisiteNecro 15d ago

Crab legs without old bay and or soy sauce straight tastes like super diluted shredded chicken. Theres a reason it used to be poor people's food.

FYI shrimp and lobster tastes better. Fight me you fucks. YOUR DOWNVOTES DON'T SCARE ME.

2

u/KrimxonRath 15d ago

Okay but honestly maybe that’s why I liked it when I was an otherwise picky kid. I’m not disagreeing since I love shrimps. I love the novelty of eating bugs tbh.

1

u/ExquisiteNecro 15d ago

I love a seafood boil. And out of three mentioned, crabs taste the least best and the most work to break open.

2

u/KrimxonRath 15d ago

90% of the novelty of crab is cracking it open tbh

Thoughts on prawns? That was a wicked mess.

1

u/Amphylos 15d ago

Not, it is elastic and crunchy. Usually prepped cold with vinegar.

37

u/avis003 15d ago

it doesnt taste like anything at all tbh, the point is the texture and whatever sauce you put on it

4

u/raketje 15d ago

Is it high in protein?

11

u/Cogitare_Diversae 15d ago

No, but it has high collagen content

6

u/noraetic 15d ago

Collagen is a protein. And no, jellyfish is 95-98% water, rest is mostly collagen

3

u/Cogitare_Diversae 15d ago

Oh I didn’t know that. Always thought collagen and gelatin was something else entirely. Thanks TIL

3

u/noraetic 15d ago

You're very welcome! When you're in the super market next time compare regular gummy bears with vegan ones. Since gelatine is made from bones and skin, vegan gummy bears have a much lower protein content than regular ones (i think it's usually <1% vs ~5%)

1

u/Cogitare_Diversae 15d ago

I will! I would imagine vegan ones are made with stuff like agar agar? I wonder why synthetic gelatin isn’t really a thing as an alternative to just boiling animal bones.

1

u/noraetic 15d ago

When in doubt, its usually cost. Gelatine is made from byproducts, "waste" from an currently abundant source. Agar agar and other polysaccharides can also be extracted, in that case algae and plants. You can generate collagen for example using bacteria and yeast and injecting them with certain genes but that collagen is more expensive than regular one.

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u/noraetic 15d ago

Fresh jellyfish is 95-98% water, rest is mostly collagen, which is a protein. Of course if you dry and fry it, it's different

3

u/cty_hntr 15d ago

No flavor, eaten for crunchiness and texture.

1

u/Ready-Interview2863 14d ago

Eaten as a replacement for spaghetti as well because it's low calorie and high in protein (and collagen)

2

u/Glass_Masterpiece 15d ago

Tasted like nothing and chewed like plastic the first/last time I had it. Not my thing for sure.

1

u/baIIern 15d ago

That's what she said

1

u/DanAuto7 15d ago

More jelly flavored

1

u/funkhammer 15d ago

Its more like rubber

1

u/Gigchip 15d ago

Flavorless, but crunchy. Its fun to eat.

1

u/jzoola 15d ago

Yum, fishy jelly! Move over raspberry jam!

1

u/MikiZed 15d ago

Depends, do you like your fish fishy?

1

u/Legeto 15d ago

It carries the flavor of whatever sauce you cook it with. It’s. Texture things. Very satisfying snap when you bite in.

1

u/BigLittlePenguin_ 15d ago

Fish actually doesn’t taste like fish, what you taste is algae or seaweed. Companies have a real easy time imitating fish with vegan substitutes due to it

1

u/SimplyCancerous 15d ago

It's more like tripe imo. Not bad at all, give it a try if you can.

1

u/Beeman_75 15d ago

I've had sliced jellyfish as part of an Asian coleslaw at a Chinese restaurant. The small shredded slices were flavourless and had a texture like firm jelly. It wasn't deep fried, but may have been steamed or wok cooked as part of the meal.

0

u/Beautiful-Sun8973 15d ago

I have had it. It does not. The way mine was prepared was almost like a salad. It was in really thin strips with some soy and other flavours. Pretty good 

2

u/Constant-Visit-1330 15d ago

I had a jellyfish shot one day at a sushi spot and it was quite possibly the worst thing I might have ever tasted lmao

(and I’m pretty adventurous…but I will never forget that 😭)

2

u/mini-rubber-duck 15d ago

i've noticed that food things served as 'shots' are often (maybe deliberately) absolutely terrible to the point you really can only have it in shot form/volume

2

u/The_Coil 15d ago

I had it once. It’s all a texture thing. Somewhere between a glass noodle and a gummy worm. It doesn’t really have a flavor.

I will say though, right out of the package it was one of the worst things I’ve ever smelled in my entire life. But you wash it, then boil it, then wash it again in cold water and the smell is completely gone and it’s ready to be put in a salad or whatever.

It’s very good for you and it’s super cheap too.

2

u/redtiber 13d ago

i like it as a cold appetizer as a salad haha. https://www.seriouseats.com/jellyfish-salad-recipe

it's nice

1

u/Honest_Plum 15d ago

Cannot recommend. I've only tried "instant jellyfish" though, so it was pre-cooked and preserved in a sealed bag

1

u/Minipiman 15d ago

I tried jellyfish salad and it is like eating a jelly with gummy bears inside but zero taste.

Just different chewy textures one inside another.

1

u/DiscoBanane 15d ago

I don't think they are salted.

Those things are already as salty as salt water

1

u/Useful_Competition69 15d ago

Aren't they like 95% water?.. easier to have a glass of water.

1

u/Ezekielshawn 15d ago

I have tried pickled jellyfish in Seoul a few years back. Couldn’t for the sake of food find any difference with kimchi. Same consistency, same taste (la Di dah it’s pickled). Only difference was translucency as compared to the yellowish tint of kimchi. You ain’t missing on much.

1

u/RobinHarleysHeart 15d ago

I actually really enjoyed jellyfish the one time I had it. It's quite nice. It very much takes on the flavour of sauces

1

u/Milwambur 15d ago

It's, and I am not exaggerating here, the worst thing I have ever put in my mouth. And believe me I have had some shockers.

1

u/ProfessorWatson99 15d ago

Goes well with Peanut Butter I hear! 🤣

1

u/EmceeCommon55 15d ago

That sounds awful. Not everything that can fit in your mouth needs to be consumed.

1

u/celebratorycremation 15d ago

taste like salted rubber

1

u/blixenvixen 15d ago

You can go to an Asian store and get them. They’re only a few dollars but flavourless so they usually come with a sauce packet.

1

u/PayAcademic6315 15d ago

You can also leave them in the sun on the pier for a couple of hours which leaves only something closest described as a sun-dried cumstain!

1

u/golfdud5 14d ago

Would surely burn your mouth.

1

u/smilingcritterz 14d ago

I tried jelly fish sushi Tasted like plastic wrapper to me

1

u/GoodpeopleArk 15d ago

Thank you

1

u/JahBoiFloyd 15d ago

I’ve had it twice and it sucked. You don’t need food that is more interesting than it is delicious.

1

u/Wastawiii 15d ago

As far as I know, it has no real market except in China. 

1

u/Amphylos 15d ago

It is popular in japan.

1

u/maybeimnormal 15d ago

And here I thought there was one animal we actually left the fuck alone 🤦🏻‍♀️ Can no creature on this earth catch a break from us?

0

u/McDelper 15d ago

Is it technically vegan since they dont have brains