海蜇：可持续性食物？

人类大量食用海产品使海洋鱼类资源面临枯竭危机。由此，人们开始寻找替代品。一些人认为海蜇是一种可持续的食物来源。本文探究为什么海蜇可以成为替代传统鱼类的可持续选择。

 

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 salmon¹ farms, shutting down power stations and incapacitating warships². There are even some scientists in Australia researching whether box jellyfish could ultimately destroy our oceans – so could devouring³ 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 morsels⁴ 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 spawned⁵ 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 nutritional⁷ value? Jellyfish contain 36 calories per ounce, which puts it on a par⁶ with iceberg⁸ lettuce⁹. 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 lucrative¹⁰ 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 texture¹¹, 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.

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