This soup is made from the noodle-like, amber-colored gelatinous strands extracted from the dorsal ‘comb fin’ or the two ventral fins of any of a variety of sharks. In the 19th and 20th century the soup became more popular as wealth increased.
Shark fin soup is a symbol of wealth and of health. This symbol role undoubtedly sprang from the difficulty of catching sharks by using either primitive tackle or harpoons.
Shark fins soup may be served at important cultural functions such as weddings, bouquets, business deals or at ritual ceremonies.
Shark fin soup is commonly served into ways: for individuals with an intact fin is a small bowl or ‘big bowl’ style where the cartilaginous fin is pulled apart and cooked with pieces of chicken.
It is a common practice for fishermen to butcher the fin from live sharks and then toss the wounded fish overboard. Without its fin, a shark can’t swim, so it sinks to the bottom and endures, a slow, painful death.
Shark fin soup
