Fish maw, also known as "fish gum" (it's called gum in Chinese because of its texture, especially after cooked), isinglass or air bladder, is actually the fish's swim bladder (air bladder: it is an air-filled sac located in the abdominal cavity that helps fish control buoyancy and maintain their position in the water) . In Chinese cuisine and other Asian countries, fish maw is rich in nutrients. It is one of the most precious Chinese foods along with abalone, sea cucumber, and shark fin, and has been used as a luxury seafood and medicinal tonic because of its unique texture and health benefits.
Categorization & Types
Fish maw is harvested from a variety of fish species, with different species producing maws of varying sizes, shapes, and textures.
Guǎng dù - a categorization based on size
"Guang Du" is a general term that usually refers to the swim bladder of a salamander or a large deep-sea fish. For example:
- Gadus fish (genus Gadus; scientific name: Gadus) of Pakistan and the Indian Ocean,
- Chinese bahaba(Bahaba taipingensis),
- Huso fish in the family Acipensidae ,
- Acipenseridae (Family: Acipenseridae) ,
- Protonibea (scientific name: Protonibea diacanthus)[1] ,
- acoupa weakfish(scientific name: Cynoscion acoupa )[1] etc.,
The Chinese bahaba is the most representative, so Guang Du is also commonly known as "bahaba fish maw". Guang Du is the most expensive high-end fish maw variety. Guang Du is characterized by being very thick and hard , so it takes a long time to soak. Mainly used for cooking fish maw steak.
Chinese Bahaba maw
Chinese Bahaba maw is recognized as the No.1 fish maw among fish maws. It is very rare and is generally regarded as a collectible. It is nicknamed the "King of fish maws".
The source comes from Chinese Bahaba , Bahaba taipingensis; also known as yellow-lipped fish . Due to large-scale commercial fishing and extremely high market value , Bahaba taipingensis has been listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species [2]. The value of its swim bladder has greatly exceeded the value of gold.
Spider gum
Spider gum is one of the top varieties of fish maw, mainly produced in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and other places.
Spider gum has a special shape. Unopened spider gum looks like a hammer, and the overall shape is like a spider, hence the name "spider gum".
The source of spider gum comes from Boesemania microlepis; also named Boesemania croaker [1], which inhabits freshwater rivers from Thailand to Vietnam and Sumatra .
The Boesemania microlepis has been described by IUCN as having a declining population trend, although it is listed as data deficient. It has been listed by IUCN but data is lacking , and is locally extinct in Laos due to continued decline in the area, extent and quality of its habitat. In other areas it has been significantly reduced [3].
White fish maw
White fish maw is named after it comes from the "large white fish" in Chinese, also known as "light-colored yellow fish" in Chinese (scientific name: Nibea coibor), which is a rare species in fish maw. Inhabit Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India; Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, and Vietnam. Mainly produced in Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh and other places [4].
Research shows that it may also come from the scale croaker (scientific name: Nibea squamosa ) [1], which is listed as a species of least concern by IUCN [5].
Bundled gum / Zhā jiāo
The characteristics of Zhajiao are that it has two tentacles, a thin belly, a slender shape, and good colloid and hardness. bundled gum mainly comes from the "Large Yellow Croaker" (scientific name: Larimichthys crocea) in South America.
The large yellow croaker has been listed as a critically endangered species by the IUCN. Inhabits China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam[6] .
Industry insiders write "bundled" as "zha" and gum as "jiao", hence the name "zhajiao". It is a mid-level fish maw with a popular price.
Cod gum
Cod (Gadus) from the North Atlantic, especially Norway, Australia, and Canada. It is cost-effective and is one of the emerging varieties of isinglass. Cod gum has a soft, rich, chewy texture that's like fish skin but tastier, providing moisture and nutrients. Great for soups and desserts.
Eel gum
Slender, cylindrical. Kingklip (scientific name: Genypterus capensis) [1]. The long-spotted eel is found along the southern African coast from Walvis Bay in Namibia to Algoa Bay in South Africa. The eel gum on the market is usually wildlife fish type.
Fugu gum
It comes from fugu and is cost-effective. It is mainly produced in the waters of southern China and Vietnam.
Dòu hú gum
Dou hu gum, also known as Mǎ yǒu gum. There are two main types of Dou hu gum on the market. The first is dou hu gum in Southeast Asia, produced in Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and other countries. The second category is African dou hu gum, whose quality is lower than similar gum in Southeast Asia. Dou hu gum has no distinction between male and female, has soft meat and is reasonably priced.
The fish type is the small black-body threadfin of the family Threadfinidae, also known as Indian threadfin (English name: Indian threadfin; scientific name: Leptomelanosoma indicum) [1], a species from the coast of Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea.
Běihǎi gum
The Acoupa Weakfish (scientific name: Cynoscion acoupa) [1] from the genus Cynoscion in the family Sciaenidae, is distributed in the Western Atlantic: Panama to Argentina, and the Southwest Atlantic: Sergipe, Brazil .
The Acoupa Weakfish has been listed as a vulnerable species by the IUCN. Inhabits Brazil; French Guiana; Guyana; Suriname; Venezuela[7].
Red mouth gum
Protonibea diacanthus [1] from the "Sciaenidae family" and "Protonibea genus" is distributed in the Indo-Western Pacific including the west coast of the Persian Gulf and the coasts of India and Sri Lanka, north to Japan, south through the Philippines and Borneo to New Guinea and northern Australia.
Protonibea diacanthus has been listed as a near-endangered species by IUCN [8].
Research results using DNA sequencing have identified commercially available samples , and the following fish maws are also from the Protonibea diacanthus [1]:
- Annan gum
- Golden Lan Gum
- Fish Maw King
It is believed that the red-mouthed gum sometimes also uses the Megalonibea fusca , which is distributed in the northwest Pacific including the East China Sea.
yellow gum
Nile Perch (scientific name: Lates niloticus) [1] from the genus "Lates" of the family "Latidae", distributed in Benin; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Central Africa Republic; Chad; Ivory Coast; Egypt; Ethiopia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Mali; Mauritania; Niger; Nigeria; Senegal; Lion Rock; Sudan; Togo; Uganda. IUCN lists species of least concern [9].
Yellow gum is moderately priced. Yellow fish maw and fish maw tube are the most common fish maws on the market.
Fish maw tube
Also known as tubular gum, duck soaked tripe, and duck stuffed belly, it comes from the genus Lates that inhabits waters in Africa and Central America. It is named after its tubular shape when not cut open. "Fish maw slices" refers to cutting the fish maw tube into slices.
Yīn yáng gum
The Green Weakfish; scientific name: Cynoscion virescens [1] comes from the "Sciaenidae family" and "Cynoscion genus" and is distributed in the Western Atlantic Ocean from Nicaragua to Santos, Brazil.
The Green Weakfish is listed as a species of least concern by IUCN [10].
"Male" and "female"
There are "male" and "female" fish maws. Generally speaking , "Du Gong" is made from male fish and has a firmer texture. It can lock the gelatin and prevent it from being easily lost. The texture of female is soft and sticky, and it is easy to dissolve in cooking (experts call it "catharsis").
Nutritional value
Fish maw is considered a nutritious food due to its high protein content, low fat content , and rich collagen, which is thought to benefit skin health, joint function, and overall health. It is also rich in amino acids, vitamins, and minerals such as calcium and phosphorus.
Studies have identified two glycosaminoglycans from fish swim bladders: chondroitin sulfate and acetyl sulfate, which are believed to have potential pharmacological activity in accelerating wound healing [11].
Research shows that fish maw is a high-quality source of protein and low in fat. They contain a rich proportion of functional amino acids (FAA), and they also exhibit an optimal low-cholesterol/high-cholesterol effect ratio [12].
Health benefits
In traditional Chinese medicine, fish maw is believed to have a variety of health benefits, including
- Enhance immunity
- Antioxidant
- Improve constipation
- Improve fatigue
- Free radical scavenging
- learning and memory
- Nourishes the kidneys
- Improve respiratory health
- Promote blood circulation
- As a person recovering from illness or surgery
- Promote postpartum recovery and hemostasis for pregnant women
- Promote skin wound healing
- Dietary supplements for seniors
Recent research shows that fish maw contains many collagen molecules, which help improve the nutrition of human tissues, promote growth, and delay aging.
How to choose fish maw?
How to check when buying
Avoid fish maws that are unnatural or fake, such as
- After chemical treatment, the fish maw may appear a single color, which is also lighter and clean.
- No lines or the lines are exactly the same
- All fish maw stocks in the store are the same color or shape
- No smell, or a chemical smell instead of sea water smell
- The price is unreasonably low
Also avoid:
- Several fish maws of the same shape are stuck together to pretend to be large fish maws (businessmen heat small fish maws and combine them into large fish maws with irregular shapes and stitching marks.)
- There is moisture inside
- Impenetrable, dark yellow, wrinkled skin, full of cracks
How to check for any signs of fakeness when you get home
The following are signs of fake fish maw:
- Check to see if the shape changes significantly while soaking
- Whether the foamed / hydrated fish maw has expanded more than twice in size
- Unevenness appears after soaking
- Automatically breaks into pieces after cooking
- Roughness appears after cooking
- After cooking, the fish maw sticks together
- cloudy soup
Preparation method
Before cooking, the fish maw must be soaked in water to rehydrate and soften it. It is then boiled or stewed, often with other ingredients such as chicken, pork, mushrooms and herbs, to create a delicious and nutritious dish.
Option 1: Water soaking
To prepare fish maw, first rinse it. Then soak it in cold water overnight, making sure there is no oil in the water. In a pot, boil water and add onion and ginger. Soak the fish maw in hot water, cover the pot and cook over low heat until the water cools. Adjust the soaking time according to the thickness and hardness of the fish maw. Once done, transfer the fish maw to a fresh water container and refrigerate for future use.
Option 2: Dry steaming method
To make the fish maw more elastic and simplify the process, dry steam it for 20 minutes and then soak it in cold water for 2 days.
References
[1] Zhang, J., Deng, Q., Liu, X., Wu, M., Ma, Z., Shaw, P., Zhang, Y., & Cao, H. (2022). Molecular Identification of Commercial Fish Maws by DNA Sequencing of 16S rRNA and Cytochrome c Oxidase I Genes. Journal of Food Protection, 85(10), 1439–1445. https://doi.org/10.4315/jfp-22-121
[2] Liu, M. 2020. Bahaba taipingensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T61334A130105307. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T61334A130105307.en . Accessed on 18 March 2024.
[3] Baird, I. 2021. Boesemania microlepis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T181232A1711758. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T181232A1711758.en . Accessed on 19 March 2024.
[4] Janekikarn, S., Vidthayanon, C., Than Tun, M., Liu, M., Akhilesh, KV, Raghavan, R., Chao, L., Hasan, ME & Carpenter, KE 2020. Nibea coibor. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T49186795A49221492. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T49186795A49221492.en. Accessed on 19 March 2024.
[5] Larson, H., Chao, L., Seah, YG, Wong, L., Loh, K.-H., Hadiaty, RK, Suharti, S., Russell, B. & Shah, NHA 2020. Nibea squamosa (errata version published in 2021). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T49187516A196843402. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T49187516A196843402.en. Accessed on 19 March 2024.
[6] Liu, M., Cheng, J.-H., Nguyen Van, Q., Sasaki, K., Hoshino, K., Sakai, T., Santos, M., Yang, C.-H., Chen, M.-H., Yeh, H.-M., Mok, H.-K., Liu, S.-H. & Seah, YG 2020. Larimichthys crocea. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e .T49182559A49239394. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T49182559A49239394.en. Accessed on 19 March 2024.
[7] Chao, L., Nalovic, M. & Williams, J. 2021. Cynoscion acoupa. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T154875A46924613. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK .2021-1.RLTS.T154875A46924613.en. Accessed on 19 March 2024.
[8] Sadovy, Y., Janekikarn, S., Chao, L., Mok, H.-K., Sasaki, K., Liu, M., Hoshino, K., Sakai, T., Nguyen Van, Q. ., Santos, M., Yang, C.-H., Chen, M.-H., Yeh, H.-M. & Liu, S.-H. 2020. Protonibea diacanthus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T49188717A49227587. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T49188717A49227587.en. Accessed on 19 March 2024.
[9] Lalèyè, P., Azeroual, A., Entsua-Mensah, M., Getahun, A., Moelants, T. & Ntakimazi, G. 2020. Lates niloticus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e. T181839A84244538. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T181839A84244538.en. Accessed on 19 March 2024.
[10] Chao, L. 2020. Cynoscion virescens. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T47147660A82679637. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T47147660A82679637.en . Accessed on 19 March 2024.
[11] Pan, Y., Wang, P., Zhang, F., Yu, Y., Zhang, X., Lei, L., & Linhardt, RJ (2017). Glycosaminoglycans from fish swim bladder: isolation, structural characterization and bioactive potential. Glycoconjugate Journal, 35(1), 87–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10719-017-9804-5
[12] Wen, J., Ling, Z., Xu, Y., Sun, Y., Chen, Z., & Fan, S. (2015). Proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid composition of fish maws. Natural Product Research, 30(2), 214–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2015.1040790