Hold the jellyfish
‘Actually, there’s nothing new in eating jellyfish. It’s an old tradition dating back more than 1,000 years in Asia.’
IT IS the ultimate ready-salted crisp, even if it does come with a slight sting in the tail.
Scientists have created jellyfish crisps, which they claim could provide a healthier alternative to deep fried varieties. Jellyfish is already eaten as a delicacy in Asian countries, but currently the drying technique takes at least a month and leaves a gristly, stringy substance that has never caught on in the West.
Now researchers in Denmark have discovered that by soaking jellyfish in alcohol and allowing it to evaporate, the creatures turn into paper-thin, crunchy discs that are similar in texture to a traditional potato crisp.
Mie Thorborg Pedersen, a gastrophysicist of the University of southern Denmark, said the crisps could be made in large quantities in just a couple of days.
“Actually there is nothing new in eating jellyfish,” said Miss Thorborg Pedersen. “It’s an old tradition dating back more than 1,000 years in Asia. Jellyfish are a delicacy, believe it or not. I researched how to turn slimy jellyfish into a crispy chip.
“Gels respond differently when put in different solutions. In alcohol some gels simply collapse, and that is exactly what we see a jellyfish doing. As the jellyfish collapses, the water is extracted from it and its volume is reduced. After we let it evaporate, a crispy chip emerges that we can eat.”
Perhaps surprisingly, the desiccated jellyfish do not have much taste, but scientists believe that they could be flavoured using different kinds of alcohol. Jellyfish crisps are also far healthier than normal crisps. A 25g portion of crispy jellyfish contains 0.5g of fat. In comparison, a bag of ready salted crisps contains 8g. Jellyfish also contain high levels of selenium, which is known to reduce free radicals and fight the ageing process, preventing oxidative stress and defending against prostate and colon cancer.
There are also huge numbers of jellyfish in the sea, which can cause problems for fishing fleets because they make nets too heavy to haul in, meaning entire catches have to be thrown back into the water. Some experts claim that jellyfish are the most sustainable creatures in the sea, and are experiencing population booms because of global warming.
“You could say that jellyfish is an overlooked delicacy, offering lots of opportunities because our seas are teeming with them,” added Miss Thorborg Pedersen. However, scientists believe they could do more to try to cut salt levels. Eating a bag of jellyfish crisps has the entire recommended salt intake for one day.
Global warming is already causing swathes of jellyfish to flock to British waters in warmer seas. Portuguese Man Of War jellyfish – which have dangerous stings – have been spotted along the South West coast and are likely to come in larger numbers as the climate warms. Mauve stingers also have powerful venom and were spotted across the South West as recently as last year, although usually in the winter. Lion’s mane jellyfish have the most powerful sting of the UK species, but are rarely seen south of the Irish Sea or Norfolk, with most seen in Scottish waters. The most commonly encountered species in the UK are the moon, blue and barrel jellyfish, but their very mild stings are little cause for concern.
A recent study by Plymouth University found that ocean acidification, caused by rising carbon dioxide levels will help species of jellyfish inhabit new areas. Slimy, jellylike creatures are far more tolerant of rising CO2 levels than those with hard structures like corals, since exposed shells and skeletons dissolve as CO2 levels rise.
“We are witnessing the spread of marine life that cause problems – such as toxic jellyfish blooms,” said Prof Jason Hall-spencer, lead author of the report, which was published in The International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science.
Scientists have proudly announced the creation of jellyfish crisps. The “mouth feel” of the wafer-thin snacks has come in for particular praise. But traditional consumers who still regret the disappearance of little blue twists of salt from their packets of potato crisps might find the invasion of the jellyfish all too easy to resist. “In Asia, jellyfish are a delicacy, believe it or not,” says the scientist who has perfected the drying process that makes the squashy blobs turn brittle and crackly. Mention of something being a delicacy in faraway places is seldom a good sign. Grubs are delicacies in some parts, grasshoppers in others. To many a steppe-dweller, mutton fat simply cannot be too thick, nor will subcutaneous blubber fail to delight an Inuit home from a hard day’s kayaking. This is not to suggest that British palates are infallible. It’s not just tripe or black pudding that are hard to sell universally, but suet pudding and yellow custard. We may have grown used to a good beetroot being spoilt by being fried in slices as crisps. A crunchy medusa might have to wait.