Preparing Dry Sea Cucumber

In Chinese, the sea cucumber is called "Hai Sen", "Hoi Sam" or "sea ginseng" is a "yang" or "heaty" food, reputed to be a general tonic and aphrodisiac. Rich in iron and contains minerals like calcium, magnesium and zinc, the sea cucumber has been known to help ease arthritis pain and relief joints discomfort..

Often sold in dried hard form, preparing dried sea cucumber can be time consuming and requires a lot of work. After removing the skin, you have to reconstitute it in water which is drained daily for 4 days, occasionally wash it under running water, boil it with slices or ginger or
pineapple skin in between to remove the “fishy” odor, so that it expands to several times its original size and becomes soft again. Drain and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. Not prepared properly, it can have a rubbery-tough-to-chew texture that can be unappealing and taste wrong. As for fresh sea cucumber, expanded and sold soaked in water, which can sometimes be found in Chinese markets, needs only a rinse and boil the same way described above. The best kind of fresh sea cucumber is black in color, with smooth surface and fine gloss.