Fish Maw, like all Chinese Delicacies are regarded as precious food (山珍海味). In fact, it is one of the big four sea delicacies (鲍参翅肚). In the past, only the rich could afford, thus they are status symbol.
Like Sharkfin, Fish Maw are eaten for their texture rather than their taste. It’s spongy and has the ability to absorb the flavours of other ingredients.
Modernisation allows such delicacies to be farmed or harvested and prices are more affordable. However, some of these are fast depleting due to over consumption.
This thick soup taste similar to the much-prized Sharkfin Soup, which we have given up eating, to save the sharks population.
The most time consuming part of this is preparing the superior stock. This stock takes many hours to cook, producing a tasty and flavourful base.
Although crabmeat is optional, it’s present lends a luxurious touch to the dish.
Just before serving, add a dash of vinegar and pepper to give it an extra kick.
This is a luxurious soup, thick and velvety, each spoonful is generously filled with fish maw and crabmeat. The spongy fish maw absorbs the flavour of the soup, and the bits of vegetables give a delightfully sweet crunch.
Pot To Plate 