Sharkfin Soup in Calgary is Banned!

[CarlW]

Originally Posted by kirant

Basically this. Nobody outside a few of the older generation Chinese seem to be able to tell the difference...and I'm not convinced they're not just trying to get out of paying for soup.

What a stupid statement, I can tell the difference between fake and real immediately when I eat it as can my entire family, relatives and Chinese friends.

While it has not much taste (guess it taste like cartilage?) it does add a crunchy texture to the soup.

[Nyah]

I've watched the Gordon Ramsey episode. Another good documentary to watch is Sharkwater. Warning though - it's a seriously tough watch and will no doubt leave you pissed right off.

[northcrunk]

$200 to add a crunch to a soup is rediculous, maybe if it has a unique taste but it doesn't. It's almost flavorless and reminds me of jello. The shark meat itself is actually really good and makes a great fish taco. My theory is if your going to kill a shark, eat it all.

[Bertuzzied]

Sharkwater was good and since i watched it, i have not had real shark fin. Although at my friend's wedding i really wanted the soup. I asked my wife to take out all the shark fin but she wouldn't hahaha.

[Bertuzzied]

Also LOL to all the people who think chinese people will flock to airdrie or cochrane for the shark fin. Like mentioned before it's ALL the soup and there are NO good chinese restaurants in those suburbs.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Sharkwater was good and since i watched it, i have not had real shark fin. Although at my friend's wedding i really wanted the soup. I asked my wife to take out all the shark fin but she wouldn't hahaha.

I bet the shark would have really appreciated the gesture.

[undercoverbrother]

So can we now take this thread off topic and start bashing the chinese for eating it, and all those ie: Costa Rica that provide the fins?

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by CarlW

What a stupid statement, I can tell the difference between fake and real immediately when I eat it as can my entire family, relatives and Chinese friends.

While it has not much taste (guess it taste like cartilage?) it does add a crunchy texture to the soup.

Just add chicken feet instead.

[CarlW]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

$200 to add a crunch to a soup is rediculous, maybe if it has a unique taste but it doesn't. It's almost flavorless and reminds me of jello. The shark meat itself is actually really good and makes a great fish taco. My theory is if your going to kill a shark, eat it all.

I agree with eating the entire thing, just harvesting the fin is unnecessarily cruel and wasteful. Wish someone would find a way to produce shark fin in the lab.

Also texture is a more highly thought of trait in food in Chinese Cuisine than in Western Food in my observation. While I enjoy the crunch of the shark fin I can certainly live without it, do not crave it, am against the industry, and certainly wouldn't go out and buy it. Besides I can get my crunch satisfaction from Chicken Kidneys and hearts.

[Ace]

Agree with Clarkey, sounds like this is the right decision and I support it. But why the heck are our civic politicians legislating this. This is definitely something needing to be addressed at the provincial or federal level.

Good on city council for dealing with this issue, but something is messed up that they had to.

[CarlW]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Just add chicken feet instead.

Chicken feet is mostly bone, skin and ligaments rather than cartilage, and doesn't not crunch like Fin.

Actually a really good replacement for fin in the soup, and my preference is properly cooked (al dente?) Green Bean Vermicelli noodles, crunchy, cheap, lots of it and absorbs broth/juices/sauces amazingly well and is my opinion actually superior. Just take the Shark Fin broth and add in the cooked vermicelli like noodle soup.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by CarlW

I agree with eating the entire thing, just harvesting the fin is unnecessarily cruel and wasteful. Wish someone would find a way to produce shark fin in the lab.

Also texture is a more highly thought of trait in food in Chinese Cuisine than in Western Food in my observation. While I enjoy the crunch of the shark fin I can certainly live without it, do not crave it, am against the industry, and certainly wouldn't go out and buy it. Besides I can get my crunch satisfaction from Chicken Kidneys and hearts.

There already is fake shark fin. Everyone needs to goto Sun Chiu Kee on Centre street and have their mid afternoon special on it. Sooooo yummy.

Replacing it with non sugared gummy worms would be acceptable or thinly sliced beef tendon. YUM!

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Byrns

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flake_%28fish%29

I'm not an expert on shark meat. But from what I understand, it's very species dependent. Some species are quite good. Others have an overpowering ammonia taste. You can buy shark meat locally in Canada too, although it's not that common.

[CarlW]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

There already is fake shark fin. Everyone needs to goto Sun Chiu Kee on Centre street and have their mid afternoon special on it. Sooooo yummy.

Replacing it with non sugared gummy worms would be acceptable or thinly sliced beef tendon. YUM!

The fake shark fins that I've had are too clearly fake for my liking, not the same texture and clearly gelatinous

By Shark Fin in the lab, i meant something akin to cloning or something

[kirant]

Originally Posted by CarlW

What a stupid statement, I can tell the difference between fake and real immediately when I eat it as can my entire family, relatives and Chinese friends.

While it has not much taste (guess it taste like cartilage?) it does add a crunchy texture to the soup.

Fair enough. I don't know you or your family.

It's just an observation I've made with the evidence I've seen while in China (a wedding couple put "Shark Fin Soup" on their dinner list, but told me after that it was imitation. To be completely fair, I suppose other guests could have already known or didn't bother raising a fuss over it if they found out during the dinner) or in resteraunts in Canada (similar story, except I could hear some of the older relatives talking about it being fake over the dinner).

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by CarlW

The fake shark fins that I've had are too clearly fake for my liking, not the same texture and clearly gelatinous

By Shark Fin in the lab, i meant something akin to cloning or something

Wow you must really be an expert considering it doesn't taste like much. hehe

[CarlW]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Wow you must really be an expert considering it doesn't taste like much. hehe

Haha, it is not so much the taste as much as it is the texture/crunch of it that I find displeasing in the fake stuff (unless I haven't tried the new and improvide space age fake shark fin yet).

I'd rather they give me the broth straight rather than have the fake stuff

[Bigtime]

How about they always give you just the broth and we save the sharks the trouble of losing their fins?

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

How about they always give you just the broth and we save the sharks the trouble of losing their fins?

that is genius! but up till now you can't get that broth without the shark fin. It's not on the menu. Hopefully that changes!

[CarlW]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

How about they always give you just the broth and we save the sharks the trouble of losing their fins?

Fine by me, you just need to convince the restaurants not to serve it or have it on the menu. Like I stated previously I can get my crunch from other foods like Green bean vermicelli, Chicken Kidneys and Cartilage from chicken and pork.