刺参 (cìshēn) · spiny sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus)

Measure Word

一只刺参 zhī

Meanings

1 spiny sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus)
2 Japanese sea cucumber

About the ingredient

水产 Fish and seafood

A sea cucumber with blunt, cone-shaped spines on its back, farmed mainly off Shandong and Liaoning. It is mostly sold dried and soaked before cooking, then braised with scallion in Shandong and Liaoning cooking.

Characters

ginseng; (in 海参) sea cucumber

Examples

HSK 6

泡发刺参需要好几天。

Pàofā cìshēn xūyào hǎojǐ tiān.

Rehydrating dried spiny sea cucumbers takes several days.

HSK 7-9

大连的刺参是送礼的高档海产品。

Dàlián de cìshēn shì sònglǐ de gāodàng hǎichǎnpǐn.

Dalian spiny sea cucumber is a high-end gift seafood.

Tips

culture

The prized variety among 海参 (sea cucumbers): body covered in rows of conical spines (刺). Farmed and harvested along the Liaoning/Shandong coast, positioned as a luxury 'eight treasures' (八珍) item on banquet menus and a common high-end gift during Chinese New Year.