Gordon Ramsey eats Shark Fin Soup for the first time

[USCScubaboy]

Source/Reference please.

10 'Facts' about Asian Culture and Shark Fin Soup:

1) Shark Fin soup was always a 'luxury' dish - in the truest sense of the word. Unavailability of shark products meant that this dish was the preserve of the super-wealthy/aristocracy (pre-communism). There was a cultural heritage in the soup, but that doesn't reflect today's culture or market.

2) Evolution of modern fishing methods (primarily long-line fishing) increased the accidental catch of shark from hundreds per year to millions per year.

3) Shark meat is a very low $ value form of protein that doesn't feature in any Asian cultural menus. The huge by-catch of shark by long-line fishermen was entirely wasteful and unwanted. Before the 'industry' of global shark fin export was created, in the last 2 decades, the majority of caught shark was returned to the water (often alive).

4) Within the last 20 years, some clever Asian businessmen recognized that the by-catch of sharks meant that shark fin was now no longer a rare product. They developed a supply chain that sources shark-fin globally and, consequently, Shark fin soup became easily available and ceased to be the preserve of the super-wealthy and became a mass-market middle-class food.

5) Those same businessmen marketed the concept of Shark Fin soup to the emerging Asian middle-class and newly-rich. In step with evolving Asian affluence, those people could now celebrate 'eating like Emperors'. That is very literal, they could now eat the delicacies previously reserved (by availability) for the ruling classes, thus perpetuating the illusion of vastly increased status and wealth.

6) The reason why Sharks Fin soup was seen as a delicacy of the ruling classes was entirely based upon it's unavailability. This is common with other Asian 'delicacies' of the super-wealthy ruling classes. Those delicacies include foodstuffs originating from many rare or symbolically powerful animals, including tigers and other apex land predators.

7) The consumption of tiger products was universally accepted as a damaging environmental practice. There was little-to-no 'cultural resistance' to the banning of these products within Asia. People understood that the animals were rare - and that preserving them was far more valuable than their use as a luxury food.

8) Cultural resistance is often cited as a factor in preventing similar conservation efforts with sharks. This is not true, because Asian culture has shown many times that conservation is readily put above demand for luxury goods. Also, there is no actual cultural history amongst the classes of current sharks fin consumers of eating this dish. The real reason is that those consumers do not understand the level of damaging being done to shark populations, the rapid pace towards complete extinction of those species and the importance that sharks have as apex predators in preserving the balance and stability of global marine eco-systems.

9) The value and demand of Sharks Fin soup lies not (as Ramsey highlights) in its taste or nutrition. It is merely a symbolic demonstration of affluence and success. The people who eat the soup don't care that they can only eat it now because of increased availability - to them it remains a rare and sought-after 'food of the Emperor'. The growing class of newly wealthy Asian businesspeople enjoy this dish because it reinforces their social progression.

10) The people who eat Sharks Fin soup have no cultural history of eating it. The restaurants that serve it have no cultural history of serving it. If there was a cultural history of eating Sharks Fin soup, then Asian cuisine (which 'culturally' doesn't waste anything edible) would also reflect a cultural history of eating shark meat - it doesn't. The consumption of Sharks Fin soup by it's current market is a very recent development. It is an unfortunate coincidence of developing fishing methods (supply) coupled with a desire to 'celebrate' growing affluence with Asian social classes (demand).

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Gordon was just pointing out the IRONY of the situation, that all these f**kers are paying a sh*t load of money for broth and a fin that adds nothing to the experience, where the fin could be left out and the taste wouldn't even be effected.

When it comes to food in Chinese culture, taste is not the only reason for incorporating certain elements in a dish.

The Chinese are experts at ripping off authentic items and substituting cheap rip-offs, I wish they'd do the same with shark fin soup and screw all the idiots eating it.

With that attitude, Mike, I think you're going to have a difficult time convincing all those who still partake of shark fin soup to give up the practice.

 

[DevonDiver]

Source/Reference please.

Source/Reference: Andy Davis, 2011

Please note the title change: substituted 'observations' for 'facts', as this is what I published.

Many of the things included in the article are facts and commonly known, thus not requiring specific reference. A Google search will substantiate them (such as; selling price of shark fin, increase of shark fishing, increased affluence within Asian countries, market/demand changes in shark fin soup etc)

Other aspects represent my own insights, on the basis of my personal experience living, working and inter-acting within Asian countries for many years.

Hope that helps.

 

[DevonDiver]

When it comes to food in Chinese culture, taste is not the only reason for incorporating certain elements in a dish.

Yes, I think I covered the reasons why they eat certain elements.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Yes, I think I covered the reasons why they eat certain elements.

You mentioned the notion of scarcity and the representation of status/wealth.
In traditional Chinese culture, it's more than that.

 

[DevonDiver]

You mentioned the notion of scarcity and the representation of status/wealth.
In traditional Chinese culture, it's more than that.

No...really... it isn't. Because in "traditional chinese culture" those people didn't eat shark fin soup. It wasn't available to them.

We are talking about a 20 year old phenomenon, caused by market changes. That is neither 'traditional' nor 'cultural'.

However, at best, it might be described as an 'aspiration' towards cultural traditionalism.

Speak to an Asian person. Ask them if their grandparents, when young, used to eat Shark Fin soup. The answer will be "they didn't".

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I love it when someone tries to explain my culture/heritage/traditional practices to me.

 

[DevonDiver]

That's good then. Happy to have cleared you from your misconceptions.

 

[iztok]

that's good then. Happy to have cleared you from your misconceptions. :d

rotfl!

 

[DevonDiver]

I'm actually a bit concerned at the potential racism inherent within a statement that seeks to disavow anyone from having knowledge of, or making observations of, a cultural group outside of their own.

Especially from someone who doesn't even live in Asia. The colour of skin, or the lineage of ancestry, does not a cultural expert make.

My scepticism is particularly reinforced by an approach to the debate which casts dispersions against other people's observations, without actually providing any information to substantiate your own knowledge. In efforts to refute my observations, we've been told what isn't traditional Chinese culture but, incredibly, no specific knowledge has been provided about what is traditional Chinese culture. This does, indeed, look suspiciously like a lack of knowledge.

If there were any intelligent cultural insights that can be provided to refute my article, I'd gladly hear them.