Okay! We have seen it on TV, we have seen it sharing screen space in Hollywood, but have you ever dared ask, what does Shark taste like?
It seems like a taunting question to ask, doesn’t it?
The mammoth sea monster, with its intimidating appearance and our stereotypical image (cough, jaws!), makes us wonder if we should even be asking the question.
But,
As it turns out, the giant fish is one of the most popular choices of exotic cuisines around the globe, predominantly in Japan, Scandinavia, Sri Lanka, and some parts of India.
In this article, we will explore how you can use Shark as a part of your seafood recipes and how its flavor differs from other smaller and more conventional fishes like mahi-mahi.
What is Shark Meat?
Shark meat, as obvious as it may seem, refers to the seafood that contains flesh of a shark.
Also, contrary to what most people think, people have been consuming shark meat for long.
In fact, some of the oldest evidence of shark meat dates back to as far as 4th century AD.
Shark meat, especially in Chinese and Japanese culture, is used primarily due to their supposed health benefits.
Even though such benefits have never been completely proven, people still consume shark meat for the same purpose.
In other cuisine cultures such as Greenland and Iceland, shark meat is a part of their staple food.
They are consumed out of necessity due to their limited food sources.
What Does Shark Taste Like? Does Shark Meat Taste Good?
Coming from people who have had the unique experience of tasting the elasmobranch fish, it has a distinct (mild) meaty and slightly sweet flavor with a moist texture.
The closest comparison that people make of the taste of shark meat is either with chicken or alligator meat.
So, it is fair to assume that the taste of shark meat won’t be anything too unfamiliar due to its supposed resemblance with chicken.
One of the comparisons you can take is between Marko shark and swordfish meat.
Marko has a softer, puffier, and grainer texture while the latter has a more compact and flat form factor, much like a canned tuna fish.
As mentioned earlier, shark meat is popular mainly for its rich nutritional content.
In fact, Cod and Shark meat are both an excellent source of nutrition like vitamins A, D, and E.
Mako shark in specific is also known to have high nutritional content in the form of calories and sodium.
How to Cook Shark Meat?
Before you proceed to make plans on buying a lump of exotic shark meat, you should know that there are only certain types of sharks that are considered edible.
Some of these edible shark types include mako, sand sharks, dogfishes, and smooth-hounds, etc.
About the cooking techniques involving shark meat, you have plenty of options.
You can grill, broil, sauté, or even steam shark meat to obtain your scrumptious plate of seafood.
Frankly, all you need is a sharp fillet knife and some basic cooking skills to prepare fish meat.
There are also ample numbers of shark meat recipes out there that you can try.
These recipes involve cooking shark meat using different types of techniques to bring out its versatile flavor.
Shark meat and whale meat are also similar due to their high-fat content. In addition, shark meat has several health benefits associated with it.
But,
It is no secret that shark meat is potentially dangerous for consumption, at least without proper handling.
Sharks due to their carnivore nature have a high percentage of heavy metals (mercury) and other toxic chemicals.
Sharks also urinate through their skin. So, if you don’t prepare/clean it thoroughly, it can give off an extremely offensive ammonia flavor (yuck!).
Thus, it necessary to follow a proper preparation technique to help you cook up safe-to-eat seafood.
Conclusion
Shark meat is one of those exotic dishes; you should give it a go, at least once. It has a lot of skepticism around it due to its wild toxic nature.
But, as long as you prepare it the right way, it is safe as any other type of seafood.
Whether it is for the ancient health benefits or just the sheer thrill of eating one of the fiercest sea monsters, shark meat is definitely worth trying.
What Does Shark Taste Like? Does Shark Meat Taste Good?
Ingredients
- Shark
- Ingredients from your favorite recipes
Instructions
- Depending on the recipes you choose, the taste can vastly differ.
- For authentic results, it is important to choose a recipe that will highlight the original flavor.
- Have fun experimenting with different recipes and taste tests!
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