Souring on Shark Fin Soup
When I was a kid, shark fin soup was de rigueur at wedding banquets. Somebody got married, and slurp — there we were, eating the stringy soup at an elaborate 10-course affair in a private party room in Chinatown. It was pleasing, but in the salty, gelatin-thickened way of Thanksgiving gravy. Shark fin itself is virtually tasteless — the soup’s flavor relies heavily on chicken stock, ham and a generous pour of Chinese red vinegar. We ate it because everyone else did, and everyone else ate it for the same reason.
In China, shark fin soup has been a staple banquet dish of the aristocracy since the Ming dynasty.… Seguir leyendo »