The sea cucumber doesn't look like the most appetising creature, whether it's alive in the ocean
or dried and stacked in baskets in the market.
What is it? One if the other names used for it, the sea slug, seems more appropriate for this animal. Like a garden slug, the sea cucumber slowly crawls along the ocean floor as it searches for food. For Chinese and some other Asian cuisines, the sea cucumber is most frequently bought after being dried. It's then soaked and rehydrated before being simmered in stock or braised in a rich stock.
What to look for? When dried, it should be completely desiccated, because a small amount of moisture can cause it to spoil.
What else? Sea cucumbers are also eaten in Spain.
The Spanish variety is small, white and delicate, without the gelatinous texture of the specimens