Bake and shark is a unique Trini street food item that is especially popular at concerts, festivals, and celebrations. It consists of marinated or seasoned pieces of shark meat, sauces, chutneys, and vegetables in a flatbread known as bake. The dish is often associated with Maracas beach which is filled with numerous bake and shark street stalls.
Sopa de cação is a traditional specialty made with slices of dogfish shark cooked in a flavorful broth infused with garlic and coriander. The dish is traditionally served over sliced bread, and it is occasionally thickened with flour and seasoned with bay leaves, ground paprika, and vinegar. It is believed that this fragrant soup originated in the historical Portuguese region of Alentejo, but today it is considered to be an indispensable part of Portuguese national cuisine.
Shark fin soup is a controversial soup with Chinese origins, made with shark fins and flavored with chicken or another type of stock. Shark fin is slightly neutral in flavor, and is used in the dish to add texture. It is believed that the first shark fin soup was invented by an emperor during the time of the Sung Dynasty who wanted to show off his power, wealth, and generosity to his guests. Because of that, preparing and serving this expensive dish is now considered a sign of respect. Today, the soup is a part of the Big 4, dishes that represent health and prosperity in Chinese culture, which are usually reserved for special occasions, the other three being abalone, sea cucumber, and fish maw. Shark fin soup is also a status symbol, with bowls of it ranging from $5 to $2,000, depending on the type of shark fin served in the soup. However, due to the shark finning process and the inhumane treatment of sharks which are finned alive and left in the ocean unable to swim or survive, shark fin soup is considered one of the major threats to the world's shark populations, and some organizations are still actively discouraging the consumption of this flavorful, yet controversial Chinese delicacy.
The unusually named Buddha jumps over the wall is a Chinese specialty with origins in the province of Fujian, and the dish was originally made in the Qing Dynasty period. The cooking process for this decadent soup is very complicated as it takes about three days to prepare it, and the recipe calls for upwards of 30 ingredients such as shark fin, chicken, duck, tripe, tendons, ham, gizzards, abalone, sea cucumber, pigeon eggs, mushrooms, scallops, bamboo shoots... and the list goes on. Raw ingredients are cooked into separate, different dishes in order to develop their unique flavors. The dishes are then layered in a clay jar with soup and wine. Lotus leaf is used to seal the jar, and the jar is finally placed on the fire to be heated. Although there are many theories about the origin of the soup, the most popular one says that a scholar went on a picnic with his friends, and placed all of the ingredients he had in a wine jar, which was then heated over a charcoal fire. The attractive aromas spread all the way to a nearby temple, resulting in monks jumping over the temple wall, even though they were supposed to be vegetarians. One of the scholar's friends wrote a poem praising the soup, and the line says "Even Buddha himself would jump the wall to come over," giving the dish its intricate name. According to the Guinness World Book of Records, a bowl of this soup holds the record for the most expensive soup in the world, as it was sold for nearly $200 at Kai Mayfair in London.
Kinunot is a traditional dish originating from the Bicol province. The dish is made with a combination of fish (usually stingray or shark), coconut milk and cream, onions, garlic, malunggay (moringa) leaves, ginger, vinegar, hot chili peppers, and fish sauce. The fish is flaked and mixed with the other ingredients which are then cooked in coconut cream sauce with spices. Kinunot is very popular in Bicol because chili peppers, coconuts, and seafood are abundant in the area. It's often served with steamed white rice on the side. The name of the dish is a Bicolano term for flaking (the fish, in this case).
Caldillo de pintarroja is a traditional seafood soup originating from Malaga. It's usually made with a combination of dogfish, garlic, bread, almonds, clams, hot peppers, tomatoes, mint, lemon juice, saffron, wine, olive oil, and salt. The almonds, bread, and garlic are fried until golden, then mixed with cooked and peeled tomatoes, hot peppers, and wine. The fish is boiled separately, and it's then mixed with the rest of the ingredients and saffron. The soup is simmered shortly, and if it becomes too spicy, it's recommended to add a little lemon juice to the pot. Caldillo de pintarroja is especially popular during winter. Originally, it was made in bars for fishermen as a way to sell more beer and wine due to its spiciness.
Due to the abundance of fish in the waters around the Canary Islands, fish specialties have always been a prominent feature of the islands’ cuisine, with dried fish (called pescado seco in Spanish) being one of them. The fish are prepared according to age-old traditional methods of preserving fish that have been handed down through generations and allowed the fish to keep well for long periods in the pre-refrigeration era. Pescado seco is typically made by cleaning, cutting, salting, and then drying the fish outside in the sun and wind, and it usually includes two traditional fish specialties, namely the jareas and the tollos. The first one typically uses smaller fish such as parrotfish or wreckfish, which are cut open, salted, and then allowed to dry in the sun for about four days, during which the fish acquire a distinctive, rich flavor and firm flesh. Typical of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, the jareas are often roasted. The latter specialty, on the other hand, is made by salting and drying strips of a dogfish or shark, which are then usually cooked and served in a sauce. Dried fish specialties are a staple item at numerous restaurants and are also commonly prepared at home, and they are often accompanied by a type of sauce called mojo.
Puddini koose is a fish-based dish from the coastal regions of the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf, particularly found in southern Iran and parts of the Persian Gulf littoral, where seafood has long been integral to everyday cooking. It is made using shark meat (or other firm saltwater fish), tomato paste, onions, garlic, turmeric, and often vegetables. Over generations, coastal households adapted inland spice traditions to fish available nearby, and puddini koose emerged as a way to take robust fish varieties and convert them into a dish that would stand up to long cooking and strong flavors. In communities where preserving fish was also important, these types of recipes allowed flavors to carry over and made the dish suited for communal meals and family tables. To prepare puddini koose, shark or firm fish is cut into chunks and marinated with turmeric, salt, and sometimes garlic and onion. Separately, a sauce is made by frying onions, garlic, and tomato paste in oil until aromatic and slightly reduced. Turmeric, chili, and other regional spices are added, and water is poured in to form a simmering sauce. The fish pieces are then added carefully and cooked gently until they absorb the flavors, and vegetables, such as eggplant, okra, or bell peppers, may be included to contribute texture and body. The sauce is allowed to reduce so it thickens around the fish. Puddini koose is eaten along the coasts it comes from, typically as a main course with plain rice or flatbreads to soak up the sauce. It is often served in homes and sometimes in local seafood restaurants. Pairings include fresh lemon or lime slices to brighten the flavor, simple salads or pickles to contrast richness, and sometimes rice pilafs or plain steamed rice to keep the focus on the fish and sauce.
Boiled and mashed shark meat, lime juice, bilimbi fruit, and fried onions are combined with a variety of spices (including turmeric) to create a local delicacy known as chatini requin or satini rekin. The shark chutney is usually served cold, garnished with chives, and accompanied by shredded green papaya, rice, and lentils. It is typically used as a side to various dishes or even as a filling for samosas. Rather salty and with a typical fishy flavor, this Seychellois chutney can often be bought from Creole takeaways.
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