Recently, I often see people asking about how to soak and eat isinglass. I have sorted out my own methods and shared them with everyone.

Isinglass is the swim bladder, which is the organ used by fish to adjust their sinking and floating. It is also called fish bladder. It is rich in colloid, hence the name isinglass. It is also called fish maw and fish maw. Isinglass is as famous as bird's nest and shark's fin. It is one of the "Eight Treasures" and is known as the "Ocean Ginseng".

Isinglass can enhance the digestion and absorption function of the gastrointestinal tract, increase appetite, and is helpful in preventing and treating anorexia, indigestion, constipation and other diseases; it can prevent and treat slow reaction, stunted growth in children, insufficient milk secretion in mothers, and forgetfulness in the elderly. Insomnia etc. Containing a large amount of gum juice, it also has the functions of activating blood, replenishing blood, stopping bleeding, protecting against cold and removing dampness, etc. It can improve immunity and is more suitable as a tonic for people with weak constitution, deficiency of true yin, and mental fatigue.

In addition, isinglass is also the best choice for women to supplement collagen. 70% of the protein in human skin is collagen, which forms a network structure that supports the skin, making it look smooth, plump, soft and elastic. Timely supplementation of collagen can restore youthful vitality to the skin.

Although this stuff is good, it needs to be soaked before cooking, which is also very labor-intensive. There are also many ways to soak the fish maw, and you can choose the one that suits you according to the size and type of isinglass. .

How to soak isinglass

1. Evaporation: Put the dried isinglass, onion and ginger on the same plate and steam until cooked and soft, take out and soak for 24 hours. Just wash it off and it'll be fine. The texture of the isinglass soaked in this way is better preserved, but the fishy removal effect is not that good.

2. Oily hair: Wash and dry the isinglass. Put the isinglass one by one in the oil pan over low heat. It will shrink at first and then grow in size after a while. Take out the enlarged isinglass and rinse it. Remove the oil on the surface and soak it in water for 6 hours. The isinglass soaked in this way has a crisper texture and is suitable for smaller and thinner isinglass.

3. Fry the isinglass: wash and dry the isinglass, add salt in the pot and stir-fry until the isinglass is thickened, then add water and soak it for 6 hours. You can add onion and ginger and soak it together in the water. .

Home Version of Isinglass Soaking

Generally, I cook it thoroughly at home, add ginger slices to remove the smell, change the water several times and keep it in the refrigerator for soaking. .

Step one: Prepare isinglass, which comes in many types. Mine is cod maw. Clean the isinglass first, then add a large basin of water and put in the cleaned isinglass. There should be as much water as possible, covering the isinglass, but still a centimeter or two higher. Cover and soak overnight. If the weather is hot, refrigerate overnight.

Step 2: Take out the isinglass that has been soaked overnight and wash it again. At this time, the isinglass begins to soften slightly, but it has not yet begun to grow in size. The fishy smell of adult isinglass is lighter, and there is only a slight fishy smell when smelling it.

Step 3: Boil a pot of water. Add ginger slices to the water. You can also add a green onion knot. Pour in a little more cooking wine and let the water boil for a while. Put the isinglass into boiling water and it will slowly expand and curl after about 10 seconds, and the sides will also start to get bigger.

Step 4: Boil the isinglass for 2-3 minutes, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and simmer until the water in the pot has completely cooled. I simmered it all night.

Step 5: Get up early the next morning and take a look. It has grown a lot, the pot is almost full, and the hair is very good. Take out the isinglass, rinse it with running water, then put it back into a clean and oil-free basin, fill it with water, put it in the refrigerator and continue to soak it for 12 hours.

Step 6: The finished product is crystal clear and has almost no fishy smell. It is considered ready. Because I soaked two large pieces of isinglass at once, it takes a longer time. If you buy a small and thin glue, then 4-5 hours is enough.

How to eat isinglass

There are many ways to eat isinglass. Here are two of my favorite ways. Friends can play as they like.

1. Take clean and fresh chicken, cut it into small pieces, dig holes in the coconut and stuff it in, then simmer it directly in water with the isinglass for about 1 hour. It will be delicious without any seasoning. You can also stew the chicken directly, which is also very delicious.

2. Put it in a stew pot with white fungus, red dates, wolfberry, and rock sugar. After simmering, add milk to make a sweet sugar water, which is both beautiful and nourishing. In the summer, you can put it in the refrigerator before eating. The isinglass will have a jelly texture and is full of collagen when it solidifies.

—Laila said—

1. When soaking isinglass, you must use a clean, oil-free large basin or pot with a lid, so that it will rise better.

2. Some fish maws have a strong fishy smell. Don’t forget to add ginger slices to remove the fishy smell when cooking.

3. If the room temperature is high, the soaked hair must be placed in the refrigerator to avoid deterioration.

4. If you can’t finish it, you can divide it into small portions and freeze them. Next time you eat them, take them out and cook them with the ingredients.

5. Special note: Do not eat isinglass during colds and menstrual holidays. Mothers should wait until the lochia is cleared, and they can only eat it 7 days after the operation.