“What is the market price of sea cucumbers?”

This question is always asked when the topic of sea cucumbers is discussed.
It may be difficult to imagine how much sea cucumbers, which are not so familiar in Japan, are traded for.
In China, sea cucumbers are treated as a “luxury item” and general knowledge about them has taken root, so there are many people who can imagine the market value. (At least they know more about sea cucumbers than the Japanese.）

We will tell you about the market value of dried sea cucumbers in this article.

▶︎What is the market price of dried sea cucumbers?

In China, the price for 1kg of dried sea cucumber is usually 400,000-500,000 yen. A dried sea cucumber from Aomori, Japan can be priced at 350,000-400,000 yen. (Of course, the price varies depending on the product.) It is a truly a super luxury product.

In China, sea cucumbers are distinguished by whether they have spines or not. The ones with spines are called “刺參CiShen” and are served at high quality banquets. Of the dried sea cucumbers, the Japanese sea cucumber is the most popular and familiar. On the other hand, the sea cucumber without spines is called “禿參TuCan” and is popular as a sea cucumber that can be eaten easily because it is affordable and easily available.

In the past ten years, the unit price of sea cucumbers has increased more than fivefold. Some sea cucumbers have been designated as endangered species, such as the Apostichopus armata, Actinopyga echinites, Actinopyga miliaris, Holothuria (Microthele) nobilis, Holothuria (Metriatyla) scabra Jaeger and Thelenota ananas.

As the supply of sea cucumbers cannot keep up with the demand, sea cucumber cultivation is being promoted, but the cultivation has not yet succeeded in catching up with the demand. Chinese aquaculture of sea cucumbers has also had significant problems with contamination and pollution. When complete aquaculture is achieved, it will be possible to balance supply and demand, but at the moment we can only hope for the development of technology.

Dried sea cucumbers from Hokkaido, which are most prized in China, are said to grow slower than sea cucumbers grown in other regions. This is one of the reasons why dried sea cucumbers are so expensive.

Foodstuffs that are considered high-grade ingredients in China are often troublesome. Local aquaculture of sea cucumbers has also had significant problems with contamination and pollution. For example, mercury is used in shark fins to make them white, dried abalone has high cholesterol levels, and swallows’ nests are linked to environmental destruction. Under these circumstances, dried sea cucumbers are attracting more and more attention.

Click here for more information on the appeal of sea cucumbers.