Sea cucumber is a high-end seafood that offers many medical and healing benefits. They’re mostly found on the Pacific Ocean floor. The taste is bland but salty, and the texture is somewhat gelatinous.
Sea cucumbers are part of many delicacies in Asian cuisines. Whereas Koreans prefer to eat it raw in sushi or salad, Chinese prefer it to be dried. Sea cucumbers are one of the hot sellers in Costco’s flagship store in China.
Despite its popularity in several cuisines, you only have a few options to get at Costco, and you tend to wonder why such a giant online store doesn’t offer wide varieties.
Still, among these few options, you must look for the best choice. This quick guide will help you here.
Why not read it without further ado?
Best Costco Sea Cucumber
Alaska Home Pack Frozen Sea Cucumber
Undoubtedly, Alaska’s home-pack frozen sea cucumber is the best sea cucumber you can get at Costco. The brand is famous for providing clean, pristine, and nutritious seafood. Local fishers catch their sea cucumber following sustainable methods.
In addition, Alaska’s home-pack frozen sea cucumber meat is separated from its skin. One pack contains 5-pound skin and 2 pounds of fresh frozen meat. Unlike other brands, Alaska uses a semi-dehydration technique to preserve the original flavor and nutrition of sea cucumber.
You can get this no 1-grade quality sea meat at a meager price from Costco. They sell a 7-pound pack only at $239.99.
Seamazz Whole Dried Sea Cucumbers
Costco also sells one of the most popular and excellent Seamazz sea cucumbers by the Mazzetta company.
They come in whole dried pieces with brief instructions on the back about preparing them. The usual size of sea cucumber is 3 to 5 inches. The dehydration process shrinks them in size as well.
Dried cucumbers are a little costly compared to fresh ones. You can cook them with stews, stir-fried vegetables, or soups.
Rosalyn Dried Atlantic Sea Cucumber (Whole Cut and Butterfly Cut) at Costco Australia
Rosalyn is the runner-up of the best sea cucumber brand you can find at Costco. The brand gets its products from the pristine Atlantic Ocean,
Instead of boiling, they use Atlantic Sea Cucumber Ltd.’s unique process to preserve the nutrition of fresh sea cucumbers.
The only and most significant drawback is that Costco only ships the Rosalyn whole and butterfly cut to Yukon, Nunavut, and NW Territories.
The price for the 1-pound whole cut and Butterfly cut is 49.99 and 47.99, respectively.
What Does Costco Sea Cucumber Taste Like?
The sea cucumber has no flavor. It can be served raw, pan-fried, skewed, or in sushi. Eating it raw makes you feel its soft, slippery exterior and seaweed-like taste.
The flesh of sea cucumber tastes like fish and shrimp. 90% is a soft and chewy texture like jelly, and the other 10% is a complete contrast of solid bites.
How Can You Dehydrate Costco Sea Cucumber?
To dehydrate Costco Sea Cucumber, follow this step-by-step process:
- Place the sea cucumber in a large bowl of water.
- Let it sit for 3 to 4 days at room temperature. Remember to change the water daily.
- Cut the outside and remove the white residue from the outer skin when it becomes soft.
- Cut it with a knife and scrape the inside as well.
- Again, leave it in the bowl of fresh water until it doubles.
- After 2 or 3 more days, it’ll become soft enough to bounce back when touched; then, it’s ready to be served raw or cooked.
How Should You Thaw Costco Frozen Sea Cucumber?
Costco frozen sea cucumber has to be thawed first before cooking. Please keep it in its original packaging in the fridge overnight. If you’re short on time, defrost it quickly in the microwave or cold water.
If you use the microwave, remember to remove the packaging and defrost it. As for the cold water method, keep it in the packaging and dip it in the cold water bowl for 2 to 3 hours.
The steamed sea cucumbers in the refrigerator can be stored again in the freezer. However, if you defrost it using the cold water or microwave option, cook it the same day.
How can you Cook Costco Frozen Sea Cucumber?
After you defrost or thaw the sea cucumber, rinse it under cold water. Take scissors or a knife and cut longitude from one side to another.
Wash, cover it in fresh water, and put it in the refrigerator. Remove the skin from the meat. Take a large bowl and let it simmer on slow heat for 2 to 3 hours, and it’s ready to be served.
FAQs
Why are sea cucumbers so expensive?
Steven Purcell explains the demand for seafood has increased. The more they harvest, the rarer they become. They’re like luxury seafood that people want to pack in ornate boxes and give to each other on special occasions.
The dried sea cucumber is more expensive, which makes sense because sea cucumbers are 95% water body. When they drain water, what is left is hollow flesh. So you need a good amount, like 5 to 8 kg of fresh sea cucumbers, to make a 1 kg dried sea cucumber.
How long does sea cucumber last in the freezer?
Dry sea cucumbers can be stored in your pantry for up to 3 years. As for the frozen ones, they can last for 24 months in the freezer.
Do sea cucumbers taste good?
Sea cucumbers taste like the sea and are a little salty; that’s it. It’s not famous because of its taste but rather its health benefits. If you’re a seafood lover, you would love to eat it raw for its signature gelatinous texture. Those who aren’t accustomed to raw seafood might not like it.
Conclusion
Costco sea cucumber tastes bland; people cook them with other ingredients like seafood, meat, or vegetables. Their underbelly, inside the tubular bodies, can keep the flavor from other recipe ingredients very well.
Sea cucumbers are salty, just like squid, so the raw flesh does not taste pleasing to everyone. Most species have jelly-like slippery textures, while others are crunchy. Nevertheless, both of them taste amazing when served right. If you want to try them out, check out Costco for a fantastic deal.
