Sea cucumber, also known as sea cucumber or sea mouse, is traditionally considered one of the four major "sea delicacies": abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw. It is often pickled with lime and other substances before being dried, making it a prized food. However, not all sea cucumbers are edible: most are inedible, with only about 40 species being permissible. Of these, about 20 are found in China, and about half of these are considered quite delicious. Although they are cylindrical in shape, their thickness, shape, and size vary greatly depending on the species. Different types of sea cucumber also differ in taste, flavor, and nutritional value.
So, what kinds of sea cucumbers are there? Today we've compiled a ranking of the ten most common sea cucumbers, including the imitation spiny sea cucumber, the flower sea cucumber, the Arctic sea cucumber, the red sea cucumber, the flower spiny sea cucumber, the green spiny sea cucumber, the white spiny sea cucumber, the spiral sea cucumber, the pig sea cucumber, and the yellow jade sea cucumber. Let's learn about the types and grades of sea cucumbers together!
1. Spineless sea cucumber (the king of sea cucumbers, the most common edible sea cucumber, dark brown, with many large spines, from the North Pacific region)
The sea cucumber, also known as the gray sea cucumber or grey sea cucumber, is one of the ten most common sea cucumbers. It is mainly distributed in the North Pacific region, including the coasts of Russia, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula, and is also widely distributed in Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, and Jiangsu provinces of my country. Sea cucumbers typically inhabit relatively calm harbors with abundant aquatic plants and no freshwater inflow, and spawn from late May to early July each year.
This type of sea cucumber comes in various colors, including yellowish-brown, dark brown, greenish-brown, pure white, or grayish-white, but dark brown is the most common. It has dense and relatively large spines, a thick body wall, and soft, delicate flesh, making it very popular in the market. Due to its unique soft and chewy texture and thick flesh, the spiny sea cucumber is considered one of the highest quality edible sea cucumbers, enjoying the reputation of being the "king of sea cucumbers."
2. Flower Sea Cucumber (King of Sea Cucumbers, Largest Sea Cucumber Species, Orange-Yellow/Red/Spiky Petal-Shaped, Found in the Xisha Islands/Southern Taiwan/East Africa)
Which type of sea cucumber is the best? The flower sea cucumber is considered one of the most delicious. It gets its name from the petal-like shape formed by the base of its dorsal spines, and is also known as the pineapple sea cucumber due to its pineapple-like shape. According to our understanding, a notable characteristic of the flower sea cucumber is its exceptionally large size, typically between 60 and 70 centimeters in length, with some reaching 90 to 120 centimeters, thus earning it the title of "King of Sea Cucumbers."
Sea cucumber (Panax notoginseng) is mainly distributed in the Xisha Islands of my country, the southern tip of Taiwan, and East Africa. It has a crisp and tender texture with a good elasticity. Due to its high saponin content, it has a slightly bitter taste with a hint of spiciness, which many people particularly enjoy. If you don't like this taste, you can soak it in salt water for a more pronounced effect.
3. Arctic sea cucumber (high-latitude cold-water sea cucumber, blackish-gray/small body with short spines, North Atlantic)
Arctic sea cucumber, also known as Arctic sea cucumber or Arctic ice sea cucumber, is a species of sea cucumber that, as its name suggests, inhabits the cold waters of the North Atlantic. In this region, the water temperature rarely exceeds 14 degrees Celsius, and the water may freeze over in winter. The area is sparsely populated year-round and free from industrial and agricultural pollution. Therefore, sea cucumbers growing in this environment are virtually free of pollutants and spend most of their time in a dormant or semi-dormant state. Their extremely long growth cycle results in a much higher nutritional content than sea cucumbers grown in warmer waters.
Arctic sea cucumbers are all natural wild sea cucumbers. High-quality Arctic sea cucumbers are naturally blackish-gray in color, with varying shades. They are plump and straight in shape, relatively small in size, with short spines, and only have the salty taste of sea cucumbers themselves. They also have a fresh and fragrant aroma.
4. Red sea cucumber (light red/many slender spines, Northeast Asia/Vladivostok/Bering Strait/Alaska)
Red sea cucumbers, also known as red sea cucumbers, are among the best sea cucumbers in the world. Unlike other sea cucumbers that are gray, black, or bluish-green, red sea cucumbers are usually light red or orange-yellow with a bright color. They inhabit waters at depths of 100 to 350 meters, and their growth cycle is 1 to 2 years longer than that of ordinary spiny sea cucumbers. Their flesh is thicker, and they have more and longer, finer spines.
This type of sea cucumber is mainly distributed in Northeast Asia, as well as Vladivostok and the Bering Strait in Russia, with a small number also found in Alaska, USA. The red sea cucumbers from the Russian Far East and Alaska are of the highest quality, plump and meaty. The northern Yellow Sea in my country was originally a major producer of red sea cucumbers, but their numbers have gradually decreased due to increasing marine pollution.
5. Spiny sea cucumber (olive-greenish-gray/large and prominent abdominal spines, Indo-West Pacific region)
The spotted sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) is a common edible sea cucumber and one of the world's most prized for its flavor. It primarily inhabits tropical coral reefs or crevices, and is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region and the western Pacific. In my country, the spotted sea cucumber is mainly found in the shallow coastal waters of the Beibu Gulf, the Xisha Islands, the Nansha Islands, Hainan Island, and the Leizhou Peninsula.
This type of sea cucumber is typically olive-gray in color and gets its name from the green, yellow, red, and black spots or stripes on its body. Its back is covered with numerous conical spines of varying sizes; the spines along the two ambulatory bands on the back and the sides of the abdomen are larger and more prominent, while the remaining spines are relatively smaller. The flesh of the flower sea cucumber is particularly tender, and it is usually graded according to the weight of a single individual: Grade 1 is over 125 grams, Grade 2 is over 50 grams, and Grade 3 is over 30 grams.
6. Green sea cucumber (dark green/square columnar shape/long spines, found in the Xisha Islands/Nansha Islands/southern Hainan Island)
The green sea cucumber, also known as the square-column sea cucumber or square-spined sea cucumber, is named for its square columnar shape and is a very popular type of sea cucumber. Green sea cucumbers are generally dark green, blackish-green, or dark green in color, and are about 30 cm long. The tips of their spines are light yellow or reddish-brown, reaching up to 10 mm in length. They inhabit tropical coral reefs and are mainly distributed in the western Pacific Ocean. In my country, they are mainly found in the Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands, and southern Hainan Island.
According to online information, green sea cucumbers are very suitable for processing into dried or frozen products. They have thick, meaty flesh and a high yield for dried products. Every 500 grams of dried sea cucumber can be rehydrated into 3250 to 3500 grams of fresh sea cucumber. Generally, they are available in three sizes on the market: large, medium, and small, corresponding to 30, 40, and 70 pieces per 500 grams, respectively.
7. White sea cucumber (grayish-white or yellowish-brown/plump body with short spines, found in the western Pacific Ocean)
Which type of sea cucumber is the best? The white sea cucumber (Sinapis albopictus) is highly regarded for its superior meat quality and high nutritional value. The white sea cucumber is a general term for several types of sea cucumbers, characterized by a white or light yellow base color, a slightly yellowish-brown back, a plump body resembling a winter melon, typically about 30 cm long and 8 cm wide, with approximately 20 relatively short tentacles around its body. They can be distinguished by the pattern on their backs; common types include the patterned white sea cucumber and the snake-eyed white sea cucumber.
The white sea cucumber is mainly distributed in the western Pacific Ocean, and in China it is often found in the Xisha Islands, Nansha Islands, and near Dazhou Island in Hainan. As a large edible sea cucumber, the white sea cucumber has tender and high-quality flesh. In addition to being eaten fresh, it can also be processed into various products such as sun-dried sea cucumber, sugar-coated sea cucumber, and white dried sea cucumber.
8. Spiral finned steel (black in color/short and thick spikes, USA)
Sea cucumbers from deep-sea areas are among the world's top ten premium sea cucumber species. They typically grow in pristine waters at depths of about 20 meters, feeding mainly on seaweed and seabed microorganisms, exhibiting a completely natural growth process. Due to their long growth cycle, they are extremely rich in nutrients.
Currently, sea cucumbers from the United States are considered to be of the highest quality. Wild sea cucumbers are spindle-shaped, tapering at both ends and thicker in the middle. They have a smooth, jet-black surface with dense rings or wrinkles, short, thick spines, and firm, elastic flesh. After cooking, the sea cucumber retains its elasticity, its spines remain translucent, and its flesh is chewy and resilient, resulting in an excellent taste. Even slightly extending the cooking time will not significantly affect its flavor.
9. Pig-shaped sea cucumber (no spines on the body surface/with fleshy spines on the abdomen/large in size, from Australia)
The sow sea cucumber (Crassula ovata) is one of the most widely distributed sea cucumber species in the world, found in many places. Based on body color, it can be divided into three types: white, spotted, and black. Its surface is smooth and spineless, while its abdomen has a row of thick spines on both sides, resembling a sow's teats. Due to its relatively large size, it looks like a small pig when lying on the seabed, hence its name, "pig sea cucumber."
Sea cucumbers are mainly distributed in Australia, South Pacific island nations, the east coast of Africa, and Southeast Asia, with those from Australia being the best, followed by those from Africa and South Pacific island nations. Products from Southeast Asia are relatively of lower quality. High-quality dried sea cucumbers are plump and become thick after soaking. In Guangdong, sea cucumbers are frequently used in high-end wedding banquets and are also an important ingredient in the famous dish Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
10. Yellow Jade Ginseng (yellowish-brown/cylindrical shape, China)
Sea cucumbers can be divided into spiny sea cucumbers and smooth sea cucumbers, with spiny sea cucumbers having a significantly better taste and nutritional value than smooth sea cucumbers. Among smooth sea cucumbers, the yellow jade sea cucumber is of the highest quality. The yellow jade sea cucumber is cylindrical in shape, with a slightly flattened ventral side, a yellowish-brown color, and many small warts on its back, resembling thorns. It is mainly distributed in Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, and the Xisha Islands in my country. A unique feature is that the yellow jade sea cucumber has the ability to regenerate; simply cut it horizontally into several segments, and after a period of time, each segment can regenerate into a complete sea cucumber.
Yellow ginseng contains high levels of saponins and moderate amounts of acidic mucopolysaccharides, thus possessing extremely high edible and medicinal value. It can nourish the kidneys and replenish essence, nourish blood and moisten dryness, making it very suitable for long-term consumption by the elderly, those with weak constitutions, or those recovering from illness who need nourishment, thereby enhancing their physical condition.
This article's top ten sea cucumber rankings are based on the common types, characteristics, and quality of sea cucumbers, taking into account public awareness and other relevant information, and combining other relevant rankings/lists on the internet to make a comprehensive ranking recommendation. The list is for reference only. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment/discuss at the end.
