The travelling jellyfish

This is a benchmark in export of seafood — the Veraval Research Centre of Central Institute of Fish Technology has successfully standardised the technology for drying and exporting jelly fish. It is abundantly available on the Gujarat coast—very often tonnes of it is caught as bycatch in fishing trawlers. While it is not consumed as food in India, in the delicacy Southeast Asian countries, it’s a delicacy.

Three varieties of edible fish were identified and analysed for various biochemical parametres. The fish is cured with varying concentrations of salt and alum. After a week of processing, it is drained and kept under chilled storage. The Institute’s expertise lay in finding the right chemicals for curing it.

After the process, the fish is reduced to 6-7 per cent of its original weight. The first step involves washing it in sea water and cutting it. Umbrellas are cleaned, uncurled and flattened. The edges are then trimmed using wooden knives. Umbrellas are separately cured with salt and alum and bleaching powder. They are removed from solution and stacked over sloped draining boards under chilled conditions. Finally they are graded and packed.

Some tins have already found their way into Japanese market within the first year of this technology. And that’s just the beginning. An entire market in Southeast Asia is waiting to be tapped.