These days, market stalls have ready-soaked jellyfish, and you simply buy as much as you need for a meal.
Even better still, the mighty online marketplace in China sells packs of ready-to-eat jellyfish, with accompanying sachets of dressing and toasted sesame seeds. All it takes is a quick rinse and you just need to add your own shredded cucumbers.
Improved packaging and logistics mean jellyfish is now a commonly accessible food.
How about sustainability? So far, there's no danger of jellyfish disappearing from the seas around China. In fact, the warming seas seemed to have encouraged a bloom, and the industry is thriving. However, fisheries and agricultural authorities in China are already starting research on the cultivation of jellyfish larvae, in preparation for higher demand.
Jellyfish may be tasteless, but it is a food low in fat and relatively rich in protein and collagen. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that regular consumption promotes good joint health.
Edible jellyfish also has protein, calcium, iodine and trace minerals and vitamins. TCM uses it to "clear heat" in the body, especially in the last days of summer, believing that it helps to expel phlegm, acts as a diuretic and aids hypertension.
However, all good things must be taken in moderation, and because alum is used in the processing, it is best to eat jellyfish occasionally rather than regularly.
Contact the writer at paulined@chinadaily.com.cn
