Lianyungang Sea Urchin Sea Cucumber

Lianyungang Sea Urchin Sea Cucumber

　　 Sea cucumber, also known as sand ginseng, is the most precious among all sea cucumber varieties. The sea cucumbers from Lianyungang are yellowish-brown in color, with four rows of large spines and four rows of small spines each. They cannot tolerate high temperatures and go into hibernation in summer, which makes it the prime season for catching them. Sea cucumbers are extremely nutritious—per 100 grams, they contain 76.5 grams of protein, 1.1 grams of fat, 3.4 grams of inorganic salts, and 10.7 grams of carbohydrates. The body can directly obtain essential amino acids such as cystine and arginine from them. Sea cucumbers are delicious in taste and have long been regarded as a premium delicacy at banquets, sharing the same reputation as bird's nest for their nourishing properties. Nowadays, the Qiansan Islands in Lianyungang District have become a sea cucumber farming base. During the winter and spring seasons, when the sea is calm, black, plump sea cucumbers can be seen crawling among the clear waters and rocky reefs of the islands—an impressive sight that has become one of the island’s attractions.