ABSTRACT
For more than a millennium, fish maw has been a favorite dish at fancy Chinese banquets, celebrated in large part for its supposedly medicinal properties. According to records the Chinese chefs prepared fish maw dishes for the emperors in grand banquets at celebrations for the family and when important dignitaries came to visit. The Chinese people believe that drinking fish maw soup and eating fish maw will improve their skin beauty and, for pregnant women, the skin of their babies. The fish maw is the dried swim bladders that come from a large fish like a croaker or sturgeon. Dried fish maw is tasteless which makes it a good complementary addition to many dishes since it can absorb the flavors of other ingredients when it is cooked with other food ingredients. Fish maw is a good source of collagen, which is capable of preserving fine complexion and invigorating blood circulation.
