Original reference:

Omori, M. 1981. Edible jellyfish (Scyphomedusae: Rhizostomeae) in the Far East waters: a brief review of the biology and fishery. Bulletin of Plankton Society of Japan, 28, pp.1-11. (in Japanese with English abstract)

permission for translation by Dr M. Omori, 18 September 1999

translated by M. Toyokawa, 26 February 1997

last modified on 27 February 1997

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2-4. Processing method and utilization of jellyfish

Jellyfish is first devided into two: umbrella, and 'arms and mouth'. Though method of process is different in regions, the summary is similar each other. First, wash the jellyfish well by seawater. Then, immerse them into the salt water, mixed with alum, oak leaves or sap. By these processes, jellyfish are dehydrated, antiseptic treated, and congulated their body protein. According to their size, the process takes three to six steps, or 20 to 40 days. The percentage (weight) of the product compared with the fresh jellyfish is: 7% in umbrella, and 20% in arms and mouth. Popular processing method of umbrella in Japan is as follows (Takeyama, personal comm.) ;
# We eat only umbrella in Japan. I don't know what they do in Korea.

1. preparation before processing: In a washing place, enclosed by sandbags or wood frames and floored by vinyl seat, wash umbrellas by seawater or by waste water from 2nd or 3rd step.
2. 1st step: Arrange the umbrellas in a tank. Add the mix of salt (100) and alum (15) to 15 % of the weight of umbrellas. Preserve for two days.
3. 2nd step: Add mix of salt (100) and alum (10) to 10 % of the weight of umbrellas in the tank. Preserve for 4 to 7 days. During this period, cut off the circular skin of subumbrella completely.
4. 3rd step: Add mix of salt (100) and alum (7) to 10 % of the weight of umbrellas in the tank. Preserve for 5 to 8 days.
5. 4th step: Add salt to 10 % of the weight of umbrellas. Pile the umbrellas one by one to the height of 50 to 60 cm, and leave them alone for 7 days. (On third day, change upper and lower from the midpoint)
6. 5th step: Preserve in saltwater (24 to 25 Baume degree) for 4 to 5 days.
7. 6th (final) step: Pile them again one by one to the height 50 to 60 cm. Leave them 6 to 10 days (change upper and lower in the halfway), and cut the saltwater.

Some makers use hypochlorous acid, soda ash, or sodium bicarbonate to bleach or decolarate products. As they use a fairly amount of saltwater and chemicals in the course of processing, the management of wasted water often become a subject of discussion in Japan.