Shark Fin Soup
Hacker, Randi
Hacker, Randi
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Abstract
Broadcast Transcript: Here in China, shark fin soup is a delicacy that was first served, it is said, by an emperor of the Song Dynasty over a thousand years ago. It was long seen as a sign of prosperity and respect and was one of the Big 4 foods of the traditional wedding banquet. A wedding without shark fin soup was a sure way for a family to lose face. Being associated with the reviled elite, the dish naturally fell out of favor during the Maoist years but it experienced a return of popularity with the rise of the new middle class. Lately, however, it is falling out of favor again but for environmental reasons rather than proletarian ones. The harvesting of the fins is horrific: they are sliced off and the rest of the shark is dumped back into the water. To add insult to injury, the fin itself has no nutritional value or flavor: its is purely symbolic. Bucking 1000 years of tradition, nowadays killing sharks is more about losing face than saving it. #China #Hacker #CEAS
Description
This is one of hundreds of 60-second radio spots created by the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) for Kansas Public Radio (KPR). The purpose of this outreach program is to introduce the people of Kansas to the culture and current issues of East Asia.
Date
2013-07-31
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Publisher
Center for East Asian Studies, University of Kansas
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Keywords
China, Shark Fin Soup, Saving Face, Environmental Protection