Sea cucumbers have long been highly prized in Chinese cuisine for their health benefits. Chinese traders have since the first century come to the Malay archipelago to source for sea cucumbers. The wealth from the sea cucumber trade likely helped established the kingdom of Samudera Pasai which became the first Islamic sultanate in the Malay world. From Samudera Pasai, Islam spread across the Malay peninsula and archipelago. Today, Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world with 207 million adherents.
Sea Cucumber in Chinese Culture
Sea cucumber is a part of Chinese cuisine and culture for nearly 2000 years. The earliest record of sea cucumbers was from the Eastern Wu dynasty (220 - 263 AD) document 临海水土物志 "Resources of Sea Territories". In it, sea cucumbers were described as such:
"[Earth meat] 土肉 is the size of a child's buttock, about 5 inches long. It has a belly with 30 feet but no mouth or eyes. Earth meat is edible after roasting."
So, 土肉 or literally "earth meat" was the first name the Chinese gave to the sea cucumber almost 2,000 years ago.
The name of the sea creature changed over time. 土肉 "earth meat" was later referred to as 海鼠 "sea rat", then 海黄瓜 "sea cucumber". Since the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), it became known as 海参 "sea ginseng" emphasising its medicinal properties.
Today, sea cucumbers are known as 海参 "sea ginseng" in Chinese but still called sea cucumber in English.
食物本草 a guide on the medicinal benefits of food and herbs published in 1550 during the Ming dynasty, mentioned that sea ginseng nourishes and strengthens the body. The medicinal benefits of sea ginseng were also expounded in "脉药联珠药性考" an authoritative reference on medicinal properties of herbs, drugs and food written in 1795 during the Qing dynasty.
The health benefits of sea cucumbers were also extolled in Chinese legends and mythology.
The legend of 铁拐李成仙 "Iron Crutch Li", one of the Eight Immortals
Young 铁拐李 was despondent and suicidal after failing the Imperial Exams many times. He went to the edge of a cliff and was ready to end his miserable life. Then, he smelled a waft of sweet aroma, turned and spotted an old man beside him.
铁拐李 asked the old man what was that sweet aroma, to which the old man pointed to a simmering pot of soup with sea ginseng (sea cucumber) inside. The old man said eating this sea ginseng will make people forget all their troubles and live happily ever after like a fairy. The old man advised 铁拐李 not to commit suicide as he would miss out on many good things in life, such as this sea ginseng. The old man then disappeared into the clouds.
铁拐李 took the old man's advice. He fished sea ginseng in the East China Sea and made sea ginseng soup. 铁拐李 felt happier and stronger everyday. On the eighty first day, 铁拐李 ascended into heaven and became the eighth of the Eight Immortals.
Till today, Chinese drink sea ginseng soup for health benefits thanks to the 铁拐李成仙 "Iron Crutch Li Becomes an Immortal" miracle.
Legend of 刘公捞参救母
As the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 AD) fell, the emperor's family fled to the East China Sea coast. Liu Gong's mother who was one of the emperor's concubines carried him in the flight to safety. Years of life as fugitives made Liu Gong's mother frail and sick.
A fisherman advised Liu Gong to make sea ginseng stew to restore his mother's health. Liu Gong then went to catch sea ginseng in the East China Sea every day before day break to make sea ginseng stew for his mother. Liu Gong's mother recovered from her pains and illnesses after eating sea ginseng stew.
Liu Gong shared the recipe with every sick person he met and to this day, Chinese eat sea ginseng stew for health benefits. 刘公捞参救母, 孝行感天动地 "Liu Gong catch sea ginseng to save his mother, his filial piety moved heaven and earth" became a legend.
Legend of 太上老君
Laozi, one of the incarnations of 太上老君
太上老君 was concocting pills for everlasting life for the Jade Emperor when he fell asleep. A fairy boy stole three pills and sneaked to the human world. When the fairy boy was discovered, he panicked and hurriedly threw the three precious pills away.
East China Sea Coast
One pill landed in Yunnan and became the herb 田七 Tian Chi (Panax Notoginseng), another landed in Changbai Mountain and became ginseng. The third landed in the East China Sea and became sea ginseng. Chinese have been eating all three types of ginseng for health benefits.
Sea Cucumber Trade between China & Malay Kingdoms
The health benefits of sea ginseng are so deeply ingrained in Chinese culture that it is little wonder that it had long played an important part in trade between China and the Malay archipelago since the first century AD. Other precious cargo that drew Chinese traders to the Malay archipelago include turtle shell, bird's nest, hornbill casque (ivory), camphor wood, laka wood, sandalwood, wood resin, spices such as pepper, etc. In exchange, the Chinese brought ceramics and silk to the Malay kingdoms.
Founding of Samudera Pasai Kingdom in 1267
In the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annal) there is an account of Marah Silu (who later became sultan Malik ul Salih). Marah Silu was a fisherman who became very wealthy by turning sea cucumbers into gold and silver.
Marah Silu "boiled them when he found that the kalang-kalang (sea cucumber) had been converted into gold, while the foam of the water in which they had been boiled was converted into silver. After this he again adjusted his weirs (traps), and again found kalang-kalang in them, when he immediately repeated the process of boiling, and they were again converted into gold and silver. In this manner Marah Silu (Malik ul Salih) procured a great quantity of gold."
The Malay Annals didn't say how Marah Silu converted sea cucumbers into gold and silver. It is probable that Marah Silu sold the sea cucumbers to Chinese traders for gold and silver. The sea cucumbers were boiled in sea water, salted and sun dried for export to China. It's 1267, by that time China - Malay archipelago trade was already well established with sea cucumbers as one of the sought after commodities.
Samudera Pasai gold coin
With his wealth Marah Silu set up the kingdom of Samudera.
Marah Silu "gave liberally of the gold which he had acquired to all the people who lived in his vicinity, and they all became obedient to him".
One day, Marah Silu was visited by a Muslim missionary and he converted to Islam. Marah Silu was given a new name, Malik ul Salih which mean "pious king". The sultanate of Samudera was the first Islamic kingdom in Indonesia.
"... he (missionary) sailed for Samadra, where he met Marah Silu, following his occupation among the rocks of the shore. The fakir (missionary) then asked him the name of the country: to which he replied, "Samadra." — " Who is the head man of it ?" asked he. "It is your servant," said Marah Silu.
Then the fakir brought him over to Islam, and taught him the word of testimony. When Marah Silu went to sleep after this operation, he dreamed, that he was face to face with the holy prophet, who desired him to open his mouth, on which the prophet spat into it, and he immediately awaked, when his body had the odour of Narawastu.
When the morning came, the fakir landed, and brought with him the Koran, and ordered Marah Silu to read the Koran; and he read it. Then said the fakir to Sheikh Ismail, the Nakhoda (master) of the vessel, "This is the land of Samadra, mentioned by the holy prophet."
Then Sheikh Ismail landed all the royal accoutrements which he had brought with him, and installed Marah Silu, as raja, under the title of Sultan Malec al Salih.
Malik ul Salih's tombstone in Beuringen village (north Sumatra) is the oldest royal Islamic tombstone in the Malay peninsula and archipelago. Malik ul Salih died in 1297.
Malik ul Salih also founded the kingdom of Pasai and installed his son Al-Malik azh-Zhahir as the king. The kingdoms of Samudera and Pasai later combined to form the sultanate of Samudera Pasai (which lasted till 1521 when it was conquered by Portuguese).
In 1409, Parameswara, the first king and founder of the Malacca kingdom married a princess of the sultanate of Samudera Pasai. Parameswara converted to Islam and became sultan Iskandar Shah with Malacca renamed the Malacca sultanate.
This development greatly expanded the footprint of Islam in the Malay peninsula and Malay archipelago. The Malacca sultanate controlled the Malay peninsula, central Sumatra and the Riau islands. (At that time, the other great empire in the Malay world was the Hindu Majapahit empire based in Trowulan in east Java.)
For the next century and a half, more kings converted to Islam as the faith spread eastwards. In 1527, the Hindu Majapahit dissolved, its once vast domain replaced by several Muslim sultanates. The last Majapahit loyalists fled to the island of Bali which today remains the last bastion of Hinduism in Indonesia (a country which 87% of the population profess Islam).
Image of Eight Immortals courtesy of Flickr. Image of sea cucumber courtesy of Wikipedia. Image of sea cucumber courtesy of Wikipedia. Image of East China Sea coast courtesy of Wikipedia. Image of Samudera Pasai gold coin courtesy of Wikipedia. Map of Samudera Pasai courtesy of Wikipedia. Image of Laozi courtesy of Wikipedia. Image of Eight Immortals courtesy of Wikipedia.
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