Fish maw is generally made from large species such as yellow, white, black and yellow-lipped croaker. Croakers are members of the family Sciaenidae within the order Perciformes, a group of about 160 species. Smaller common fish yield swim bladders that are hard to process and strongly flavoured, so they are rarely used. A few eel species also produce fish maw.
How is fish maw made?
We all know that fish maw is a dried product of the swim bladder, but it is not as simple as just drying it under the sun. From the moment the fish is caught and brought ashore, the process of taking out the fish bladder requires great care. The swim bladder must be completely removed, otherwise its value will be greatly reduced. After removal, the swim bladder needs to be cleaned to remove excess fat, blood streaks, and other substances attached to it. Depending on the type of fish, it is then cut or left whole and placed on specific racks to air dry and set in shape, which is why fish maw comes in various shapes. During this process, workers constantly wipe off the oozing fish oil until it is dehydrated to the desired dryness.
Modern processors can use indoor air drying to reduce weather-related variation, but the main steps remain the same. Once dried, the swim bladder is easier to transport and store. The source also associates processing with easier digestion and traditional medicinal value.
Why is there such a large price difference for the same fish maw?
Fish maw prices vary greatly with variety, origin, size, thickness, dryness, shape, sex and age. Among croaker fish maw are Golden Coin, red-mouth, Wuliu and green-perch varieties. Golden Coin Croaker fish maw from the yellow-lipped fish alone is called the 'king of fish maw'; it is a rare collectible traditionally associated with stopping bleeding.
Fish Maw Selling Service
(Images and text sourced from the internet)
Learn more about fish maw buyback
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- If you have old collected dried abalone, it is recommended to read first: Why is abalone so expensive?
Confirm the variety before fish maw buyback
If you want to first understand the general market value of fish maw, you can send photos of the front and back, thickness, and translucency via WhatsApp. We will provide an initial guideline based on variety, dryness, and storage condition.
Kam Hoi Shing dried seafood buyback
WhatsApp: (852) 69035182
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