Jellyfish Salad (Hai Je Pi)

Jellyfish salad, a refreshingly light dish tossed with fresh cucumber, carrots, daikon radish, red chilies, and a dressing of rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and garlic, was a staple in my childhood in Taiwan. Oddly enough, I never knew I was actually eating "jellyfish" (yup, not a euphemism for some mysterious marine plant, a la seaweed, but the real deal) until I was an adult and living in LA. As kids, my sister and I were both stung by these suckers while traipsing along the shores of Jinshan beach in northeastern Taiwan and the experience was highly unpleasant, to say the least (like sandpaper rubbing into your skin - ugh!). Anyhoo, this made me believe that jellyfish had to be inedible due to the plethora of stinging cells harbored in their tentacles. I always assumed that the English name of "jellyfish" for this salad was simply another bad translation. NOT!

According to the website www.jellyfishfacts.net, jellyfish for human consumption is processed with salt and alum to neutralize the venom. It may be an acquired taste (pleasantly chewy, rubber bandy), but jellyfish is kind of like tofu - essentially blandish stuff that soaks up the flavors of the ingredients you add to it. The most tedious part of the prep is the repeated soaking and rinsing to remove the salt. Otherwise, it's a cinch to make and quite delicious.