Shark fin soup originated in Asia and recipes date back over 2000 years. The soup was once a rarity available only to the aristocracy, primarily because it was so difficult to create. However, times have changed, fishing boats have improved, fishing nets are exponentially longer, and China's growing middle class has created an increased demand for this "delicacy."

Today, shark fin soup is routinely sold in trendy restaurants throughout Asia. Creating the soup is difficult because the fins must be cooked for a very long time until they separate into needles of cartilage that look like clear noodles. The fin itself has no taste, but is served with a broth of chicken, ham, and shiitake that it absorbs. Although numerous countries have made it illegal to harvest sharks for their fins, Hong Kong - Disney's new pal - is actually the world's largest trader of shark fins.

Shark fin soup is erroneously considered an aphrodisiac or regarded as beneficial to one's health, although studies have shown no healthful benefits. Ironically, the methods used to prepare shark fin soup reduce the water content of the fin, which concentrates numerous chemical impurities. Shark fins studied at the University of Hong Kong contained 5.84 parts per million (ppm) of mercury, compared to a maximum permitted level of 0.5 ppm. The high presence of mercury was confirmed in independent tests conducted by two state-related labs in Thailand, and the findings are also reflected in US, Australian, and New Zealand governmental reports.¹

In plain English, this means that eating shark fins could render men sterile due to the high mercury content.

1. Bangkok Post, 05 November 2004