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Turtle soup

Turtle soup, also known as terrapin soup, is a soup or stew made from the meat of turtles. Several versions of the soup exist in different cultures, and it is often viewed as a delicacy.[1]

For the album by The Turtles, see Turtle Soup. For the album by The Mock Turtles, see Turtle Soup (Mock Turtles album).

Type

Soup or stew

Various

China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, and United States

Turtle meat

Culinary description[edit]

The principal characteristic of turtle meat is that the broth it is cooked in becomes extremely gelatinous once cooled. Turtle meat has no characteristic taste on its own, so the flavor of turtle soup depends entirely on seasoning. Mock turtle soup is made from other gelatine-producing meat such as calf's head and calf's feet.[2]

Versions[edit]

England[edit]

Turtle soup gained popularity in England in the 1750s but declined rapidly about 150 years later from overfishing.[3] According to food historian Janet Clarkson, the dish, which she describes as one of several "noteworthy soups", became a symbol for civic dinners and

Poisoning[edit]

Eating the flesh of some marine turtles can cause a rare, but possibly lethal, type of food poisoning called chelonitoxism.[13]

Turtle farming

Asian Turtle Crisis