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What is turtle soup?
Fresh (soft-shell) turtle meat is the key
ingredient in the traditional turtle soup. Turtle meat is brewed
in a mixture of Chinese herbs till the essence of the herbs is immersed
in the turtle meat for the ultimate taste. The choice of herbs is
up to the individual.
Notwithstanding the actual benefits found in the
turtle meat itself, the dish can be prepared in many other ways to suit
the palate of the young and old, just as in the preparation of any meat
dish. It can be made in soup, fried, steamed, braised, etc.
Traditionally, turtle meat is used in soup dishes to preserve the
goodness of the turtle meat within the soup so that our bodies can
easily absorb it.
Origins of turtle soup in Singapore
Turtle soup has existed in Singapore for over 40 years! The soup itself
can be traced to the ancient days of imperial China. The Chinese
believed in the benefits of (soft-shell) turtle meat, especially in the
rear soft-shell of the carapace which is a dense collection of
collagen. These were recorded in ancient medical books such as
<ben cao gang mu>. Medical books even had records of treatment for specific illness using (soft-shell) turtle meat and the soft perimenter of the carapace.
The receipe was probably brought into Singapore
together with the migration wave in the early 1990s. As it was in the
olden days, the main consumers of turtle soup in Singapore today are
still the common folks. This soup meal is thus still sold mainly
in the hawker centres and eating-houses, within reach of many. As
such, it is common to see well-dressed office-attired customers tucking
away at a delicious bowl of turtle soup in the eating-houses, as well
as Mercedes-driving towkays, and ordinary Joes.
Turtle dishes in other parts of Asia
In Asia, turtle meat dishes can also be found in Hong Kong, Korea,
Japan, Vietnam and China. Following are some of the common ways that turtle meat is served:
- Singapore and Hong Kong: consumers prefer to have it double-boiled or stewed in soup.
- Japan: mainly as a delicacy item for
steamboat. Once it is a little cooked, the turtle meat is dapped
in some wasabi (horse radish) and soya sauce before eating.
- Korea: mainly in soup too.
- China: The preference may differ a little between
provinces, but turtle meat is commonly fried, steamed or part of a
steamboat offering.
Existing source of turtle meat
In Singapore, we are fortunate to be able to enjoy turtle meat dishes
at low prices, due to our proximity to Indonesia – the primary
source of live turtles for the Singapore market. Despite the
recent increase in wholesale prices, turtle soup is still very
affordable in Singapore compared to consumers in the other countries.
For many years, consumers in Singapore had enjoyed
turtle soup made from turtles caught from the wild from Indonesia, and
in recent years, captive-bred ones. Meat from wild turtles is a little
firm, somewhere between that of poultry and fish. The rear
soft-shell of the carapace of the wild turtle is also very thick.
The rear soft-shell of the carapace of the soft-shell turtle is a dense
collection of collagen, and thus is one of the prized parts of the
whole turtle. A good bowl of turtle soup will leave the customer
feeling a little sticky on the lips, and that is due to the collagen
from the turtle.
But due to export controls (as part of
international conservation efforts) in Indonesia, it has become
increasingly difficult and expensive to import this species from
Indonesia. So until the farming of this species of turtle from
Indonesia reaches commercial volume, we foresee a gradual reduction of
such imports from Indonesia into Singapore.
Future source of turtle meat – 3G turtle
Tridelta Food had gone on to source for the best turtles from farms in
the region, namely Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and
China. Through experiments, we have found that the live turtles
from China suit the Singaporean palate best.
 Turtle
farming is a big industry in China. This is not surprising for a
country where the consumption of turtles is estimated to be between
130,000 – 150,000 tons per year (in comparison, Singapore’s
consumption is estimated at 230 – 250 tons per year).
However, only a handful of the farms are qualified to export their
produce. This is due to the steep health requirements imposed by
the China authorities. Many of us had heard rumours of the
“flexibility” of authorities in China. To
allay fears and concerns of consumers in Singapore, and for the
long-term reputation of this trade in Singapore, we (Tridelta Food)
spent much effort to understand the turtle farming industry in China,
the different species they have there, and of course the various
pricing.
The farms we finally decided to work with produce 3rd generation turtles (“3G turtles”).
The key property of “3G turtles” is the quality of
the meat. The meat is dense, like wild-grown turtles – an
indicator that the turtle was not fed steroids for quick growth.
This is especially evident in the rear soft-shell of the carapace,
which is also thick. The bred turtles from all our chosen farms
in China had been certified by the local authorities to be free of
harmful chemical/steroids residues. This certification is coveted
by many and difficult to obtain. This distinction in quality
between 2nd and 3rd generation turtles, and the achievement of
certification are key reasons in the wide difference in pricing of live
turtles in the China market. We understand that even the locals
are wary of buying the “normal” turtles for fear of
chemical residues in the turtles.
A source of turtle meat fit for consumption!
Tridelta Food Pte Ltd is the largest distributor of fresh turtle meat
in Singapore. Only freshwater softshell turtles are used.
We were also Singapore’s only HACCP-certified
turtle slaughterhouse, and the 1st formally constructed turtle
slaughterhouse in Singapore. We import live soft-shell turtles
and process them in the slaughterhouse before delivering them to our
customers. Each turtle is neatly cut up to make it easy for our
customers to handle and cook in the hawker stalls and eating-houses.
Consumers in Singapore can be assured that the
turtle meat supplied by Tridelta Food is delicious and fit for
consumption due to the controls and responsibilities that we have put
on ourselves.
About HACCP Certification
HACCP is a quality assurance tool that has been specifically developed
for the food industry to enable management to achieve food safety all
the way from "the farm to the fork". It ensures food safety through
biological, chemical and physical hazard identification and control in
the production process. The process of getting HACCP-certified is rigorous
enough to make any food manufacturer look in detail their whole
manufacturing process to ensure food safety.
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