Traditional Cuisine Research Articles

Prospects for the development of gastro tourism in Ukraine in the post-war period

Gastronomic tourism is an introduction to the traditional cuisine of a particular area, available to any tourist, not just the fate of the chosen ones. The article highlights the main features, trends, problems and prospects of the development of gastronomic tourism in Ukraine in modern conditions. The purpose of the study is to develop theoretical and methodological provisions for the improvement of the gastronomic tourism market of Ukraine, taking into account the realities of the post-war recovery of the industry. The subject of the study is the prospects for the development of gastrotourism in Ukraine in the post-war period. During the writing of the article, official statistical data on the development of gastronomic tourism in Ukraine, analytical data on the state of tourist industry facilities, and current legal documents were used. The conducted research was based mainly on the use of methods of theoretical analysis, analysis of statistical data, expert assessments and comparative analysis. The following results were obtained. The paper analyzes the state and prospects of the development of gastrotourism in Ukraine, examines the resource gastronomic potential of the country, and proposes a strategy for the development of gastronomic tourism in Ukraine in the post-war period, which is currently very relevant in the context of the restoration of tourism in the country. The areas of strategic development of gastronomic tourism are presented, each of which has its own strategic goals and tasks that must be completed to achieve the set goal. Conclusions. Based on the conducted research, for the further development of gastronomic tourism in Ukraine as part of the implementation of the domestic and inbound tourism development program, it is necessary to: develop new gastronomic tourism routes and update the existing ones; develop a program to support small and medium-sized enterprises that participate in the creation and operation of gastronomic tours; to improve the state of the tourist infrastructure, primarily in the places of hostilities; engage in the development of gastronomic brands and their promotion at the national and international levels; ensure the training of highly qualified personnel in the field of service; to develop partnerships with international organizations on matters of tourism and cultural heritage support, etc. Thanks to the proposed measures, it will be possible to ensure the competitiveness of tourist destinations and enterprises, increase the number and quality of jobs, the quality of life of the local population, including by expanding the capabilities of local communities and interested parties in planning and decision-making regarding the management and development of tourism.

Кино как инструмент «мягкой силы» государства на примере кинематографа Испании и США

The article considers cinema as an instrument of soft power of states, using the example of cinema in Spain and the USA. Different approaches are shown. On the one hand, the United States, which uses universal concepts, on the other hand, Spain, which uses stereotypical ideas and recognizable images about its country. In American films, most often, universal topics are used that are understandable to all people: the struggle between good and evil (moreover, evil is universal, threatening the whole world, and good is the United States), love, happiness, compassion. Even if purely national issues are raised in American films (for example, African-American racism), these problems are presented as universal, as a problem of human dignity, honor, etc. In Spanish cinema, well-established stereotypes about Spain and its culture are actively used: bullfighting, flamenco, Andalusian folklore, traditional cuisine and clothing (for example, the matador costume), as well as typical, recognizable images of the Spanish man and woman (Spanish macho - Antonio Banderas and swarthy, passionate, beautiful Carmen - Penelope Cruz). All this forms the concept of ‘españolada’. The United States does not officially support its film production, but coordinates and consults with the film productions and directors through unofficial resources, primarily the Motion Picture Association of America, whose leadership includes many former White House officials. Spain, on the contrary, actively supports its filmmakers, helps to promote Spanish films in the international arena, develops joint film production, stimulates the shooting of films at the state level, including foreign ones, using Spanish locations, etc. Thus, one can see two different approaches to cinema as an instrument of soft power, and although American cinema certainly dominates the world market, the obvious success of Spanish cinema, which is becoming increasingly popular, should be noted.

WISATA KAMPOENG PENDEKAR MENEMBUS LORONG WAKTU DENGAN TEORI LINIERITAS LIMA DIMENSI

Various tourist destinations offer unforgettable experiences for their visitors. Kampoeng Pendekar Tourism offers a five-dimensional experience that invites visitors to the ancient kingdom era. This research aims to find out how the management strategy of Kampoeng Pendekar Tourism in attracting visitors by applying the theory of linear five dimensions. Data collection was carried out through observation, interviews, surveys, and documentation. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive analysis by performing reduction and interpretation. The results of the study explain the highly innovative breakthrough by the management of Kampoeng Pendekar Tourism, which is able to linearize tourism, entertainment, and shows that elevate traditional content that appears old-fashioned into a five-dimensional sensation according to the theory introduced by Gillian Crampton Smith and Kevin Silver by creating a display of the past era, such as traditional houses and huts; officers, tour guides, and traders are required to wear Javanese traditional clothing; even the tour guides wear clothing resembling ancient warrior attire. All the food sold is traditional cuisine that is nearly extinct. The use of kepeng currency is the strongest sensation that brings visitors back to the past era. In addition, there are traditional games, art performances, and cultural attractions.

Changes of lipid oxidation, volatile and taste-active compounds during pan-heating of pork belly

This study investigated the mechanisms underlying the evolution and formation of aroma and taste-active compounds of pork belly in representative traditional pork cuisines during pan-heating. The results revealed that as the temperature increased to 110 ℃, the unsaturation of fatty acids decreased from 60.25 % to 58.71 %, while the content of free radicals and secondary oxidation products increased. At the later heating stages, the addition of spices and increased heating temperature (150 ℃) led to continuous increments in the contents (from 958.20 μg/kg to 1511.88 μg/kg) and diversity of volatile compounds in pork belly, imparting the unique aroma. Additionally, the accumulation of low-molecular-weight peptides, free amino acids, and nucleotides not only provided the substrate for thermal reactions and their synergistic effects, but also contributed to the desired taste quality. These findings offered insights into the flavor formation mechanisms of traditional pork cuisines and provided direction for further research.

Fermented mutton in the Faroe Islands: the survival of a local artisanship and food heritage

Dried and fermented mutton has been an essential storable protein source in an economy where weather conditions and seasonal fluctuations affect the availability of food. For generations, the Faroe islanders have prepared ræstkjøt (fermented and semidried mutton) and skerpikjøt (dried mutton) as an efficient and valuable cultural strategy for preserving meat. The data for this study have been collected through anthropological and ethnobiological fieldwork as an embedded participant observer, supplemented with studies from written sources. Data were selected and qualitatively analysed. Our findings show that this traditional cuisine, so far rarely noticed by researchers as a food heritage, requires that the islanders have access to sheep, master the technique of properly treating the slaughtered carcases, and that the necessary ecological conditions, in relation to wind and temperature, prevail for the meat to ferment and dry. They must also have access to the necessary equipment and skills, and be able to assess when the dried meat is cured. The relationship that exists between humans and the active microorganisms in this specific context is also discussed. Appreciating and consuming local fermented food is also an important way of expressing Faroese cultural identity. Once a staple for rural people, fermented mutton is nowadays a rather exclusive delicacy. The study provides insights into a complex activity that includes local artisanship and food heritage based on the triangle of human–sheep-microbiota.

Aceh Traditional Culinary Kuah Pliek U: How it Sustains Eco-Lexicon Diversity

"Kuah Pliek" is the famous Acehnese cuisine that utilizes most ecological materials. However, only a few researchers have discussed the sustainability of the lexicon contained within the cuisine from an eco-linguistics perspective. This study focuses on Aceh's traditional cuisine, "Kuah Pliek U" (KPU), to assess the raw materials' eco-lexicon diversity and the Acehnese's knowledge of the identified eco-lexicon. This study employed a qualitative research design to address the problems in which data collection included in-depth interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), passive and active observation, and the examination of documents such as research reports and journal articles. The analysis of data then used a qualitative interactive model. The result demonstrates that the number of the eco-lexicon within KPU is about 35 – 40, as same as its total of raw materials and ingredients. It consists of biotic and abiotic, with plants comprising the majority. Linguistically, the lexicon belongs to the noun class, but semantically, it can be divided into nouns, prepositional eco-lexicons, and nouns and conjunction. This study also reveals that Acehnese knowledge of KPU has decreased, despite its continued popularity in Aceh society. It means that the existence of three dimensions that influence language sustainability cannot guarantee that local people's cultural knowledge will remain intact.

FORMATION OF THE UKRAINIAN NATION: ETHNOCULTURAL TRADITIONS AND HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Ukraine's frontline position between the West and the East influenced nation–building. The modern civil nation in the country is formed on the basis of Ukrainians, who are an ethnic majority, although there are minorities. The task of the study is to consider this basis for the formation of the nation and the circumstances of its formation. Themethodology is the concepts of nation–building, which combines moderate primordialism and constructivism, and frontier theory. Results. Ukrainians are a nation with an ancient agricultural culture, which determined the specifics of life, holidays and ceremonies, oral art, worldview of the people. In the twentieth century, as a result of the modernization of society and negative Soviet practices, many ancient elements of culture are a thing of the past. But a number of traditions have retained functionality (in construction, agriculture, clothing, food), and some have become national symbols (embroidery, jewelry, traditional cuisine, kobza culture, etc.). The Cossacks greatly influenced the formation of the Ukrainian nation. Cossacks – originally a frontline society, during the Cossack Revolution in the middle of the XVII century won the position of social elite in the newly created state of the Zaporozhian Cossack Army (autonomy within the Russian Empire). The heroics of the Cossack struggle formed the basis of Ukrainian identity, and the Cossack subculture became dominant. The ethnonym «Ukrainians» is the name of the population of the Cossack region, whose dialect formed the basis of the Ukrainian literary language. With the decline of ancient Russia, Ukraine was part of several states and was united in the middle of the twentieth century as part of the USSR. Only since 1991 has a modern state project been implemented in Ukraine. Nation–building began in the nineteenth century and came to an end with independence. The brake factors were the colonial legacy and the influence of the former metropolis. Being on the border between East and West, Ukraine made the final choice in favor of the latter during the revolutions of 2004 and 2014 and the large–scale Russian–Ukrainian war. Ethnic minorities rallied around Ukrainians, which was facilitated by the legal consolidation of European rights and freedoms, as well as religious tolerance. During the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, all denominations, except the UOC–MP, supported the idea of Ukraine's independence. The Ukrainian language is recognized by the only state majority of the country's population, which is an additional factor in uniting the Ukrainian nation in the conditions of Russia's political leadership's inclusion of all Russian–speakers in the «Russian world».

Cooking changes agave flower properties, including the bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds

Agave flowers are of great importance in traditional Mexican cuisine due to their flavor and nutritional properties. In this study, we evaluated the effect of three cooking methods: stir-frying, boiling, and steaming on the physicochemical, bioactive, and antioxidant properties of Agave salmiana flowers. Additionally, we evaluated the bioaccessibility of the bioactive compounds. Overall, cooking methods decreased (p<0.05) up to 35% of the physicochemical properties and up to 60% of the bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of agave flowers. However, steaming was the method that best preserved the physicochemical and functional properties of the flowers—furthermore, stir-frying increased (p<0.05) up to 52% the bioaccessibility of chlorophyll and carotenoids. Our results contribute to selecting the cooking method that best preserves the properties of agave flowers when used as an ingredient in developing dishes and processed products.

Production, Organoleptic, and Biological Activities of Belacan (Shrimp Paste) and Pekasam (Fermented Freshwater Fish), the Ethnic Food from the Malay Archipelago

Various popular fermented foods are produced commercially or at the household level. Chemical, physical, and microbiological changes may occur, either desirable or undesirable, in the food matrix during fermentation. Due to the scarcity of information in the literature regarding belacan (fermented shrimp) and pekasam (fermented freshwater fish) originating from the Malay Archipelago, this review will focus on the physiochemical changes, nutritional, microbiological, sensory, and biological activities of these food ingredients. Belacan is primarily composed of fermented blocks of shrimp with salt and usually is added as condiments in a small amount in cooking. In contrast, Pekasam consisted of freshwater fish in its original form, often fermented with ground toasted rice and natural acidulants, and can be used as the main dish. Both belacan and pekasam contain appreciable quantities of umami amino acids and 5′-ribonucleotides such as glutamate, inosinate, and guanylate from the protein degradation by both endogenous proteases and microbial growth. Unfortunately, the breakdown of proteins can contribute to the rise of biogenic amines, which can cause adverse effects on sensitive individuals. The growth of lactic acid bacteria is common, which is often considered safe, but spoilage microorganisms can easily contaminate the product in an unfavourable environment. Therefore, with rich nutrients and biological activities, the appropriate consumption of these food ingredients may contribute to better consumer health while increasing the acceptability of Malay traditional cuisines.

Production of Nungu Candy: An Experimental Study

The palmyrah fruit is a naturally occurring, nutritionally dense fruit that has the potential to be a source of many goods with added value. Due to a lack of mechanisation and value addition, the juice of palmyrah is only available during certain seasons and is quite inexpensive. Palmyrah pulp is collected from the ripe fruit and is utilised in many traditional cuisine dishes. Fruit pulp aids in the treatment of skin inflammations. It is used to treat worm infestation as well as nausea and vomiting. It is employed as a liver tonic as well as an expectorant. The high amount of crude flavonoids, saponins, and phenolic chemicals may be responsible for the antioxidant action. Additionally, it is employed in folk medicine to treat a variety of illnesses. Due to the fruit pulp's significant therapeutic capabilities, it included both pectin and a sizable amount of saponin. Although seasonal, palmyrah fruits offer outstanding chemical and physical qualities for the creation of foods and drinks. There is a need for palmyrah that is prepared for serving.

Flowers and Inflorescences of Selected Medicinal Plants as a Source of Triterpenoids and Phytosterols.

Steroids and triterpenoids are compounds valued for their various biological and pharmacological properties; however, their content in medicinal and edible plants is often understudied. Flowers have been consumed since the ancient times as a part of traditional cuisine and as alternative medicines. Currently, the interest in medicinal and edible flowers is growing since contemporary consumers are incessantly seeking innovative natural sources of bioactive compounds. The aim of this report was the GC-MS (gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry) analysis of steroid and triterpenoid content in flowers, inflorescences and leaves of several plants (Berberis vulgaris L., Crataegus laevigata (Poir.) DC., Pulsatilla vulgaris Mill., Rosa rugosa Thunb., Sambucus nigra L. and Vinca minor L.), applied in herbal medicine in various forms, including isolated flowers (Flos), inflorescences (Inflorescentia) or aerial parts (Herba, i.e., combined flowers, leaves and stems). The most abundant source of triterpenoids was V. minor flowers (6.3 mg/g d.w.), whereas the steroids were prevailing in P. vulgaris flowers (1.8 and 1.1 mg/g). The profiles of triterpenoid acids and neutral triterpenoids in C. laevigata and S. nigra inflorescences were particularly diverse, involving compounds belonging to lupane-, oleanane- and ursane-type skeletons. The obtained results revealed that some flowers can constitute an abundant source of phytosterols and bioactive triterpenoids, valuable for utilization in functional foods, dietary supplements and cosmetic products.

Exploring ethnic foodscape in food desert: the case of Kolasib, Northeast India

Of late, ‘Food deserts’,— places where there are no supermarkets for residents in the locality—are triggering policy debates among the policy-makers, academics, activists and media and advocating policy-led interventions to establish accessible new supermarkets. However, in some food deserts, local communities may traditionally follow their own indigenously adapted approaches for consumption of healthy diets. In this paper, we contend that policy-makers sometimes rather than strengthening in-situ opportunities may even rattle low-cost healthy food access pathways by new supermarket mediations. Based on qualitative tools, i.e., focused group discussion (FGD), the current study has delved into the availability of range of ethnic traditional cuisines from the foodscape of Kolasib, generally consumed by the Lushai tribe in Mizoram, Northeast India. Our study proposes new boulevards for conducting research and possible provision of financial impetus to prevailing community-based practices for establishing food banks and leveraging farm-to-market opportunities.

Traditional gastronomy in Alto Guadalquivir: Origin of contemporary recipes in cordovan cuisine

The different UNESCO recognitions in the field of gastronomy have made it possible to make visible at the international level the values that cuisine, its uses and customs bring to society, to culture and to the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of a territory. In the area known as Mancomunidad del Alto Guadalquivir in Córdoba, Spain, there are eight towns whose backbone is the river, and they all treasure a culinary tradition that is the basis of some recipes that form the identity of Cordoba’s gastronomy, transmitted from generation to generation. The synergy in the actions of institutions and businesses has resulted in a study of traditional recipes, describing how they are prepared and what ingredients are used. Thanks to several women’s associations, the female cooks provided the recipes and have been recognized as guardians of the gastronomic knowledge of the towns in terms of culture and gastronomy and their work in favor of the preservation of traditional cuisine, and therefore of the biocultural memory of Córdoba. In this work, we reflect on the recipes collected, their link with avant-garde cordovan gastronomy and the role of institutions, while analyzing the different discourses built around these people and how they are linked to the territory.

COVID-19 cookbooks: war and pleasure in US kitchens

ABSTRACT In 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdowns, as home cooking grew in the US, sales of cookbooks surged and community cookbooks started showing up in the households of the country. This essay is concerned with community cookbooks in the pandemic era. Drawing on the familiar ‘COVID-19 is a war’ metaphor, it investigates the relationship between cooking during the First and Second World Wars and food preparation during the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. It argues that the cooking practised in community cookbooks is militarised to serve the needs of the nation and provides pleasure through recipes of American traditional cuisine. It proposes a theoretical framework on the relationship between militarism, pleasure, and food in contemporary war cookbooks.

Echinophora tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana—Study of the Histochemical Localization of Essential Oil

Echinophora tenuifolia L. subsp. sibthorpiana is a perennial, aromatic plant used in traditional folk medicine and cuisine of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. However, scholars have not fully studied the pharmacological potential of the herb, and the scientific data on this plant species are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) obtained from the aerial parts of E. tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana growing wild in Bulgaria and to perform histochemical analysis. A microscopic histochemical analysis and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry were performed. The histochemical analysis confirmed the presence of terpenes in the stem and leaf of E. tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana. The phenylpropanoid methyleugenol was identified as the main compound in the EO, representing 48.13% of the total oil composition. There were also found considerable amounts of monoterpene hydrocarbons, representing 41.68% of the total EO. Alpha-phellandrene, o-cymene, and β-phellandrene were the most abundant monoterpene hydrocarbons. This is the first histochemical analysis performed on E. tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana. This is the first report of the EO composition from Bulgarian E. tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana, and our results indicate some future possibilities for evaluating of the biological activity of the EO of E. tenuifolia subsp. sibthorpiana and highlight the potential future use of the EO of this plant species. E. tenuifolia L. subsp. sibthorpiana EO possesses a good potential for use as a biopesticide and repellent an environmentally friendly alternative of synthetic pesticides.

Structure of local populations and phytocoenotic confinement of Elwendia persica in Turkestan Ridge, Uzbekistan

Abstract. Abduraimov OS, Mamatkulova IE, Mahmudov AV. 2023. Structure of local populations and phytocoenotic confinement of Elwendia persica in Turkestan Ridge, Uzbekistan. Biodiversitas 24: 1621-1628. The study of ecological and biological features of cenotic and food plants is not only of important general biological significance, but also serves as a basis for the science-based study of resources and the preservation of species diversity. Elwendia persica (Apiaceae) grows in different regions of Central Asia and has been used regularly for several centuries, especially in traditional cuisines. In particular, local residents in mountainous areas collect this plant and benefit economically. This study aimed to assess the coenopopulation and phytocoenotic confinement of E. persica in Turkestan ridge, Djizakh region, Uzbekistan. The study was carried out between 2018 and 2022 and the ontogenetic structure of four coenopopulations of E. persica was studied. Evaluation of age (? - delta) and efficiency (? - omega) of coenopopulations revealed that the studied populations were classified as young (coenopopulations 1, 3, 4) and transient (coenopopulations 2). Analysis of demographic results shows that the density of individuals in the studied communities ranged 1.4-2.05 ind./m2, whereas the ecological density was 1.64-2.73 ind./m2. The coenopopulations had an index of recreation of 0.52-3.57 and ageing index 0 to 0.13. These indicators show that the coenopopulations are in a normal state. The state of coenopopulations was positively affected by a large amount of annual rainfall on the territory.

Underutilized Vegetable Crops in the Mediterranean Region: A Literature Review of Their Requirements and the Ecosystem Services Provided

By 2050, the increasing demand for food will put additional pressure on natural resources. Underutilized crops, such as wild vegetables, are an essential component of the Mediterranean diet and are widely correlated with the traditional cuisine of Mediterranean countries. They could be widely associated with resistance to abiotic stress and enhanced genetic diversity, and could provide various ecosystem services. Their cultivation could support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the UN and the current EU policies related to environmentally friendly agriculture. Based on an extensive literature review, the aim of this paper is to summarize the environmental and ecological requirements of specific Mediterranean underutilized vegetables, the provisioning and regulating ecosystem services that could be derived from their cultivation, and their potential use. It is concluded that thorough planning of underutilized crop cultivation could enhance the provisioning and regulating ecosystem services that positively affect Mediterranean agriculture. However, further research should be carried out regarding their environmental and economic impact in order to assess the environmental and socio-economic effects of underutilized crops cultivation. This could lead to designing future policies that support underutilized crop cultivation and consumption.

Deep Learning in Grapevine Leaves Varieties Classification Based on Dense Convolutional Network

Grapevine leaves are utilized worldwide in a vast range of traditional cuisines. As their price and flavor differ from kind to kind, recognizing various species of grapevine leaves is becoming an essential task. In addition, the differentiation between grapevine leaf types by human sense is difficult and time-consuming. Thus, building a machine learning model to automate the grapevine leaf classification is highly beneficial. Therefore, this is the primary focus of this work. This paper uses a CNN-based model to classify grape leaves by adapting DenseNet201. This study investigates the impact of layer freezing on the performance of DenseNet201 throughout the fine-tuning process. This work used a public dataset consist of 500 images with 5 different classes (100 images per class). Several data augmentation methods used to expand the training set. The proposed CNN model, named DenseNet-30, outperformed the existing grape leaf classification work that the dataset borrowed from by achieving 98% overall accuracy.

In vitro Digestion of Phaseolus vulgaris L. Cooked Beans Induces Autophagy in Colon Cancer Cells.

Phaseolus vulgaris L. (common bean) contains high levels of proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, minerals, fibers, and vitamins, and for this reason, it represents an essential component of the diet. More than 40,000 varieties of beans have been recognized and are staple foods in the traditional cuisine of many countries. In addition to its high nutritional value, P. vulgaris is also characterized by its nutraceutical properties and favors environmental sustainability. In this manuscript, we studied two different varieties of P. vulgaris, Cannellino and Piattellino. We investigated the effects of traditional processing (soaking and cooking) and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of beans on their phytochemical composition and anticancer activity. Using HT29 and HCT116 colon cancer cell lines, we showed that the extract obtained after gastrointestinal digestion of cooked beans (the bioaccessible fraction, BF) induces cell death through the induction of the autophagic process. We demonstrated that the BF of Cannellino and Piattellino beans at the concentration of 100 μg/mL reduces cell vitality, measured by MMT assay, of both HT29 (88.41% ± 5.79 and 94.38% ± 0.47) and HCT116 (86.29% ± 4.3 and 91.23% ± 0.52) cell lines. Consistently, the treatment of HT29 cells with 100 μg/mL of Cannellino and Piattellino BFs reduced clonogenicity by 95% ± 2.14 and 96% ± 0.49, respectively. Moreover, the activity of extracts appeared to be selective for colon cancer cells. The data shown in this work further confirm P. vulgaris to be among foods with beneficial effects for human health.

Bioactive secondary metabolites in sea cucumbers and their potential to use in the functional food industry

The bioactive secondary metabolites produced by sea cucumbers are very diverse with differences in composition, linkages, molecular weight, and various functional properties. Due to their physicochemical properties, these bioactive molecules in sea cucumbers have found applications in various market segments such as functional foods and cosmetics. Sea cucumber side dishes are a prominent food item in traditional cuisine in East Asian countries such as South Korea, China, and Japan. In addition, many studies have reported that the consumption of sea cucumbers can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the pathogenesis of cancer cells, chronic inflammatory diseases, etc. In particular, many studies have recently reported the potential of sea cucumbers to develop functional products to reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, diabetes, and cancer. Additionally, these bioactive properties associated with sea cucumbers make them ideal compounds for use as functional ingredients in functional food products. However, no report has yet reviewed the properties of sea cucumbers related to functional foods. Therefore, in this review, the primary focus is given to collecting published scientific data (from 2019 to 2023) on the bioactive properties of sea cucumbers relevant to the functional food industry.