The woman who was so helpful told me that frogs can enhance a
woman’s beauty. A curious preparation called hasma (also harsmar,
hashima or xue ha gao) is derived from fatty tissue surrounding the
fallopian tubes of true frogs. As well as being favoured as an ingredi-
ent for desserts, it is valued for respiratory conditions, to ease stomach
ulcers and maintain a youthful appearance in the skin. The Asiatic
Grass Frog (Rana chensinensis) is often used as the source of this
substance, with the frogs being cruelly strung up alive for 30 days until
they die and dry out. Ironically, this species has been shown to be of
great benefit to farmers in removing insect pests and therefore the
necessity to use pesticides.
Of greatest concern in this particular stall was the presence of a small
packet containing a dried, scaly foot about 10cm across and adorned
with the picture of a crocodilian. In my estimation this could only have
come from two species, and both possibilities were a little disturbing.
The first candidate was a Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis).
Although critically endangered in the wild, Siamese Crocodiles are
farmed extensively for commercial purposes across Southeast Asia and
in China, despite not being native to the country. Having said that, the
picture on the package had a round, blunt nose, and coupled with the
relatively small size of the foot, it seemed much more likely that this
had belonged to a Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis).
In 1998, the range of the Chinese Alligator was calculated to have
decreased by more than 90% in the previous 20 years, and by 1999,
only 150 were thought to remain in the wild. The Chinese Alligator is
also critically endangered, and has been on the IUCN Red List of
threatened species since 1986. Habitat destruction has been a major
factor, together with pollution, human intolerance and poaching. This
small crocodilian is used in TCM to treat gall bladder problems. It has a
docile nature and has never been documented to harm humans.
Top: overfishing has already had dramatic
effects upon seahorse populations.
Above: apparently, frogs can enhance a
woman’s beauty.
Right (slide show): Qing Ping is dominated by
herbal items. Dried fish stomachs are common,
and I located a couple of booths that specialised
in deer products, as well as one that was full of
dried caterpillars.
Images by John McGrath.