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Fish maw

Fish maw is the dried or prepared swim bladder of a fish, commonly rehydrated for soups and braised dishes.

Fish maw — illustrative ingredient image

About Fish maw

Fish maw is the **swim bladder of a fish**, used as a food ingredient after cleaning and, commonly, drying. Dried pieces may be flat, curled, tubular, or irregular, with a pale yellow, amber, or cream appearance. Some products are sold fresh, frozen, fried, or otherwise prepared.

Properly prepared fish maw has a relatively mild flavour and can take on the character of a broth or sauce. Its texture is soft, yielding, or gelatinous after soaking and cooking, though products vary with species, size, and processing.

Fish maw is commonly soaked or rehydrated before use in soups, braised dishes, stews, and other preparations. Pieces may remain whole or be cut before cooking; drying, frying, rehydration, and simmering substantially change their size, firmness, and surface.

Ingredient type
derived ingredient

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Where fish maw appears

5 linked foods

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Main dishes

Soups

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for fish maw

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Fish maw

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Fish maw nutrition & diet

Fish maw nutritional value

Representative benchmark: Fish, not further specified

Representative nutrition benchmarkOfficial table values for a comparable food category, not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient.

Per 100 g of 100 g edible portion in the named official reference form.

Calories
129kcal
Protein
20.3g
Carbs
0.3g
Fat
5.2g

Representative benchmark from a comparable official food-composition category; it is not a laboratory measurement of this exact ingredient. The displayed reference form must be considered, and species, cultivar, recipe, brand, processing and preparation can change values.

Portions & preparation

Establish whether fish maw means dried swim bladder, rehydrated maw, or a prepared dish, and identify the species if available. References should match the edible rehydrated tissue or finished preparation, including soaking, braising liquid, sauces, and accompanying ingredients.

Compare the right form: Match the confirmed fish-maw identity and form—dried, rehydrated, or cooked dish—with species, preparation, and retained cooking liquid specified.

Diet considerations

Fish maw is an animal-derived fish structure, but its identity, species, and processing need confirmation. Compatibility changes with soaking agents, broths, sauces, meat, dairy, grains, or starches in the finished dish. Dried and rehydrated forms are not interchangeable, and recipes may define the portion.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically incompatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically incompatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    May be compatible
  • Paleo
    May be compatible
  • Low-carb
    May be compatible
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically incompatible
The ingredient profile identifies an animal-derived food or derivative.
Vegetarian · Typically incompatible
The profile identifies animal flesh, seafood or a derivative excluded by a vegetarian diet.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
Seafood fits this pescatarian definition. Added meat-based stock or other ingredients would need checking separately.
Keto · May be compatible
The plain form may fit a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Check the portion, added sugar, coatings and sauces against the nutrition values above.
Paleo · May be compatible
May fit a paleo pattern, depending on the cut or form, processing and added ingredients.
Low-carb · May be compatible
The plain form may fit a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Check the portion, added sugar, coatings and sauces against the nutrition values above.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: Pacific Nutrient Database 2020 — 01.1.3.1.9_99 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .