An October’s History Lesson – on culture and development
October 1st , we celebrated the Chinese mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the “Moon Festival” or “Moon Cake Festival”. The festival started more than 2,000 years ago as a post-autumn harvest celebration, which was devoted to thanking the gods. With roots embedded in Chinese Culture in our Products, we show our participation in this Month’s celebration.
We’d like to take this opportunity today to speak of the Chinese culture further, and how this relates to Sea Cucumber and the products we’ve developed.
Sea Cucumber has been consumed in China and Asian Chinese culture for thousands of years. It is treated as a luxury health food and Chinese medicine. Sea cucumber in Mandarin means “Gingseng of the sea”, and Chinese medicine believes that this species balances the body and helps with regular health maintenance.
In Chinese medicine, regular health maintenance is key to the theory, and is said to hold many antioxidants and health benefits, and wealthy folk share this delicacy as a celebratory meal, or a gift to show respect to family and friends.
It takes up to three days to soak dried Sea Cucumber, which is how the species is sold. From there, families will cook the Sea Cucumber in a combination of ways to serve as a meal. It would make sense for cultures that have been preparing Sea Cucumber for thousands of years to prepare the dish this way, but our question was, will other cultures want to, or have the time to do so?
This is how Atlantic Sea Cucumber was born on the shores of Hacketts Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada. Sam Gao, CEO of the company is no stranger to the business world. After immigrating to Nova Scotia, Sam began to learn more about the coveted species and its residence in his new Province. After research of the species and its benefits outside of Chinese waters, Sam was able to develop Atlantic Sea Cucumber LTD. into the ever-growing business it is today.
Employing locals and new comers alike, Atlantic Sea Cucumber LTD. is a prime example of using the resources of the community and offering them back into the community.
Sea cucumber is one of the four treasures of China. Since ancient times, it has been a rare dish for imperial officials, and also a special dish for the rich. “Compendium of Materia Medica” and other traditional Chinese medicine records in detail that regular eating of sea cucumber can tonify kidney and essence, strengthening the body. Sam Gao, the founder of the company, is the descendant of Dongshan Xi family in Suzhou. The Xi family received Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty in Xi’s family Garden and got the name of the emperor by using local green tea as Biluochun, which has been handed down in cultural practices to this day.
In 1860, Xi’s family set up a bank in Shanghai, and in 1874, on behalf of HSBC, lent a loan to the Qing government for national defense, which helped HSBC make the first political loan and freed HSBC from its financial difficulties. Futhermore, it was highly appreciated by Li Hongzhang and Zuo Zongtang, two important officials of the Qing Dynasty, and won the Second Rank official title (in the Nine-rank system). From 1874 to 1946, the Xi family had an important position in The Shanghai financial industry. Up to now, many scholars are still studying the Xi family and writing books. Sam has always imagined his family preparing and sharing this delicacy with great Emperors. Imagining the time it took to soak the dish, the passion that it would be cooked with, and the way it was served. This story has stuck with Sam throughout his career, and plays a large role in his passion for the species, and the business he has created to honor and share the health benefits and ancient history the species holds.
Along with fishing sea cucumber from the ocean floor, drying and packaging wild caught Atlantic Canadian Sea Cucumber to distribute through Atlantic Sea Cucumber LTD., Sam began thinking of innovative ways to get this nutritious dish into the lives of those who may not be aware of the custom. How would the North American person want to consume Sea Cucumber, what if they did not like seafood, what if they simply did not have the time to prepare the dish? Sam put himself in the shoes of a traditional Chinese medicine tcm (tcm practitioners) shoes, and thought of sea cucumber supplements! This was the way, and Sam knew it had the potential to reach people’s lives in a way the species of sea cucumber never has been accessed before.
This is how AKSO was developed. A marine biotech company focused on the research and development of the Sea Cucumber as a species, in turn, creating Nova Sea Atlantic Sea Cucumber Capsules. With Sam’s background in Business, there was no question that he wanted to develop this Product for those who have not tried Sea Cucumber as a cultural dish to experience, or a health care supplement with no side effects, playing as a competitive alternative to western medicine.
For the years of 2020-2022, AKSO has been approved to spend more than $2 million on new product development. The first phase of the study has been completed with the NRC, and it has been found that our exclusive process of sea cucumber powder has immune-enhancing effects. Phase II studies are underway with the goal of completing human clinical studies within two years to develop immune-enhancing sea cucumber products.
Nova Sea Atlantic Capsules are made of 100% wild caught Sea Cucumber, and sold as 120 capsules per bottle. Depending on the person, you may want to take 1-4 capsules a day.
Our supplements are jam packed with the nutrition of multiple Sea Cucumbers, which means you are doing less work for more benefit. This product is truly innovative, and Sam has no intentions on slowing down when it comes to who the Product will reach.
It is important as a Product to be intertwined with the culture it is derived from, which is something we take pride in. Everything we do comes from passion for the nutritional benefits of the species. We want to benefit the people, and share the product and the history of its place within Chinese Medicine to the world.
We thank you so much for taking an interest in our products. If you want to know more about the research and development of Nova Sea Naturals, please visit our website: AKSO.ca. We are more than willing to answer any direct questions you have, as well, of which you can ask in our contact form on our website, or by emailing info@akso.ca
No Comments
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.