<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="1" > Yemeni fishermen picked up 127 kilograms of ambergris and sold it for $1.5 million, why is it so expensive? </h1>
Recently, there was a hot news report that 35 Yemeni fishermen were fishing in the Gulf of Aden when they accidentally found a piece of ambergris weighing 127 kilograms and sold it for $1.5 million. It was a moment of getting rich. The thing called ambergris is actually whale excrement, but not every whale excretion has it. It can be said that every time a piece of "ambergris" is obtained, a whale dies, and the scarcity exceeds that of gold. In foreign countries, according to local laws, what you pick up is owned by an individual and does not need to be handed in.
Ambergris is a solid waxy combustible substance of silver gray or black with a unique fragrance and is the deodorant of high-grade perfumes. Its essence is a dried product of the intestinal secretions of sperm whales of the sperm whale family, which whales excrete in different ways or remain in the body.
There are many similar reports, such as: Thai fishermen walking on the beach and picking up 6 kilograms of ambergris, worth 10 million baht. There are also Koh Samui residents who pick up 10 kilograms of ambergris, valued at 20 million. It can be said that the relevant reports are endless.
Ambergris has been a precious Chinese medicine since ancient times, and it is also a high-grade spice. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" records that it can "invigorate blood, benefit essence, help Yang Dao, and tongli bloodline". It can be seen that people's use of it has begun very early. There are many similar things in animals, such as ox yolk is the stone of cattle, and musk and so on. It's all formed by the animals themselves.
The earliest "record" of Chinese ambergris was in the Han Dynasty. Fishermen find that picking up these things, after natural degeneration, drying and dehydration, emit a strong smell, a long-lasting incense, and when lit, the aroma is more fragrant than musk. In ancient times, as a tribute to the emperor.
Ambergris has a complicated process of becoming a top spice, and the ambergris that has just come out is black and soft, and the smell is unpleasant. After time sedimentation and seawater action, it gradually turns gray and then white. The white logo ambergris has taken shape. Seawater plays a role in fat saponification. Medium quality ambergris, grayish yellow in color, mixed with some earthy sweet aromas and salty seawater. The top product is white, aromatic and mellow and long-lasting fragrance.
Because there are few, but there are more human needs, they began to synthesize and kill sperm whales on a large scale. Overfishing has led to a sharp decline in sperm whale populations, and the quality of synthetics is too poor. Therefore, the fragrance that uses ambergris as an incense is expensive and has become a luxury in the commodity. At present, the auction is about $100,000 per pound, or about 635,000 yuan, which is thousands of dollars per gram.
Think about the past people used to use them to make spices, is it a luxury to watch. So if you encounter such a similar substance when you travel to the seaside, how can you tell it?
Discern by shape, color, smell, and touch:
1. Shape
The essence of ambergris is the undigested beak bone and secretions, most of which can be seen directly, and the same long-term precipitation also makes ambergris have annual rings. It can be seen by looking at the rings.
2. Color
Ambergris is mainly composed of alcohols and lipids, and after a long period of decomposition and aging, it will turn yellow, gray and white.
3. Smell
The main fragrance of ambergris is wood, and you can also smell some of the salty smell of seawater and the sweetness of milk.
4. Touch
Because of the large amount of lipids and alcoholization, it looks hard, but it is not actually hard, and it can bite down with the teeth.
Have you had interesting experiences picking up in the wild? Leave a message in the comment area to share.