Shark fin soup: Proposed shark fin ban has Chinese restaurants in a stir

Shark fin soup: Proposed shark fin ban has Chinese restaurants in a stir - latimes.com

Owners say the fins are an essential part of Chinese cuisine and urge legislators to strengthen existing laws.

First it was roast duck and rice noodles. Then it was cooked frogs and turtles. Now shark fin soup, the caviar of fine Chinese cuisine, is under threat from California legislators seeking to ban the possession, sale and consumption of shark fins in the state.

Owners of local Chinese restaurants gathered at Gourmet Island restaurant in Alhambra on Friday, vowing to save the centuries-old tradition.