Jellyfish salad, when the denaturation of proteins works!

Yesterday I read in one of the italian newspaper that groups of chinese people along the italian coasts from Tuscany to Sicily rent pedalò early in the morning to go fishing jellyfish they use to cook fried or to make a salad. It is interesting to see how one of the cultural differences between asian and mediterranean food could be used to write an article for a national newspaper, by the way, it is interesting to investigate at the same time how to cook jellyfish and if it is safe! Generally jellyfish are considered dangerous marine creatures and there are some of these jellyfish like the so called "box jellyfish" living out of the australian coasts that can kill humans within minutes! This is why only a few species are good to be cooked. Generally some of the species we have in the mediterranean sea are good to be cooked. Jellyfish are amongst the most fragile and simple creatures in the oceans. Only 5% of their body mass is made up of solid organic matter. They do not have any specialized systems for digestion, reproduction or defense. The survival of the jellyfish depends upon their venom apparatus. It helps them procure their food and keeps large predators at bay. The venom apparatus of the jellyfish consists of numerous nematocysts along their tentacles and oral arms. These nematocysts are hollow and capsule like. Inside these hollow capsules is a thread which is tightly coiled. The venom of the jellyfish is trapped within this thread. Depending upon the species of the jellyfish, the number of nematocysts, their location and the toxicity of the venom will vary. The jellyfish does not have a brain to control this venom apparatus. The nerve receptacles of a rudimentary nervous system are equipped to sense as well as react to external stimuli. They can sense changes in light, odor, pressure, etc. When the tentacle of the jellyfish comes in contact with any hard surface, the nervous system immediately triggers the venom apparatus. The nematocysts burst open and the thread within begin to uncoil. They are then shot forward and they lodge themselves in the flesh of their victim or prey and inject the venom into them. This is how a jellyfish stings.
Jellyfish use their sting to paralyze or kill small creatures that they can eat as food. On the other hand, when faced by an attack by a large predator, they use their sting to paralyze them to get enough time to escape. When humans enter the same waters as the jellyfish, the jellyfish just reacts to the human presence in the same way as it would react to the presence of a predator.
So How to cook them?? The venom of the jellyfish is a protein type toxin and it could be inactivated by common processes that we use for the "denaturation of proteins", that is the desctruction of any secondary or tertiary structure of the protein itself and that is responsible for its biological activity. Hence, temperature, pH, presence of some metal cations can do this work. You can soak jellyfish in hot water and change it several times, or treat it with salt and alum, or soak a with vinegar solution. Then you can cut it in small pieces and prepare a salad or prepare it to fry! Here a nice thai recipe for a jellyfish salad:

YAM MAENG KAPHRUN
INGREDIENTS
2 cups jellyfish, cleaned and cut bite-sized
1/2 thinly sliced onion
2 thinly sliced shallots
8-10 crushed hot chillies
1 tsp. thinly sliced red spur chillies
1 1/2 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. lime juice

PREPARATION
1. Immerse the jellyfish in boiling water then remove and immediately plunge into cold water for a few moment. After removing from the water, drain. Thia will give the jellyfish the right munchy texture.
2. Toss the jellyfish with the onion, shallot, and chillies, seasoning to taste with fish sauce and lime juice. Put onto a plate on which lettuce has been arranged and decorate with slices of red spur chilli.