How can we have meals during festivals without precious ingredients? Abalone, sea cucumber, shark's fin and shark's fin are the four great seafood delicacies. Among them, abalone is not only ranked first, but it is also the only seafood that still retains its freshness after going through multiple processes such as drying, soaking and cooking. Many friends say that dried abalone all look similar and are difficult to choose. Today I will introduce to you how to choose dried abalone~

First of all, you often hear "how many heads of abalone there are". This is because the size of dried abalone in the industry is named after the "head". This name originated from the measurement of abalone size in the Hong Kong market. Due to the high consumption of abalone in Hong Kong, this standard has been promoted worldwide. As for the so-called "number of abalone", it refers to the number of abalones in one Sima jin (equal to 16 Sima liang, or 600g). The smaller the number, the larger the abalone and generally the higher the value.

In addition, the different flow rates, temperatures and water quality of seawater in different places have a great impact on the texture, taste and growth rate of abalone. Even the same species of abalone can have different qualities and selling prices if they come from different places of origin.

The most commonly imported dried abalone in Hong Kong are usually South African dried abalone and Japanese dried abalone:

Japanese abalone

Produced in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, abalone is slightly smaller in size, shaped like a gold ingot, and has a softer and stickier texture. Japanese Jipin abalone is the highest grade abalone. It is almost impossible to find a small number of Jipin abalone on the market, and the price is also very expensive. The inner texture of Jipin abalone is thicker, and its taste is the richest and sweetest among all abalones. It is also 100% guaranteed to be soft and tender, making it extremely popular among gourmets.

Japanese Net Abalone <br>Net abalone is considered the best quality along with Jipin abalone. It has an oval shape and the beads on the edge are smaller. When the net abalone is cut with a knife, the cross-section of the fish body has a net-like pattern, so it is called net abalone. Net abalone is a relatively large species. If you like top-quality and large abalone, you can try Japanese net abalone.

Japanese Abalone <br>Most of the Abalone are produced in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is the smallest of the three types of abalone. It is gray-black in color and has small holes on both sides of its body. Because abalone mainly grows in cracks in rocks, fishermen pick them out with fish hooks, and these holes become their trademark. Japanese abalone has a longer shape and a thinner body. Therefore, it is easiest to become tender and smooth during the stewing process and is also easier to chew.

Middle Eastern Abalone <br>Abalone from the Middle East is smaller in appearance and not as beautiful as Japanese abalone. Not all of them are soft-boiled abalone, so their quality cannot be compared with that of Japanese dried abalone. However, because the taste of Middle Eastern abalone is similar to that of Hema abalone and its production is relatively small, its selling price has always been mid-range abalone.

Farming Jipin Abalone

Most of the farmed Jipin abalone are artificially farmed in abalone farms in South Africa and then processed by Japanese chefs. They are also smooth and sweet, with a softness of 70-80%. Moreover, its appearance is neat and resembles ingots, its color is golden, and its price is cheaper than wild abalone. It is especially suitable for festive occasions and gifts, and is the most popular variety in recent years.

South African Abalone <br>South African dried abalone is mainly made from local South African abalone, which is a local unique variety. South African dried abalone has many thorns on the edges and is large in size; of course, the quality of South African abalone is average, and the fragrance is not as strong as the above varieties, but because of its low price, it is quite popular in the international market. At the same time, South Africa has a relatively large production volume, so it is relatively easy to buy a small number of abalone. Even if you buy 8 South African abalone, the price per pound is only around HK$3,000, which is absolutely affordable!

So, what should you choose? Remember these 3 steps

First point:

The unique aroma of good dried abalone can be smelled from a distance, while inferior goods have a strange odor or a bleaching smell. A fishy smell means that the storage and transportation were not good, and it is the lowest quality product. Top-quality abalone has a rich aroma when you smell it. If you smell a fishy smell, it may be dried abalone from China impersonating Japanese abalone.

Second point:

If you find a thin layer of salt powder wrapped around the abalone, it proves that it has been stored for a long time and the abalone is very dry and old water will force the salt out of the abalone. The taste will also be relatively fragrant, and the price will of course be higher.

Third point:

For all abalones, you should pay attention to whether the abalone column is damaged and whether the edge of the abalone bead is cracked. In addition, put the Japanese abalone under the light, and if you see the abalone body is clear and yellow in color, it is a good quality product. Japanese Jipin abalone is even red in color and is a top-quality abalone. But this method cannot be used on South African abalone.