Abalone

Until very recently, abalone was strictly a wild-harvested food, taken at low tides or by divers. But abalone (unlike the bivalves) are slower growing and subject to a boom-bust cycle in the coastal environment. Over the past one hundred years and around the world, many abalone species have been overharvested to the point of extinction. Today most abalone on the market are farm-raised to allow them to recover in the wild. Its slow growth and scarcity have made it one of the most expensive seafoods on the market. Abalone is sold live in the shell, frozen, canned, or dried. Fresh abalone is usually cut into steaks, tenderized by pounding (gently), and pan-fried, though it can be eaten raw as the Japanese do.