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Abalone
Appears in
By John Ash
Published 2023
Abalone (Haliotis) is a large sea snail is found widely in the southern Pacific and off the coasts of Japan, as well as the west coast of North America. They have a single, powerful foot that allows them to hold firmly to rocks as they graze for bits of kelp. Like many mollusks, abalone can be found quite close to shore, making them easy prey for land predators and humans.
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.