FAKE SCALLOPS?

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I am often asked about fake scallops by sales people and chefs. Here is a very brief summary of some general definitions.



  • Dry- untreated product that has been removed from the shell, that is all.
  • Wet - processed in a tri-sodium phosphate solution, also called dipped.
  • Frozen - of varied quality see above.
  • Sea - ocean harvested scallops sizes range from under 6 to 40 per lb.
  • Bay - harvest locations vary and determine flavor, northern products are preferred.
  • Scallop product - this is analogous to "Krab" aka surami, and is made from scallop pieces glued together with bovine hemoglobin, yum.
So fake scallops do exist, but it is very unlikely that they will be cut from any species of ray or skate. While it is quite possible to cut out circles from these fish: the texture and fiber direction is very different. And honestly not worth the effort.

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