CATDOLL : CATDOLL: What is the difference between green abalone and hanging abalone?

Abalone and mullet have occupied a unique position in Chinese cuisine since ancient times. Most people who can taste abalone are either officials or rich royal nobles. So, what are the differences between fresh abalone, dried abalone, frozen abalone, and canned abalone? Below, I will take you to find out:

Fresh Abalone

Fresh abalone refers to live abalone in shell. Due to the development of transportation and preservation technology, many restaurants use live abalone for cooking. Fresh abalone is mainly farmed species. The ones from Dalian, Yantai and other places are generally within 10 cm in length. Those with a shell length of 10-20 cm and a weight of 500-800 grams (with shell) are mainly from Australia, South Africa and other places.

Farmed abalone can be made into sashimi if it is well processed, it is tender and crisp. After steaming, it tastes a bit like cuttlefish or chicken gizzard, fresh and slightly tough and crisp, with a chewy texture. If it is puffed like dried abalone, it will be soft and tender, but the fragrance is obviously not as good as dried abalone.

Farmed abalone can be made into sashimi if it is well processed, it is tender and crisp. After steaming, it tastes a bit like cuttlefish or chicken gizzard, fresh and slightly tough and crisp, with a chewy texture. If it is puffed like dried abalone, it will be soft and tender, but the fragrance is obviously not as good as dried abalone.

Fresh abalone varieties with shells: Abalone with green lips (where it connects to the shell) is called green-lip abalone, with tender meat and a strong abalone flavor; black lips are slightly inferior; brown lips are called brown-lip abalone. They are larger in size, have a stronger flavor and darker color, and are more expensive. South African and Australian green-lip abalone are more common in the Sui Si Zhi market, but South African abalone is slightly better. This type of large abalone is farmed for more than 3 years.