Abalone
has yet to emerge as a popular restaurant dish in most parts of the
United States, other than primarily on the west coast. People who
don't live on the west coast or have never visited may not even be
aware that this single-shelled mollusk is a delicacy. Those who have
tried this mother-of-all shellfish realize why it is in such high
demand and supplies of it are so scarce.
Some say the scarcity of abalone shellfish is just hear-say to keep
these prized shellfish in high demand and the prices for it in the
upper end of marketing. The truth is that this delicacy has been over-fished
in its own natural environment, spurring a significant decrease in
their numbers in the mid to late 1990s. To help combat this decrease,
abalone farms with quick and sophisticated farming methods sprung
into existence.
There is a difference in the texture of fresh verses farmed Abalone.
Fresh Abalone Shellfish are tougher because in the wild the animal
use its muscle to acquire its own food. Another difference is the
color and brilliance of the inner shell. Usually wild Abalone is a
darker, more vibrant lure of color because of the cold waters that
reside near and around South New Zealand where most wild Abalone are
fished.
Wild or farmed, Abalone Shellfish are a true delicacy that most people
who have tried are willing to pay the highest of prices to have again.