If you told us to list the symbolic foods of Chinese New Year, it won’t take long for us to get to abalone. It’s believed that eating abalone, or 鲍鱼 (Bàoyú), will bring good fortune and abundance for the rest of the year!
Knowing abalones
Popular as they are, many don’t know enough about them. Abalone is a type of shellfish that lives in cold waters along the coasts of New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Western North America and Japan in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s eaten as a delicacy in both Asian and Western cultures.
1. Many kinds of fish can be harvested in a single haul but abalones have to be handpicked one by one. Free divers plunge into the sea to look for them and carry them back to shore. It’s highly labour intensive for a pretty low yield!
2. Abalones can be found in the wild or cultured in farms, restricted to the red abalone species. As they are not in abundance, harvesting is controlled to preserve marine ecosystems. The average size of wild-caught abalone is 12 inches. Cultured abalones are smaller in size and average about 4 inches in length.
You can find both wild and cultured in our range of canned abalones.
3. Abalones are a good source of protein and Omega 3 fatty acid, as well as a wide range of vitamins and minerals.
Serving suggestions
Abalones are said to take on the flavours of the ingredients they are cooked with, so get creative! Our recipes are super simple yet irresistibly delicious. Try them out:
Baby Abalone with Hot Mayo Miso Sauce
Add a little zing to a Chinese New Year tradition.
Braised Baby Abalone with Stuffed Onion
Savoury perfection that will kick off any festivity.
Braised Wild Abalone in Golden Sauce
Serve up your abalones in a decadent, rich sauce!
Braised Baby Abalone in Red Yeast Sauce
Make this the centrepiece and impress your guests.
Now watch your reunion dinner guests react to your abalone masterpiece!
Explore related categories:
Shop all abalones
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