BY VIOLET OON

Are they an erotic food? Good for your sex life? Apparently that is the belief widely held but interviews with a Chinese physician as well as a spokesperson from Skylight, one of the top abalone brand names in Singapore, nixes this belief in the bud.

“Not true,” they both said. “Abalones are not aphrodisiac – rather they are believed by the Chinese to be one of the four top culinary delicacies – the other three being Shark’s Fin, Sea Cucumber and Bird’s Nest.”

The abalone, in addition, is prized for its name – Bao Yu – which intonated differently – can also mean ”assurance of surplus”. That is why, besides its prized culinary and nutrition benefits, abalone is a desired food, especially during the Chinese Lunar New Year when it is served at the family Reunion Dinner on New Year’s Eve and during the whole of the 15 day celebrations.

The abalone is a gastropod mollusk, of the sub-order Rhipidoglossa and genus Haliotis.

Mexican abalones are still believed to be the best in the world and since the farming of wild abalone is strictly regulated in Mexico, the Mexican supply seems to be able to be kept up with the demand. The legal size of a wild abalone before it can be harvested is usually between 10 cm to 13 cm, depending on the type of abalone and the country. Greenlip, black and red abalones are amongst the most common types.

Baby abalones have become prized on dining tables because in dishes like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, each diner can be given one abalone – and these baby abalone come from abalone farms as they are too small in size to be harvested legally in the wild. South Australia is one source of baby abalone and South Africa is another. These are farmed abalones and do not need to reach the mandatory legal size of 10 to 12 cm diameter before being harvested. As our picture shows, this small abalone can be held in a palm of a hand.

Abalones are mollusks which are made up of a beautiful multi coloured luminescent shell perforated by a row apertures for the escape of water from the gills and it covers the flesh like a sea ear. The abalone itself clings to the rocks with great strength with its broad, muscular foot.

The native Indians of the coast of America long treasured and harvested the wild abalone, usually treasuring the beautiful shell far beyond the flesh. They called the abalone uhllo and the shell money had the same name. Inland Indians prized the luster of the uhllo, and gave the coastal Indians amazing exchanges for the shells. The Indians of the interior were strongly attracted by the luster of the uhllo and gave the coastal traders amazing bargains in exchange for the pretty shells.

After the Spanish introduced horses to America, the Indians of the interior often exchanged a horse for one piece of shell. Uhllo continued to be used as money by the Indians even after California was a member of the Union in 1850.

The common names of most of the abalones are derived from the predominating color of the inside of the shells. The inner layer of the shells of all the species is pearly and multicolored. The three best known species in California are the red abalone (Haliotis rufescens), the southern green abalone (Haliotis fulgens), and the black abalone (Haliotis crackerodii).

Canned abalones are the most accessible and easy to use. Skylight’s spokesman said that when the quality of the abalone is not good and the processing is not done well, you will need to steam the whole can of abalone, unopened, for about 1 to 2 hours to make sure that the abalone inside is tender.

He added that today’s quality canners have perfected their technique so well that all you need to do is to open the can of abalone, gently steam till the abalone and sauce are hot and then serve. Do not bring the abalone meat to the boil in its liquid or in water as this will toughen the meat.

In Singapore, abalone is eaten only during the Lunar New Year at home as the crowning ingredient in the traditional Steamboat Dinner – apparently this is the worst way to eat abalone as it is usually sliced up and left to boil in the steamboat. If you do need to use it in your favourite steamboat meal, just dip the slices for a second or two in the boiling broth before removing immediately and popping the slice into your mouth. Many canners now cook the abalone with broth or with a sauce and this makes it easy to enjoy abalone any time of the year.

For the true connoisseurs, dried abalone is used and preparing them for cooking is a laborious process. Then there is the actual cooking after the preparing! Most of us prefer enjoying our dish of epicurean abalone in a top grade Chinese restaurant, where the kitchens have both the knowledge and skill to make the most of this popular food.

So we are told that the abalone is not an aphrodisiac. Does it contain any other nutrients that contribute to your well being so much that it has given rise to this reputation of pepping you up for love? How did this myth arise and persist?
Could it be that abalone’s high concentration of Selenium was the root of its reputation as a love potion? In a double-blind trial, selenium supplementation of infertile men improved the sperm cells and increased the chance of conception.

© All pictures by UV Picture Library

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