Conpoy

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Conpoy
Simplified Chinese 江 瑶 柱
Traditional Chinese 江 瑤 柱
Literal meaning river scallop
Alternative Chinese name
Simplified Chinese 干瑶柱
Traditional Chinese 乾瑤柱
Literal meaning dried scallop

Conpoy or dried scallop is a type of dried seafood product made from the adductor muscle of scallops.[1] The smell of conpoy is marine, pungent, and reminiscent of certain salt-cured meats. Its taste is rich and umami due to its high content of various free amino acids, such as glycine, alanine, and glutamic acid. It is also rich in nucleic acids such as inosinic acid, amino acid byproducts such as taurine, and minerals, such as calcium and zinc [citation needed].

Conpoy is produced by cooking raw scallops and then drying them.

Terminology

Conpoy is a loanword from the Cantonese pronunciation of 乾 貝, (Cantonese: gon1bui3; Mandarin: gān bèi ; Hakka:gorn boy), which literally means "dried shell(fish)".

Usage

Scallops for sale at a market.

In Hong Kong, conpoy from two types of scallops are common. Conpoy made from Atrina pectinata or kongyiu (江珧), a freshwater scallop from mainland China, is small and milder in taste. Patinopecten yessoensis or sinpui (扇貝), a sea scallop imported from Japan (hotategai, 帆立貝 in Japanese), produces a conpoy that is stronger and richer in taste [citation needed].

As with many dried foods, conpoy was originally made as a way to preserve seafood in times of excess.[2] In more recent times its use in cuisine has been elevated to gourmet status. Conpoy has a strong and distinctive flavor that can be easily identified when used in rice congee, stir fries, stews, and sauces.

XO sauce, a seasoning used for frying vegetables or seafoods in Cantonese cuisine, contains significant quantities of conpoy [citation needed].

See also

References

  1. ↑ Simonds, Nina (2005-06-20). Food of China. Murdoch Books. p. 289. ISBN 978-1-74045-463-6. Retrieved 12 January 2011. 
  2. ↑ Tsai, Ming; Boehm, Arthur (1999-11-09). Blue Ginger: East Meets West Cooking with Ming Tsai. Clarkson Potter. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-609-60530-1. Retrieved 12 January 2011. 
Dried fish
Dried seafood
Misc.
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