source: wikimedia.org

The other day I stumbled across Browne Trading Company’s blog and I have to admit that, despite my extensive experience in buying, preparing for clients, and eating scallops (well, before I found out I’m horribly allergic), I learned a ton of helpful information to guide my purchases in the future.

Nick Branchina is the Director of Marketing at Browne, one of the most respected and trusted seafood and caviar purveyors in the country, located on Commercial Street in Portland. Nick’s article is definitely worth reading in its entirety, but here are some notable snippets:

On identifying true diver scallops when purchasing:

• “The scallop meat itself should react with a pulse when snapped by a finger to show that the mussel is still full of oxygen, which occurs when harvested by hand without the stress of being dragged in a scallop dredge.”
• “The scallop meat (actually the shucked abductor muscle) should be firm and stand up solid when laid on a surface.”

Diver Scallop Facts:

• “True “Diver” Scallops are those that are hand harvested from the ocean floor by professional fishermen who are licensed scuba divers.”
• “Less than 1% of all the scallops harvested are really those hand harvested by a diver.”
• “When you purchase Maine Diver Scallops, you support an ultimate practice of ecologically friendly harvesting that allows selective harvest of mature scallops. There is no impact on the bottom environment that traditionally occurs with conventional ocean floor scallop drags.”

Read the rest of the article here and visit Browne Trading Company online or in person for the best seafood around.