Haven’t seen a “what I had for dinner” post like this in a while, so here goes
They aren’t the fastest creatures. But they sure are pretty. I am speaking of haliotis rufescins, better known as Red Abalone. Here is what I did today:
First I woke up at 3AM, because I needed to be at my buddy’s before 4. Then we drove 3.5 hours to the coast. Found the conditions there to be extremely nice…wanted to spend all day, but had to get back home. Did the diving…20-25’ breath hold (snorkeling), for a limit of 3 Red Abalone. Drove home to share with y’all.
Spent a summer back in the 60’s living in a cave on the beach under Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla. Ate a lot of abalone (back then it was possible to get them in 10 feet of water), fish and lobster. We used to eat the abs then sells the shells to tourists for $5 each. By the middle of summer we were known to trade seafood for a burger and fries just for a change of diet.
That brings back memories of my youth. It’s been years since I last made a dive. When I was in High School my neighbor turned me on to Scuba and snorkel diving. We would go diving at a beach just on the other side of the Princeton pier and catch our limit of Abalone.
Mao, Yes, memories. My friend and I used to dive for them off Carmel Beach State Park (Monastary Beach). Sheer iognorance and stubbornness caused me never to taste them until a waiter’s mistake at the Fishwife Restaurant in Pacific Grove. I was served something that looked exactly like your bottom photo. Although it didn’t look like what I ordered ( I don’t remember), It sure looked good so I tried it. The rest is history. THAT’s what I now order at the Fishwife for our anual CA visit for the last 10 years or so. I also once had to write a letter of character reference to a California Court for a Korean client who was caught harvesting abalone out of season. He was visiting his family in CA and apparently had no clue as to “seasons”. In any case, that was his story and he sticks to it till today. The judge did take my letter into consideration and he will be released from prison in 2043
Yep, I grew up getting them from Monterey South as well. Big Sur. San Luis Obispo County, etc. That’s all done now. All abs have to be taken north of San Francisco, and only breath hold diving.
i have never eaten it in a restaurant. Any time I ever have seen it in a restaurant, it is too expensive for my pocket…and the portion is much too small. heh. sure is good eatin’ though.
I just wonder what the 1st person that ever ate an Abalone was thinkin …oowwee I bet this is gonna be tasty…or was he thinkin,I believe I’ll go swim with the sharks and see what I can find on the bottom …hunnee I’ll see after while I’m goin to sea for supper maybe I’ll return…Thats crazy.
All jokin aside I’ve heard they are really good to eat.
Beautiful Shells BTW
I hear you jeffro. Not something I woulda eaten if I didn’t already know they were great. unlike sushi…you can tell me it’s great all day long, but it’s still bait, and therefore unfit to eat.
maodiver if it filters like an oyster etc., its probably dangerous to consume…I’m almost afraid to eat anything anymore since i have 2 Stentz now.
What does it taste like?
Nope! they aren’t filter feeders like oysters. They are grazers and feed on the algae, etc., that grows on the rocks. FWIW, I have had a triple bypass and then a stent installed and that does not interfere with my oyster eating! I’m only gonna’ make this trip once and I intend to relish every moment of it!
They mostly eat kelp which is “blown” into them by the current/wave action. It is kinda cool to see the abalone rear up and “attack” a piece of kelp you hold out to them.
oysters and other filter feeders aren’t dangerous either, unless there is bad pollution, or too much of a dangerous type of plankton in the water. Then you could get sick. you just have to check the danger warnings in your state. I have eaten a lot of local oysters, as well as self-gathered mussels, clams, etc in the right season…and no, I don’t eat them raw either.
