Yep real scallops are a lot tastier, but if you notice sometimes the scallops you get are all the same size......like a cookie cutter......You can tell the difference by the grain of the meat also.
We still have scallops over here on the east coast, used to see the boats going out Ft. Pierce inlet and come back loaded with them.
I don't know if they are still harvesting them now or not. I have never been a great fan of scallops, but oysters I love. Raw, steamed, fried, stewed, etc. But just a word of caution, eat no shell fish, raw, or steamed ! I have a friend who is an epidemiologist, and she said there is not a bed in the US that is not polluted. And steaming only kills the animal, not the bacteria. stewing, or boiling, and frying will kill the bacteria. So you can safely enjoy them cooked that way. Man, can you imagine the leather from a giant Manta Ray? Well, now we have a trade item for anyone who has the ability to catch sting rays. It's like Trigger fish. Most people throw them away. There was a guy who used to wait at the docks for the drift boats, and get all the Trigger Fish, that no one wanted. I know my neighbors son had the chance for a large portion of fresh caught Grouper, and he opted for the Trigger fish. There is a nice white fillet that runs along each side of the back bone. In the Virgin Islands, there is a museum on St. Croix, called the Whim house, and it has Trigger fish skins, that were used for sanding floors, and wood products.
Wayne
