HealthyPIG Magazine

Seafood is the most widely traded food commodity globally. More than 3 billion people consume wild-caught and farmed seafood as a primary source of animal protein. About 14% of global seafood consumption is bivalve molluscs. The vast majority of bivalve molluscs come from aquaculture, with only 11% being wild-caught. Bivalve molluscs are in twice as much demand as crustaceans, making them an integral part of the global food supply.

The most commonly eaten bivalve molluscs are clams, mussels, oysters and scallops. These are all members of the taxonomic class Bivalvia and the phylum Mollusca—although they belong to different subclasses, orders, and families. All bivalves have two shells that enclose their gelatinous and fragile bodies. They feed primarily on plants, algae, and bacteria, which filter through hair-like cilia. Because of this digestive process, their diet imbues the bivalves with the unique flavor they call the sea.

From a culinary perspective, scallops are one of the most unique and delicious bivalve molluscs. Chefs and food lovers love their unique meaty texture and relative ease of preparation compared to their bivalve cousins. To understand why scallops are so noteworthy, let’s take a closer look at what scallops are and what they taste like.