The dried scallops: A must have in your pantry!
I would say that this is a staple in every Chinese cook's stock. All you really need are 3-5 dried of these in any soup and in most of the soups I've made, this is a great base to start with. Honestly, if you've got nothing to eat (except instant noodles and I wouldn't even that on a regular basis), make a congee out of dried scallops and serve with preserved cucumbers (that come out of the fridge) and you've got a pretty yummy meal.
How do I prepare it?
Soaking
Rinse briefly under cold water first to remove any surface dust. Soak in room temperature or cool water — never hot, as heat starts cooking them and you lose flavour into water you might discard. Soak for a minimum of 30 minutes for small/broken pieces, and 2–4 hours for large whole ones. For premium large ones, some Cantonese cooks soak overnight in the fridge — they plump up beautifully and the soaking liquid becomes even more flavourful. Save every drop of soaking water — strain it through a fine mesh to remove any grit and add it directly to your pot.
Cooking
Add them at the beginning of a long soup (1.5–3 hours) so they have time to fully release their flavour and soften. For congee, add early so they break down into silky threads throughout. For lighter broths or teas, a shorter simmer of 45–60 minutes is enough. They don't need to be chopped — they naturally pull apart into threads during cooking, which distributes flavour and gives a lovely texture. If you want them intact as a feature ingredient (like in a steamed dish), handle gently and don't over-stir.
Where can I buy it?
- You can purchase these from most Asian speciality shops (herbal shops that combine both TCM and seafood goodies). Though the range is quite wide... so it may take some time to learn how to buy and a discerning eye for quality.
- ALWAYS buy from a reputable source! There are such things as fake dried scallops out there due to their value (especially the larger ones).
What is the cost?
This is one of the widest pricing ranges of any dried ingredient — driven almost entirely by origin, size, and grade:
Budget tier — broken/small pieces (碎瑤柱)
- ~$8–$20 CAD per 100g
- Perfectly fine for soups, congee, and any recipe where they'll break apart anyway
- Most commonly from China or unspecified origin
- Great everyday option — this is what most home cooks use
Mid-range — medium whole scallops
- ~$25–$50 CAD per 100g
- Good quality, decent size, suitable for most soups and gifts
- May be Chinese or mixed origin
Premium — large Japanese whole scallops (元貝)
- ~$60–$150+ CAD per 100g
- Hokkaido origin is the gold standard
- Noticeably larger, more golden, more intensely flavoured
- Used for gifting, special occasion soups, or when the scallop itself is the hero ingredient
- During Lunar New Year the price spikes further as demand surges
Ultra-premium
- Exceptional grade Hokkaido scallops ~$200+ CAD per 100g at specialty dried seafood shops
- These are largely a luxury/gift item — the flavour difference over good mid-range is real but marginal for everyday cooking
Any benefits?
- Nourishes Yin — one of their most valued qualities; great for Yin deficiency patterns presenting as dryness, afternoon heat, night sweats, or dry throat
- Tonifies the Kidney — supports the foundational Yin essence (精 Jīng), which governs reproduction, aging, and vitality
- Benefits the Liver — helps with Liver Yin deficiency patterns like dry eyes, blurry vision, irritability
- Harmonises the Stomach, softens hardness — the salty flavour in TCM has a softening, descending action; good for digestive stagnation
- Calms the Shen (神) — subtly, dried scallops are considered slightly calming; the ocean's Yin energy
Any precautions?
- High sodium — go easy on added salt in your soup, and take care if you manage blood pressure, heart, or kidney conditions.
- High purines — the drying concentrates purines significantly; gout sufferers or those with high uric acid should keep portions moderate.
- Shellfish allergy — scallops are molluscs; avoid entirely if you have a shellfish or cross-reactive allergy.
- Sourcing matters — shellfish bioaccumulate heavy metals; buy from reputable suppliers with clear country of origin, ideally Japanese or North American.
- TCM note — slightly cooling in nature; balance with warming ingredients like ginger or dried tangerine peel (陳皮) if you run cold or have Spleen Qi deficiency.
Dried Scallops
I've tried these really cute and suitable dried scallops for soups from Soupwell! Highly recommend them as a source for this product. I also buy from a local vendor in Toronto whom my mom knows very well.
Please tell me how to dry Scallops in a commercial way.
Does it have to be cooked first?
Thank you.
I’m sorry that I don’t actually know how to dry them commercially! They are usually cooked when the Chinese use them as dried.
What would be a good dried scallop substitute?
Hello Tea, a good substitute would be dried octopus, dried shrimp (similar flavours), dried Chinese mushrooms (also produces a rich, deep flavour). You can consider dried tofu (although tofu doesn’t carry the same intensity). Hope this helps!