Scallops

What are Scallops

The scallops or shells of S. Giacomo - family Pectinidae, genus Pecten and species P. jacobaeus - are edible and (from the gastronomic point of view) bivalve molluscs (or lamellibranches ) very valuable; scallops consume the internal nut (muscle) and coral (gonads), while the viscera should be minutely excluded by cleaning and processing the animal. NB . The gonads (coral) of the scallops are red or grayish, depending on the sexual variation in progress (hermaphroditism); moreover, we remind that the cholesterol content of this organ could vary considerably depending on the season and on the presence or not of reproductive "fregola" (which significantly increases the concentrations).

Description

The adult scallops reach dimensions that sometimes exceed 15cm in diameter, therefore they are larger than the average of the Mediterranean bivalve molluscs (with the exception of Pinna nobilis - almost 1 meter long); they are composed of two ribbed outer shells (ribbed), of which one is curved and the other is flat (on which the mollusk adheres most). The outer color of the scallops fluctuates from white, prevalent in the convex shell, to brown, typical of the flat shell; internally both have a dark border along the entire indentation, near the opening of the opening.

Not everyone knows that scallops are able to move in water very effectively. This is made possible by the rapid opening-closing sequence of the shells, a sort of "puff" of water that gives rise to a real propulsion. Furthermore, the scallops boast a visual ocular system which, although somewhat primitive, clearly distinguishes them from most other bivalves.

Nutritional composition per 100 grams of edible portion Scallops

Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)

water		82, 5g
Protein		12, 1g
Lipids TOT		0.5g
	Saturated fatty acids	0, 13g
	Monounsaturated fatty acids	0.05g
	Polyunsaturated fatty acids	0, 13g
	Cholesterol	24, 0mg
TOT Carbohydrates		3, 2g
Dietary fiber		0.0g
Power		69, 0kcal
Sodium		392, 0mg
Potassium		205, 0mg
Iron		0.4mg
Football		6, 0mg
Phosphorus		334, 0mg
Thiamine		0.01mg
Riboflavin		0, 02mg
Niacin		0, 7mg
Vitamin A		1.0 µg
C vitamin		0, 0mg
Vitamin E		0, 0mg

The scallops are typical and endemic to the biodetritic seabed (25-200m deep) of the Mediterranean sea, where they reproduce between May and June; however, some biologists hypothesize that the scallops constitute a parallel variety of the "great comb" ( Pecten maximus ), instead more distributed in the oceans; both species (or varieties) feed on plankton and organic particles filtered through the gills.

Fishing

The scallops are fished with the trawl-rapid technique and it is very important to underline that, especially in the northern Adriatic area, the considerable commercial demand and the illusion of being faced with an unlimited resource has led fishermen to neglect the possibility of a gradual depletion of the resource; to date, it seems we are actually experiencing an annihilation of the scallops (and not only).

In the kitchen

From the food point of view, the scallop is particularly appreciated raw with a little melted butter (but it is not recommended for hygienic reasons), or cooked in any way: in the pan and in the accompanying sauces, on the grill, in the oven and steamed.

Nutritional characteristics

The nutritional content of the scallops does not present excellent characteristics and, considering that a portion of molluscs (net of the edible part) rarely reaches 80-100g (mainly related to the costs of the raw material), it is an animal product with a dietary impact almost marginal.

Scallops are a low-calorie food, low in energy lipids (most of them polyunsaturated or good fats) and having little cholesterol; the proteins, while boasting a high biological value, are not particularly abundant and, like the other animals of the same group, even the scallops contain a small part of carbohydrates (not surprisingly, the taste of the capasanta is "sweetish").

The vitamins contained in the scallops are not worthy of note, except for the niacin which appears in greater quantities. As far as mineral salts are concerned, the scallops contain a fair amount of potassium, phosphorus and sodium (the latter, unsuitable for the hypertensive diet).

Being a potentially allergenic mollusk, scallops are not recommended in the feeding of pregnant women and children.