GYOREN HOKKO

Dried Scallops

A feature of Hokkaido scallops is their large but oh-so sweet and firm meat pieces.The dried meat pieces from such top-quality scallops are an ingredient in high demand in not just Chinese cooking but also Japanese and western cuisines.

ScallopGyoren Hokko’s Dried Scallops

The scallops’ meat pieces are boiled in brine and dried to create appetizing shellfish nuggets rich in glutamic acid and inosinic acid, both full of savory flavor. Scallops have long been exported around the globe, mainly to destinations in Asia, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan, as an essential ingredient in Chinese cuisine. Indeed, their popularity of late now extends to the worlds of Japanese and Western cooking.
Gyoren Hokko dried scallops come from scallop shellfish landed along Hokkaido’s coastal region of the Okhotsk Sea. A special feature of these large scallops is the sweetness and firmness of their meat. And we take our time drying the big nugget-like scallop chunks.

Gyoren Hokko’s Dried Scallops

OriginGyoren Hokko’s dried scallops
originate from Hokkaido,
a place acknowledged for
its seafood around the globe

Gyoren Hokko’s dried scallops are an acknowledged genuine product graded by Hokkaido Gyoren, a known and trusted brand.
The proof-of-inspection grading card and grading stamp are proof that our scallops are a genuine product.

Map

About the Safety Certificate Sticker Providing Peace of Mind and Safety Assurances

Our dried scallop packages are labelled with a safety sticker detailing safety related to shellfish toxins, place of origin as well as harvest and processing dates, etc.

Grading cardGrading card showing that Hokkaido Gyoren has graded our dried scallops
  • Grade stamp

    Grade stamp showing grade, size and origin

  • Safety certificate sticker

    Safety certificate sticker

  • Outer packaging: Bulk products packaged by grade

    Outer packaging: Bulk products packaged by grade

  • Scallop Fisheries

    MSC Approved Hokkaido Gyoren Scallop Fisheries

    Hokkaido Gyoren harvest copious but stable amounts of scallops every year in Hokkaido thanks largely to shellfish farming, involving the farming of juvenile shellfish on the seabed (bottom culture), with seabed sections divided up by shell growth and a rotational harvest system in place for the harvesting of four-year-old scallops. Thus, the valuable scallop resource is cultivated and protected under a strict management system. This scallop farming approach has been lauded to the extent that Hokkaido Gyoren gained Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification in 2013. This comes in the form of an MSC ecolabel certifying that the labeled seafood product fulfills the standards for well-managed sustainable fishing.

  • difference

    By looks, by flavor and by aroma, you can easily tell the difference from foreign-produced scallops

    The main shellfish beds providing the raw marine material for dried scallops are in Hokkaido and Sanriku in Japan and locales in China. Of these, Hokkaido scallops are considered to be the best – in particular, dried scallop meat pieces taken from scallops harvested from the coastal region of the Okhotsk Sea have been carefully cultivated for four years before harvesting, setting them apart as culinary gems of gleaming golden brown seafood, rich in savory flavor and aroma. Moreover, processing (boiling in brine and drying) are carried out slowly and meticulously, so that the moisture and salt content in each dried scallop are even throughout to enable prolonged storage.

COLUMN

Expanding our own brand from plants and our own exclusive processing plant

On top of the three plants directly operated by Hokkaido Gyoren, we at Gyoren Hokko have our own exclusive processing plant that underpins the quality that ensures peace of mind and safety. Indeed, our packing facility is authorized to export seafood to China, so our products are formally sold to China.

Expanding our own brand from plants and our own exclusive processing plant
  • Expanding our own brand
  • Expanding our own brand
  • Expanding our own brand
  • Expanding our own brand

This is our exclusive processing plant. From here we deliver our brand to the world. It is HACCP certified and registered as a facility approved to export seafood products to China.

ProcessingDried Scallop Processing

From bottom culture farming to harvest

  • 01

    “Ocean Gardens” where scallops grow quickly under watchful eyes

    When it comes to the scallop industry, some 80% of all harvests throughout Japan are from the coastal regions of Hokkaido. One reason this percentage is so great is because Hokkaido’s coastal water temperature is suited to growing scallops, another is the well-established human care taken in the shellfish farming used to manage the scallops. The Hokkaido coastline could quite easily be called an “sea field” where scallops grow.

    “Ocean Gardens” where scallops grow quickly under watchful eyes

  • 02

    “Bottom Culture”, aquaculture in the Okhotsk Sea that carefully nurtures young scallops

    “Seeding” is the name of the technique used to ensure large batches of young scallops. The term is used because it presents an image of seeds being planted in a field. These young scallops are watched over carefully until they reach four centimeters in size after one year, and then those “seedlings” are released in the coastal region of the Okhotsk Sea.

    “Bottom Culture”, aquaculture in the Okhotsk Sea that carefully nurtures young scallops

  • 03

    Rotational harvesting of scallops that have grown large over four unrushed years

    Many of the scallop grounds are divided into four sections, with new young scallops released into the section harvested in the previous year. And when those new scallops reach four years old, they too will be harvested in the season that their flavor is best (June-October). By repeating this each year, a stable and sustainable supply of scallops can be achieved.

    Rotational harvesting of scallops that have grown large over four unrushed years

From “Washing” to “Shipping”

  • 04

    Washing to boiling

    Upon arrival at the processing plant, firstly, the scallop shellfish are washed to carefully remove sand and other such matter. Next, they are steamed, or boiled in a caldron, to force the shells to open up (1st boiling). The boiled shellfish are then shucked to remove the meat (adductors) from the shells. These are then evenly cooled right to the cores before being further boiled in brine (2nd boiling).

    Washing to boiling

  • 05

    Roast drying

    After being hot-air dried in a roasting oven, the scallops are moved onto the drying process in a temperature-controlled room, where they are alternately dried and rested from drying (to keep exterior and interior moisture differences at a reasonable level) repeatedly, with adjustments made to attain a moisture content inside the scallops of no more than 16%.

    Roast drying

  • 06

    Inspection before shipping

    The dried scallops are carefully inspected by veteran skilled workers, who check each scallop by hand and eye to make sure that no cracked scallop gets through the inspection. The inspected scallops are then screened for size and grade in accordance with the standard specification. Next, a Hokkaido Gyoren inspector conducts a strict grading inspection, with only the products that pass the inspection being boxed. Finally, a safety certificate sticker is applied and the grading seal stamped on to the outer packaging of each box. Now the scallops are ready for shipping.

    Inspection before shipping
Processing PDF

How to CookSoaking scallops in water to prep them for cooking

A really easy way to soak scallops

You can catch a video on how to soak scallops on the “Hokkaido Gyoren” YouTube channel. It is so easy, so why not give it a try!

  • 1
    Put the scallops in enough water to completely immerse them.

    Put the scallops in enough water to completely immerse them.

  • 2
    Leave them to soak for 24 hours.

    Leave them to soak for 24 hours.

  • 3
    Job done! An extra-long soaking helps to release more flavor.

    Job done! An extra-long soaking helps to release more flavor.

QualitySpecifications for scallops

Naturally, a beautiful shape and the presence of mold play a big part in the quality of scallops, but we also pay attention to “fleshiness”, the “color” and the “aroma”.
A top-quality scallop is regarded as being firm but soft, golden brown in color and with a good aroma.

PDF on Qualities and Grades of Scallops

Sizes & Specs

*The table can be scrolled horizontally.

Sizes Individual Weights Number Per
600g
No Image GL 16g or more Less than 38
No Image LL 12g or more but less than 16g 39 to 50
L L 8.6g or more but less than 12g 51 to 70
M M 6.7g or more but less than 8.6g 71 to 90
S S 5.0g or more but less than 6.7g 91 to 120
SA SA 3.2g or more but less than 5.0g 121 to 187
SAS SAS 2.4g or more but less than 3.2g 188 to 250
4S 4S Under 2.4g
(excluding extremely small scallops)		 251 or more
CC CC 5.0g or more for scallop
with 2 or less L-sized or larger cracks
B B List in Quality & Grading table

Qualities & Grades

*The table can be scrolled horizontally.

1st grade(Blue mark)

1st grade(Blue mark)

2nd grade(Red mark)

2nd grade(Red mark)

3rd grade(Purple mark)

3rd grade(Purple mark)

4th grade(Yellow mark)

4th grade(Yellow mark)
Fleshiness 1) Good firmness
2) No mix in of scallops that are extremely hard (ishi-dama), extremely old-looking, hard & chipped (ro-gai), slightly degenerated at core and lack firmness (ame-gai) or overly cracked on surfaces (hanasaki-gai)		 1) Firmness is slightly lacking
2) No mix in of scallops that are extremely hard (ishi-dama), extremely old-looking, hard & chipped (ro-gai), slightly degenerated at core and lack firmness (ame-gai) or overly cracked on surfaces (hanasaki-gai)		 1）Firmness is lacking
2) No mix in of scallops that are extremely hard (ishi-dama), extremely old-looking, hard & chipped (ro-gai), slightly degenerated at core and lack firmness (ame-gai) or overly cracked on surfaces (hanasaki-gai)		 1) Firmness is extremely lacking but scallop shape is maintained
2) Negligible mix in of scallops that are extremely hard (ishi-dama), extremely old-looking, hard & chipped (ro-gai), slightly degenerated at core and lack firmness (ame-gai) or overly cracked on surfaces (hanasaki-gai)
Luster 1）Golden or reddish brown scallops with inherent luster
2) No white powdering
3) No contamination		 1) Golden or reddish brown scallops with luster
2) No white powdering
3) No contamination		 1) Dark brown or have even better color
2) With insignificant degree of white powdering
3) Low contamination		 1）Dark gray and dark brown scallops
2) Marked white powdering (could be eliminated depending on extent of powdering)
3) Negligible contamination
Flavor 1) Characteristically flavored
2) Appropriate saltiness 		1) Scorched smell but retain characteristic flavor
2) Not too salty 		1) Slightly strange aroma but retain proper flavor
2) Strong salty flavor 		Minimal scorched, moldy, stuffy and/or other such smells
Mold None None None None
Shape Uniformly shaped Uniformly shaped 1) Lacking uniformity of shape
2) Gouge marks
Uniformity Uniform (in size & quality) Uniform (in size & quality) Uniform (in size & quality) Uniform (in size & quality)
Dryness Moisture content up to 16% Moisture content up to 16% Moisture content up to 16% Moisture content up to 16%
Contaminants None None None None

*Any product that does not meet (breaks) the above grades is “eliminated” from the grades.
[Reference]
Ishi-dama: Scallops that have become extremely hard lumps due to boiling in very salty water or water that is not pump changed enough in boiling.
Ro-gai: Growth has slowed causing meat sinews to knit closely together, making scallops extremely hard and vulnerable to chipping.
Ame-gai: Scallops that are slightly degenerated at core and have poor firmness due insufficient boiling or poor drying process.
Hanasaki-gai: Scallops that are overly cracked on surfaces due to excessively high boiling temperature.

Qualities & Grades (Broken)

*The table can be scrolled horizontally.

1st grade(Blue mark)

1等（青色マーク）

2nd grade(Red mark)

2等（赤色マーク）

3rd grade(Purple mark)

3等（紫色マーク）
Fleshiness Good firmness Firmness is slightly lacking Lacking in firmness
Luster 1）Golden or reddish brown scallops with inherent luster
2) No white powdering 		1) Golden or reddish brown luster
2) No white powdering
3) No contamination 		1) Dark brown or dark gray
2) Marked white powdering (could be eliminated depending on extent of powdering)
Flavor 1) Characteristically flavored
2) Appropriate saltiness 		1) Scorched or slightly strange aroma but retains proper flavor
2) Not too salty 		Minimal scorched, stuffy and/or other such smells
Mold None None None
Weight 1 piece must weigh 2.5g or more 1 piece must have 5mm angles or larger but weigh less than 2.5g 2 or more fibers in 1 piece
Angles under 5mm
Dryness Moisture content up to 16% Moisture content up to 16% Moisture content up to 16%
Contaminants None None None

*Any product that does not meet (breaks) the above grades is “eliminated” from the grades.

ContactPlease feel free to contact us