Hotate Hoshi Kaibashira: Dried Scallop Adductor Muscles

Chinmi (珍味: literally, rare taste) is the Japanese word for food delicacy in English, and what I introduce here, Hotate Hoshi Kaibashira (ホタテ干し貝柱), comes under the heading of Japanese Chinmi.

Hotate Hoshi Kaibashira (ホタテ干し貝柱)

Hotate Hoshi Kaibashira is dried scallop adductor muscle, as Hotate (ホタテ) means scallop in Japanese, Hoshi (干し) means drying, and Kaibashira (貝柱) is the word for the adductor muscle of shellfish.

Here in Japan, those muscles are available in the snack and candy section of supermarkets, and they are pretty expensive compared to other treats.

Although the scallop snack is pretty tough, it is full of natural umami, and the more you chew, the more the savoriness comes out and the better it tastes.

How to Eat

Image: Amazon.co.jp

Not only do we enjoy Hotate Hoshi Kaibashira as an afternoon snack with green tea or as an Otsumami with alcoholic drinks, but we also sometimes rehydrate it with water and use it in various ways.

For example, we utilize the dashi stock from the dried scallop when simmering food, cooking rice, or making soup. On the other hand, we chop the rehydrated adductor muscle into small pieces and often add them to salad dishes.