The Popular Type Of Seafood That's A Total Flop In Our Book

If you don't have an allergy, you have probably developed a palate for certain types of seafood throughout your life. Maybe you love shellfish but hate white fish. Perhaps all you can stomach is breaded and fried fish (or fish sticks — we're not judging). If you are a true connoisseur of all that the ocean has to offer, you might have tried pretty much everything that's out there — like our intrepid taste testers.

Our team at Tasting Table wanted to put our love of seafood to the test by trying and ranking 26 popular types of seafood. One type ended up being a total flop, in our opinion. We found abalone to be the least palatable of everything that we tried. Abalone, which are large, ear-shaped marine snails, are considered a delicacy in many cultures. They contain highly nutritious meat that can be prepared in a variety of ways.

Unfortunately, our taste-testers couldn't find any way to prepare it that made it enjoyable. While they thought that the texture was fine — similar to calamari but denser — they found the too-fishy flavor of the abalone cooked in its shell less than tasty. And when not cooked in its shell, it seemed flavorless. While slightly buttery and salty, they found that abalone relied too much on the presence of other ingredients to elevate its flavor profile. And so, factoring in that it is also much more expensive than other types of seafood, it came last among what was tried.

Many people prefer other types of seafood as they find abalone to be bland and rubbery. The biggest complaints about abalone, in fact, are that it is too chewy, like chewing gum, is almost tasteless, and has a texture similar to unseasoned squid, scallops, or calamari. These problems are heightened when abalone is not properly prepared or cooked. If you have dried abalone, to achieve the ideal taste and texture, it should be soaked for four days, simmered for four hours in sauce, and then fried. This is likely a reason that it's not served that often. Other cooking methods when using fresh or canned abalone can make the seafood rubbery and tough. 

Abalone may not be a universally loved seafood, but it is considered a luxury in Asian countries and cultures, and is a delicacy that is often only eaten on special occasions, partly because it is so expensive. While abalone itself may be flavorless to some, the sauce and the way it is prepared are key to turning it into an enjoyable dish. When it is simmered for a long time in a savory sauce, such as an oyster sauce with mushrooms in Chinese cuisine, it has a more interesting flavor and texture; in fact, some suggest that it's one of the 15 types of seafood you need to stop overlooking. 

Unfortunately, some species, like the white abalone found along the California coast, are endangered, and so are a type of seafood that you'll probably never see again in the United States. However red abalone is sustainably farmed in the U.S. and is making a bit of a comeback.