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There are many reasons to fall in love with (legally farmed) abalone, writes Joanne Gibson
Joanne Gibson gets under the shell of a (legal) perlemoen farmer
ROSES are red, violets are blue, abalone is tasty and an aphrodisiac too. Or so they say, based on the gastropod’s high protein and low fat content (great for stamina), its mood-enhancing selenium, its magnesium (boosts hormone production) and its vitamin B12 (raises metabolism).
The local abalone species Haliotis midae (also known as perlemoen, from the Dutch term parelmoer for “mother of pearl”) fetches such steep prices on the Asian black market that poaching is rife. “Entire colonies have been wiped out,” says Johan Hugo, company secretary at Abagold in Hermanus, one of South Africa’s first and largest abalone farms.
Hugo says his father Pierre feared for the sustainability of abalone way back in the 1980s, and tried breeding the molluscs — initially in small fish tanks at home. Hugo remembers carrying buckets of seawater up to the house as a boy and using his potato gun to dispense experimental feeds that had been made with his mom’s kitchen mixer.
Hugo snr founded Abagold in 1995 and today it is a profitable public company, second only to the Overstrand Municipality in terms of local job creation, with a mind-blowing technical infrastructure (including a wave energy converter) that makes it possible to nurture over 10 million abalone in 40 000 tanks.
Hugo now heads Abagold’s tourism component, Heart of Abalone. Visitors can see the abalone at various stages of their life cycle, from the tiniest of newly hatched spats to molluscs whose meat has reached the perfect size for canning whole (about five years old). In the gift shop you can buy shells, abalone pearls and jewellery in addition to cans of Pure Gold abalone, with a shelf-life of five years.
Heart of Abalone’s name refers primarily to Hermanus being at the “heart” of the abalone farming industry. But there’s also Abagold’s “heart” for the environment, and its “heart” for the local community: “To create opportunities for empowerment through various aquaculture-related initiatives,” says Hugo. And finally there are the traditional Chinese names for the tastiest part of abalone meat — right in the middle — “candy heart” or “sugar heart”.
South African abalone is delicious, regardless of any aphrodisiac properties it may have. “There are over 100 species of abalone globally,” says Hugo. “And although gourmands consider the best meat to come from Japanese awabi, you often see South African abalone being sold in the East as ‘Japanese-like’. Our perlemoen is very highly regarded.” The sweetish meat is richer and more succulent than scallops, with a firm texture similar to that of calamari. “It should be chewy but not tough,” says Hugo.
Abalone can be served raw, for example as sashimi with soya sauce and wasabi, or as ceviche. It can be dried and sliced like biltong. Or it can be grilled, fried in batter, braaied with garlic and salt, sautéed in cream, even stewed in a rich gravy (the preferred method in China, perfect for pairing with red wine). Abalone shells are not only used in jewellery thanks to their iridescent beauty, but also in crystal and gemstone healing because of their “energy”.
Hugo says no reputable chef would risk serving illegal abalone. “Poachers often leave their bags under a bush to await collection, which can take several hours, plus the shells are often damaged.”
Heart of Abalone, New Harbour, Hermanus, 083 556 3428 www.heartofabalone.co.za
Abalone can be served raw, for example as sashimi