Why are abalone always described using the number of heads?
Abalone is a prized seafood delicacy, often referred to as "soft gold of the ocean" and "table gold, the crown jewel of seafood," and is a highly sought-after seafood product. When buying abalone, we are often asked how many heads (of the abalone) we want. So, what does "how many heads" mean in the context of abalone?
What does "how many heads" mean in the context of abalone?
The term "head-to-head abalone" doesn't refer to how many heads you want to buy, nor does it mean how many heads a particular type of abalone has. Rather, it's a measure of abalone size, indicating how many abalone you can buy per pound. Generally, the larger the abalone, the fewer abalone you can buy per pound. These larger abalone are the most nutritious and delicious, and therefore more expensive.
Take dried abalone as an example. Generally speaking, abalone is graded as follows: top-grade dried abalone (2-4 heads), premium-grade dried abalone (6-9 heads), first-grade dried abalone (10-16 heads), second-grade dried abalone (17-40 heads), and third-grade dried abalone (>40 heads). The smaller the number of heads, the rarer the abalone, especially "double-headed abalone," which is extremely valuable. The most common high-quality abalone is usually 3-headed, of moderate size, and with an excellent flavor.
