Conpoy or Dried scallop (干貝, Cantonese: konpui; Mandarin: Gān beì), is type of dried seafood product made from the adductor muscle of scallops. Conpoy is a loan word from the Cantonese pronouciation of konpui (干貝), which literally means "dried shell(fish)". It is commonly used in Asian cuisine, especially Chinese and Japanese cuisine. The smell of conpoy is marine, pungent, and reminicent of certain salt-cured meats. Its taste is rich and umami due to the high content of various amino acids it contains, such as glycine, alanine, and glutamic acid. It is also rich in nucleic acids such as inosinic acid, amino acid byproducts such as taurine, and minerals, such as calcium and zinc.

In Hong Kong, conpoy from two types of scallops are common. Conpoy made from Atrina pectinata or kongyiu (江瑶), a fresh water scallop from main land China, is small and milder in taste. Pationopecten yessoensis or sinpui (扇貝), a sea scallop imported from Japan (hotategai, 帆立貝 in Japanese), produces a conpoy that is stronger and richer in taste .

Like many dried foods conpoy were originally made as a way to preserve seafood in times of excess. In more recent times its used in cuisine has been elevated to gourmet status. Conpoy has a strong and distinctive flavor that can be easily identified when used in rice congee, stir fries, stews, and sauces.

XO sauce, considered by some as one of best seasoning for frying vegetables or sea foods in Cantonese cuisine contains large quantities of conpoy.

Seafood | Food ingredients | Dried meat | Asian cuisine

干貝 | 干贝