OYSTERS, CLAMS, AND OTHER MOLLUSKS 253 



shallow water at low tide, but they are much more 

 plentiful in water from eighteen to sixty feet in 

 depth. Most of the fishing is done by the Japanese, 

 who go down to the bottom in diving-suits and de- 

 tach the abalones by slipping a steel chisel under 

 the expanded foot of the shell-fish. When the diver 

 has filled his net basket with shell-fish, he signals to 

 his assistant, who hoists the shell-fish to the boat and 

 then lowers an empty basket. 



The abalones are so large that small steaks may 

 be cut from them. After the mollusk has been cut 

 from the shell, the visceral mass and the mantle 

 fringe are cut away from the large central muscle, 

 which is then sliced into small steaks, ready for fry- 

 ing. Stewed abalones and abalone chowder are also 

 excellent dishes. 



A large proportion of the abalones taken in Cali- 

 fornia are cooked, dried, and smoked by the Chinese. 

 The product is exported to the Orient. The first step 

 in the preparation of this Oriental delicacy is the 

 salting of the fresh meats in brine. After being 

 thoroughly salted, they are washed and soaked, and 

 then spread on shallow trays to dry in the sun. After 

 four or five days, the abalones are cooked again, then 

 smoked and thoroughly dried. This process converts 

 the abalone meat into a tough, hard, brown product 

 which is difficult to slice, even with a sharp knife. 

 The Chinese either stew the dried product after soak- 

 ing, or grind it into a powder and make soup of it. 



Canned abalone has recently become a popular 

 American food and would be much more popular if it 

 were better known. Much canned abalone is also ex- 



