Codiva, a 40 year old Johor Bahru homegrown cannery claiming to produce the best abalone in Malaysia invited me to be their affiliate. I was skeptical about their claim. So, before making my decision, I decided to conduct a blind test of 5 canned abalones. If Codiva's 海中王 canned abalone come up top in the blind test, I will accept the invitation to be their affiliate. Otherwise, I would just thank them for the opportunity 😃
So, my team mates went to department stores around Johor Bahru and bought 4 different brands of canned abalone (and added Codiva's 海中王 abalone into the test group of 5).
My lab is my living room 😂
Canned abalone come in many grades and vary widely in prices from RM60 to over RM600 a can. We chose only canned abalone priced between RM100 and RM200 (as the Codiva canned abalone for the blind test costs RM168). The test group consists of one each from Mexico (Codiva 海中王), Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. We chose only abalone packed in brine (salt and water) and avoided those packed in braising stock 紅燒鮑魚 as the stock tends to mask the abalone's delicate natural flavours.
To conduct the test, I tasted the abalone straight out of the just opened tin can without cooking or heating. (Of course, there are many delicious abalone recipes but I wanted to taste all the canned abalone under exactly the same conditions.) The labels are randomly assigned an alphabet and are removed from the can before the blind test.
I scored the abalone according to texture, flavour, aroma, consistency (each abalone is the same as another from the same tin can), and value for money (price per gram).
If Codiva's 海中王 canned abalone emerges with the highest score in the blind test, I will accept their affiliate invitation.
A - The texture is soft, spongy at the core (foot). At the frilly fringe (tentacles), it is softer like gelatin which I like. The flavour of the foot is rather mild, though it is more robust and layered at the tentacles.
B - The texture is quite stiff with a slight plasticky feel. Little flavour. The least flavour in the test group.
C - Nice firm yet bouncy texture. Deep layered savoury flavour.
D - The stiffest texture of the test group. Nice layers of briny flavour.
E - Too soft texture, almost like stiff jelly. Has a slight chemical taste underlying the briny flavour.
Canned abalone C has the highest score, and it turned out to be from Codiva 海中王.
Promotion ended
A - The texture is soft, spongy at the core (foot). At the frilly fringe (tentacles), it is softer like gelatin which I like. The flavour of the foot is rather mild, though it is more robust and layered at the tentacles.
B - The texture is quite stiff with a slight plasticky feel. Little flavour. The least flavour in the test group.
C - Nice firm yet bouncy texture. Deep layered savoury flavour.
D - The stiffest texture of the test group. Nice layers of briny flavour.
E - Too soft texture, almost like stiff jelly. Has a slight chemical taste underlying the briny flavour.
Canned abalone C has the highest score, and it turned out to be from Codiva 海中王.
Promotion ended
Don't buy rubbery or mushy and tasteless abalone oh 😃
Joo Foon
Address: 35 Jalan Jingga 5, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru 80400 (temporary address as main shop is under renovation)
GPS: 1°29'01.5"N 103°46'46.9"E | 1.483735, 103.779688
Tel: 07-332 6746
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Would be great if you assign score / $ / gm since the price varies significantly from one to another?
ReplyDeleteYes, it's weighted into the final score.
Deleteyou won't go wrong choosing mexico abalone.
ReplyDeleteThe Chilean one has pretty good flavor too but it's on the harder side.
Deletewhy pay so much to buy Mexican canned Abalone, Australia Abalone just as good, u pay half the price compare with mexico canned abalone.
ReplyDeleteI think comparing different brands of Mexico-made abalone in brine with equivalent t mass/number of heads will be a more valid and reliable blind test.
ReplyDelete