Abalone seedlings in Lainjiang county, Fujian province, in January 2022. ZHENG CHENGLE/CHINA DAILY

Increased consumption

The development of abalone breeding technologies means more people can afford the seafood.

According to a report by the Huajing Industrial Research Institute, abalone consumption in China increased from less than 150,000 tons in 2016 to 229,400 tons in 2022. In terms of consumption structure, fresh-eating accounts for 71.2 percent and deep processing 28.8 percent. It estimated that driven by deep processing, there is still room for abalone consumption growth in China.

In Fujian, Zheng Libin, who runs a seafood restaurant in Taijiang district, Fuzhou city, said abalone sales in 2023 were better than 2022.

"The main channel of abalone is Fujian's Lianjiang and Dongshan counties. Shandong province also produces abalone. But after December, its price will go up because of production drawdown. In 2022, the price of abalone was more than 120 yuan ($16.74) per kilogram and last year, it dropped to about 100 yuan. Because of that, more people ate abalone."

A man in Fuzhou, who only gave his surname Chen, said he likes to add abalones into the soup he cooks on weekends.

"The price has dropped in recent years. We buy vegetables through Pupu and Yonghui, two online instant delivery shopping platforms. Six abalones, ranging from 190 to 215 grams in total, cost only 22.98 yuan. In the past, we only ate abalone at festivals but now it's an everyday food. My family loves them," he added.

In Jinan, Shandong province, an over-50-year-old woman surnamed Wang said her family enjoys eating abalones, and she often buys them.

"It's a must-have dish during Spring Festival. In the high-end market in Jinan, abalone costs 120 to 140 yuan per kilogram, with four abalones per kilogram. There are also normal-sized ones that cost 3 to 10 yuan each, depending on their size," she added.

A man surnamed Jia works in Beijing as a photographer. He is a big fan of the delicious mollusks. "When I have dinner with my friends, abalone is one of our favorite choices. If I buy it from the digital retail platforms such as Missfresh or Freshippo, they will be 16.9 yuan and 9.9 yuan each respectively, much cheaper than at the vegetable market," he added.