A scallop's color

I opened a bag of scallops this past weekend. With one exception, they looked just beautiful, firm but plump and creamy white. One of them was an off-orange color, however. Not needing it, I gave it to our dog after cooking, as she did not mind how it looked. I have seen this before but thought I'd ask here why this is sometimes the case with scallops. Did this particular scallop eat different food or what? Anyone have an insight into this?

I opened a bag of scallops this past weekend. With one exception, they looked just beautiful, firm but plump and creamy white. One of them was an off-orange color, however. Not needing it, I gave it to our dog after cooking, as she did not mind how it looked. I have seen this before but thought I'd ask here why this is sometimes the case with scallops. Did this particular scallop eat different food or what? Anyone have an insight into this?

What we in the US eat is the muscle of the scallop that is used to open and close the shell. In many other parts of the world, the whole beastie is consumed, the remainder of which is fairly bright orange. Perhaps not all the body of one was removed, imparting an orangish cast to the muscle?

Mark Lipton

Jon,

The roe is a coral color so maybe that stained the muscle? In any event, I would not worry about eating it in the future.

[Jenise]

Jon,

Scallops come in two colors: white and a pale orangeyh-pink. Perfectly good, perfectly natural. Lobster tails from Australia often also come in both colors, and so do mussels. I've blind-tasted each several time to try to discern a difference in flavor but can find none. Seems to be a pigment issue possible from like crustaceans from the same place of origin. Next time you get one that's different don't worry, they're all good.

There is a Pacific Pink Scallop in the Pacific Northwest and a smaller one on the East coast. I'm told they are less sweet with a more complex flavor. I often find them mixed in with the sea scallops I buy from Costco or Raley's. I cannot tell a taste difference, none that I have noticed anyway. I dislike the muscle you need to remove because sometimes they are hard to find but are so tough when left on.