Tasting the Sea: The Merroir of Scallops
When you participate in a tasting at a winery in the Annapolis Valley, where I grew up alongside the local wine industry, a skilled sommelier will guide you through the primary, secondary, and tertiary tastes and aromas. Much of this is determined by the wine’s terroir—the sun, soil, and climate of the vineyard where the grapes grew. The sommelier might share stories of the vine’s struggle through hot days, cool nights, or a short growing season; the craftsmanship of the vintner; and the method by which the wine was aged. While you might know that you “like” or “don’t like” a wine in a matter of seconds, appreciating these factors elevates the experience by adding a level of meaning and contemplation. If you venture far enough down this path, you’ll find that it is possible to appreciate a wine that you don’t enjoy and reluctantly enjoy a wine that you know you should not appreciate.
The same idea translates into the world of shellfish, where the word terroir has been borrowed and adapted to create the word merroir (mare-wahr). This term refers to the distinct taste characteristics that shellfish—especially oysters, mussels, and scallops—develop based on the waters in which they are grown. Factors such as salinity, temperature, ocean currents, plankton composition, and seabed all contribute to shaping the flavor profile of the shellfish.
Just as grapes grown in Burgundy taste different from those grown in Grand Pre, scallops raised in Mahone Bay will have a different character than those from other waters. Because scallops are filter feeders, what they consume, along with the mineral content, water clarity, and overall environmental conditions, imparts subtle differences in their meat. The image of the oyster Master Guild Tasting Wheel illustrates the wealth of tastes and textures that you might encounter.
https://oystermasterguild.com/oyster-tasting-wheel
You can experience this for yourself by purchasing a variety of scallops from different regions and comparing their tastes. In addition to locally sourced products, you don’t have to look far to find scallops from South America, China, and Japan. If you prepare them, you can detect the difference in merroir. Japanese scallops from the cold, deep waters off Hokkaido are known for being sweet, buttery, and clean, often served raw in sushi restaurants. Chinese scallops grown in warmer waters may be richer and more pungent. Textures will vary by species and cultivation method. Dry-packed scallops are best, as those treated with a chemical solution like sodium tripolyphosphate can have a soapy or metallic taste. Of course, taste is subjective, and Maritimers tend to dislike anything with a fishy flavour, while that might be just fine in another market.
If you dive deep into this world, you may begin to notice intriguing secondary and tertiary tastes and aromas. Scallops grown in Mahone Bay reflect the bay’s unique marine fingerprint: cold, clean water that promotes slow, steady growth, resulting in plump, flavorful scallops with a firm bite and a clean finish. They are briny and buttery, much like Hokkaido scallops, with little to no sense of fishiness.
Because you can buy locally farmed scallops whole and live, you can further your exploration by tasting various parts of a scallop separately, as each has its own distinct profile. For example, you can experience the calamari-like texture of the mantle or the rich umami of the roe. You may also notice that the flavours change with the seasons.
Understanding merroir is about more than culinary appreciation—it’s about valuing local ecosystems and the sustainable practices that protect them. When consumers learn where their seafood comes from and what makes it unique, they become more connected to the environment and the communities that harvest it.
As interest in regional foods grows, the concept of merroir will only become more important. Chefs, sommeliers, and seafood lovers are increasingly treating shellfish like fine wine—sourcing by location, comparing notes, and seeking out local specialties. Scallops from Mahone Bay could one day be known worldwide not just for their sustainability, but for their signature taste.
As the farm-to-table movement grows, so does the demand for shellfish, which not only tastes great but tells a story of the place.
