Scallops in the Raw (or Not)

Here's something you won't see in North American food stores:


This is what scallops look like when they're still in the shell.

Why they're not sold this way in the United States I'm not certain, but possibly it's because they're not caught locally (any shellfish still in the shell needs to remain alive until it's sold), or possibly because shucking them before sale allows them to be adulterated and watered down.

Scallops here are much tastier than most of the ones you find in New York. But I've only had them in restaurants -- shucking raw, live ones isn't something I'm quite ready to try yet ...