Japanese dried scallops (conpoy), 600g / 1 catty
The most old-Hong-Kong shopping street there is — just know exactly which dried goods can legally fly home with you.
Price: 680 HKD (Mid-grade Hokkaido conpoy per catty on Des Voeux Rd West; top grades exceed HK$1,500)
Where to buy: Dried Seafood Street (Des Voeux Rd West, Sheung Wan) — On Kee and neighbouring decades-old merchants; vacuum-pack service on request
Price checked 2026-07-03
- SERIOUS CUSTOMS WARNING: many dried goods on this street are prohibited or CITES-controlled abroad — shark fin, dried abalone (some species), fish maw from totoaba, edible bird's nest and most animal-derived TCM (deer, pangolin-adjacent products) can mean seizure and fines in the US and India. Dried scallops and dried mushrooms are the SAFE picks
- US CBP generally admits commercially packaged dried seafood like scallops; India's quarantine is stricter — declare and expect inspection
- Ask for 日本瑤柱 (Japanese conpoy) and buy by grade/size, vacuum-sealed with a printed receipt
- Herbal shops will happily sell you ginseng and cordyceps — cordyceps is high-value and heavily faked; buy only from old-name shops