Conpoy is produced by cooking raw scallops and then drying them.
Terminology
Conpoy is a loanword from the Cantonese pronunciation of 乾貝 (gōn bui), which literally means "dried shell(fish)".
Usage
Scallops for sale at a market.
In Hong Kong, conpoy from two types of scallops are common. Conpoy made from Atrina pectinata or gōng yìuh (江珧) from mainland China is small and milder in taste. Patinopecten yessoensis or sin bui (扇貝), a sea scallop imported from Japan (hotategai, 帆立貝 in Japanese), produces a conpoy that is stronger and richer in taste [citation needed].
As with many dried foods, conpoy was originally made as a way to preserve seafood in times of excess.[2] In more recent times its use in cuisine has been elevated to gourmet status. Conpoy has a strong and distinctive flavor that can be easily identified when used in rice congee, stir fries, stews, and sauces.
XO sauce, a seasoning used for frying vegetables or seafoods in Cantonese cuisine, contains significant quantities of conpoy. For example, the Lee Kum Kee formulation lists conpoy as the third ingredient on its label.