The soft fleshy texture and delicately mild sweet flavor of scallops are enjoyed by even those who are not particularly fond of fish or other shellfish. The season for fresh sea scallops and bay scallops runs from October through March, while fresh calico scallops are available from December through May. Sea scallops and frozen scallops are available year-round.
Scallops are mollusks that have two beautiful convexly ridged, or scalloped, shells. They consist of two shells hinged at one end which is why they are known to marine biologists as bi-valve mollusks. The edible portion of the scallop is the white muscle that opens and closes the two shells and is called the "nut". The reproductive glands known as "coral" are also edible, although not widely consumed in North America.
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