Pāua Shell 鲍鱼壳

Abalone, or Pāua in the Maori Language, is a delicacy in many countries world-wide. But even foodies may not know that Pāua also have a very beautiful shell. Upon polishing, Pāua shells would become really colourful, and shell pieces are often used for jewellery and ornaments. In fact, the Maori people have been using Pāua shells as eyes in their traditional wooden cravings for generations. Here, a polished Pāua shell is displayed along with other shells in a seashell museum at Nelson Bay, New South Wales.

鲍鱼是世界有名的海鲜。在很多亚洲菜系里鲍鱼是富贵的象征，而在一些西方菜系，例如法国，新西兰和智利，新鲜鲍鱼也算是比较高级的食材。可是你可能不知道打磨后的鲍鱼壳晶莹剔透，有着七彩的光泽。鲍鱼壳的碎片可以用来做首饰，而毛里人的传统木雕则用七彩的鲍鱼壳当眼睛来代表祖先的睿智。这张鲍鱼壳的照片摄於新南威尔州的尼尔森海湾的一个贝壳博物馆。