Conpoy (Dried Scallops)

At $75/pound, dried scallops are one of the more expensive condiments you'll find in a Chinese grocery. Here, you're looking at about $10 worth of dried scallops, each about 1/2" in diameter. That's 14 scallops in all, which comes to just under 72 cents a scallop. And that isn't bad, as a few of these can flavor a whole pot of soup or congee.

Here's a good example of how to use them- Dried Scallop Congee with Fa Cai Yu Sheng at the excellent  Fong's Kitchen Journal.