Scallops are a popular type of shellfish in both Eastern and Western cooking. They are characterised by having two types of meat in one shell: the scallop (white, meaty) and its coral (orange, soft) which is its roe. Dried scallop is known in Oriental cuisine as conpoy.

Scallops are commonly sautéd in butter, or else breaded and deep fried. Scallops are commonly paired with light semi-dry white wines. Generally speaking, when a scallop is prepared, only the adductor muscle is used; the other parts of the scallop surrounding the muscle are generally discarded. Most markets sell scallops already prepared in the shell with only the adductor muscle intact, the rest of the scallop is already discarded. Most commonly, markets in the US sell only the adductor muscle. Other markets - overseas in particular - sell the scallop whole.

In continental cuisine, scallops are often prepared in the form of a quiche or cooked and then set into a savory custard. In Japanese cuisine, scallops may be served in soup or prepared as sashimi or sushi

The French for a scallop is coquille St. Jacques, which means "cockle (or mollusk) of St. James", and that term also refers to a method of cooking and serving them with the coral, on a shell (real or ceramic) in a creamy wine sauce.