Clams (generic, large clams)
Clams in the general sense, from small hin jai to large hin, bought live and purged before cooking. Done Cantonese boat-family style, ginger flash-fried, water boiled, clams covered two to three minutes until every shell opens, they give a clean, sweet umami broth with vermicelli, daikon or white pepper. Any unopened shell is discarded.
TCM properties
Nature · cold Flavour · sweet、salty Meridians · stomach
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy clams are used to clear heat, drain dampness and nourish yin, and folk tradition also credits clam soup with caring for the liver.
Cautions: read first
- Safety criticalSoak them in salted water to purge the sand
- Safety criticalCook them right through until every shell is fully open (2 to 3 minutes) before eating, and throw away any that stay shut. Raw shellfish carry a risk of Vibrio vulnificus and norovirus
- Go carefully if you have gout
- Avoid if you are allergic to seafood
- Those with a weak, cold spleen and stomach should drink it sparingly
Preparation
Once they are purged, cook them the oil-salt-water way (油鹽水): flash-fry ginger, add water and bring it to the boil, drop in the clams, cover for 2 to 3 minutes until every shell is open, then kill the heat.
Origin
Shellfish fisheries along the New South Wales and South Australian coasts. Fresh clams are an in-store fishmonger item in Australia; dried clams are the pantry relative. For clams in black bean, pipis are closest to the Hong Kong 花甲; vongole are smaller and sweeter and take a minute less; Chinese fish shops have live clams. Purge an hour in salted water
Availability in Australia
Easy to find
Where · Fish market and fishmongers; live at Chinese fish shops
What to ask for · Pipis are closest to the Hong Kong 花甲 for clams in black bean
If it is not there · Vongole are smaller and sweeter, a minute less
