Surf clam / short-necked clam
Small live clams (surf clam / short-necked clam), the Hong Kong summer favourite, bought live and purged of sand in salt water. Dropped into boiling soup and cooked just until the shells open, they release a sweet, briny liquor that makes the whole pot taste of the sea. Overcooking turns them rubbery in seconds.
TCM properties
Nature · cold Flavour · sweet、salty Meridians · stomach
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy clams are taken as cooling (used to nourish yin, clear heat and promote water metabolism) and valued as a high-protein, low-fat quick-soup shellfish.
Cautions: read first
- Safety criticalSoak them in salted water for at least 30 minutes to purge the sand
- Safety criticalThey must be cooked right through until the shells open (covered, 2 to 3 minutes). Raw or undercooked shellfish carry a risk of Vibrio vulnificus and norovirus. Throw away any that stay shut, and never prise one open to eat it
- Go carefully if you have gout (shellfish purines)
- Avoid if you are allergic to seafood
- Those with a weak, cold spleen and stomach should drink it sparingly
Preparation
Purge them in salted water, add them to the boiling soup last, and kill the heat the moment they open; overcooking turns the flesh rubbery.
Origin
The New South Wales and South Australian coasts (pipis, surf clams). Fresh clams are an in-store fishmonger item in Australia; dried clams are the pantry relative
Availability in Australia
Easy to find
