What is the difference between yellow clams and floral clams? Learn to tell them apart at a glance
Clam is the common name for clams, of which there are many varieties, including yellow clams, floral clams, white clams, etc., but many people may still not know the difference between yellow clams and floral clams. Let's take a look below.
1. The difference between yellow clams and floral clams
The yellow clam, scientific name Mactra chinensis, is produced in the shallow waters of the Yellow Sea. Its shell is yellow, and its flesh is also yellow, with an axe-shaped shell and dark yellow markings. Clam meat contains protein, a variety of vitamins, and nutrients needed by the human body such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and selenium; it also contains trace amounts of cobalt, which has a good effect on maintaining human hematopoietic function and restoring liver function, and its nutritional value is quite high. Because the sea area near Donggang, Dandong, has abundant nutrients, the yellow clams abundantly produced here are larger and fatter than those from other places, with a more delicious taste and richer nutrition.
The floral clam, also called the flower clam, is a common shellfish seafood product on the market. It is widely distributed in the northern and southern sea areas of China. It grows quickly, has a short farming cycle, and has strong adaptability (wide temperature, wide salinity, wide distribution). It can survive out of water for a long time and is an excellent shellfish suitable for artificial high-density farming. It is one of the four major farmed shellfish in China.
The white clam is a shellfish abundantly produced on the Yellow Sea tidal flats in the Donggang area. It is named because its shell is whiter than those of other clams. Its size is about the same as a chestnut, and its quality and reputation can fully rival those of the yellow clam and the sand clam. Its taste is also special. Compared with the rich savoriness of the yellow clam and the intense savoriness of the sand clam, its mild, gentle, and moderately savory seafood flavor is more suitable for the general public's taste. Another characteristic is that it is rich in broth, with a fresh taste and tender meat.
2. How are clams eaten?
In cooking, yellow clams are suitable for many methods such as quick-boiled dressing, plain boiling, and stir-frying. The best way to eat them is still charcoal grilling. Place the prepared sand-free yellow clams on the charcoal fire. The bright red charcoal, the golden-yellow clam shells, and the steaming water vapor make one's mouth water. In a moment, when the yellow clams are grilled until they open, take them carefully off the charcoal fire, pick up the hot clam meat with chopsticks, and put it into your mouth. The plump juices are so fresh that it is more satisfying than eating bird's nest and shark fin. The most delicious part of the yellow clam is not the meat, but the juice inside the body. The ancients regarded this as the essence of the food. It is endlessly memorable and truly a delicacy on earth. Especially when good friends gather, a few close companions taste fine wine and chat about everything, this worldly delicacy is indispensable. Some people in Dandong even simply pry open a live yellow clam and put the thick flesh straight into their mouths.
Clams are plump and delicious, very suitable for eating at friends' gatherings, banquets, and other meals.