The many faces of...
|
| Everybody’s got had that beat, Well, listen to those happy feet, Ain’t you glad that you found out, What the clam is all about, Do the clam, do the clam |
| |
— Elvis Presley |
The Many Faces of Quahogs |
| The quahog has many names, but is familiar to most people along the East Coast in one form or another. The quahog, or hard shell clam Mercenaria mercenaria, is named by its size. At one inch thick and sweet with ocean flavor, the littleneck is a favorite either on the half or topping a plate of pasta. When the quahog is over 2.5” long, it is called a cherrystone, which still earn a favored spot at the raw bar, steamed and dipped in butter, or grilled with bacon and parmesan cheese. Finally, once a quahog gets longer than 3”, it becomes the hefty chowder, and ends up in either a clam chowder or perhaps stuffed.
In addition to their value at the table, the purple stained parts of quahog shells were considered valuable by Native Americans. These shells, or violet wampum, were adopted as currency by the European colonists – including an established exchange rate! Today, the deep purple wampum is still used in jewelry and clothing.
Quahogs are considered a favorite shellfish by many seafood connoisseurs. The briny flavor is sweet and stands up to a variety of flavors and preparations – though many prefer the elegance of a littleneck on the half with a splash of lemon or dash of cocktail sauce. But what makes quahogs from Wellfleet so flavorful? |
| • Cold waters. The average temperatures in Wellfleet’s estuaries are colder than those in more southerly waters. Cold water temperatures slow down the clams’ metabolisms, helping them store compounds called glycogens, a process akin to carbo-loading, that make them sweeter tasting. |
| • Big, fast-moving tides. Wellfleet waters have significant tides, averaging around 12 feet, and broad, shallow estuaries. This means a high volume of fresh, plankton-rich ocean water washes swiftly through and feeds the clam beds twice a day. Also, regular exposure to air on the flats help make Wellfleet clams very hardy, thus able to withstand shipping and stay fresh for the consumer. |
| • Nutrient rich waters. Clams, like all shellfish, are flavored by what they feed on. Wellfleet Harbor is a nutrient rich, highly productive estuary with remarkably clean water.. |
For more on local aquaculture, see SPAT’s Fact Sheet on aquaculture in Wellfleet, the Chefs Collaborative communiqué, Shellfish: the positive face of aquaculture, or visit one of the following websites.
www.wellfleetshellfishdept.org
www.capecodextension.org/semac
www.massaqua.org. |
| *This document was prepared by Bill Walton, a fisheries and aquaculture specialist, who works with Barnstable County’s Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. |
Top |
| No longer the slave of ambition I laugh at the world and its shams As I think of my pleasant condition Surrounded by acres of clams. |
| |
— Francis D. Henry |
|
