Clam

A clam is a bivalve mollusk with two hinged shells and a plump, briny interior. It tastes sweet-saline and slightly oceanic, with tender meat that becomes pleasantly chewy when cooked. Cooks steam them in their shells, fold chopped meat into chowders and pasta, or bread and fry for fritters; they are sold live in-shell, shucked, or canned.

Wild and farmed clams are harvested along temperate and subtropical coasts worldwide. They anchor dishes in New England, Italian, Japanese, and Southeast Asian cuisines, with aquaculture and coastal fisheries supplying most retail markets.