The difference between hairy clams and blood clams

Many people in my family like to eat seafood, especially shellfish. They have a seafood aroma and have a thick soup after being fried in a pan. The taste is very good. Hairy clams and blood clams are usually two species. The difference can be seen from the appearance. No matter their individual habits, origin, or efficacy, they are completely different.

Morphological characteristics of hairy clams

The adult shell is 4-5 cm long, with an expanded oval shell surface, the two shells are unequal, and the top of the shell is protruding and rolled inward and biased to the front;

The shell surface has 30-44 radiating ribs with small square nodules on the ribs; the hinge is straight with about 50 teeth; the shell surface is white and covered with brown velvety epidermis.

Distribution area

Distributed along the coast of Japan, North Korea and China in the western Pacific. In China, it is distributed from the Yalu River in the north to Guangxi in the south, Laizhou Bay, Bohai Bay,

Shallow water areas such as Liaodong Bay and Haizhou Bay are particularly rich in resources.

Living habits

Hairy clams live in muddy and sandy bottoms in shallow sea water within 20 meters in depth, and are more common in water depths of 2 to 10 meters; they are also often distributed in the lower intertidal zone. Buried shallowly,

Generally, it deepens with the growth of the individual, with a depth of 3 to 10 cm. The best habitat for this fish is in inner bays with an appropriate amount of fresh water inflow. The salinity is generally between 21 and 28.8, and the water temperature ranges from 0 to 32°C. It is a wide-temperature and wide-salinity species. The main food is diatoms and organic debris.

Edible value of blood cockles

Clam meat tastes sweet and salty, and is warm in nature. It enters the spleen, stomach, and liver meridians. It has the effects of replenishing qi and blood, strengthening the spleen and stomach, dispersing stagnation and eliminating phlegm. It is used for symptoms such as abdominal masses, lumps, and old phlegm accumulation. It also has antacid and analgesic effects, and can be used to treat stomach pain and acid reflux.

People in Chaoshan, Zhangzhou, Quanzhou and other coastal areas have the custom of eating clams and using them to sacrifice to their ancestors. Tomb sweeping during Qingming Festival, Xiayuan Festival and Winter Solstice Festival,

When descendants share offerings at a tomb, they often eat clams first. After eating, they scatter the clam shells on the tomb to show their wealth and prosperity. However, eating clams in March is the last time for them to be eaten. The best time for them to be eaten is between November and December in the cold winter. When catching, kick with your feet. "Nanyue Notes" records: "Fishermen of sand clams in winter catch them with their feet, which is called kicking clams. The clams are fat when the weather is cold, and the bellies of pregnant women in mid-autumn are black, while the white ones are the most valuable." For the good varieties of clams, Chaoshan people believe that the "Zhu Chi Red Clam" should be recommended, because it is large and fat, with tender and crispy meat and a slightly salty taste.

During the Chaoshan New Year’s Eve gathering, clams are one of the indispensable foods. Because the sound made by rubbing clam shells against each other is very similar to the sound of copper coins, children call clam shells "clam shell coins". Eating clams on New Year's Eve symbolizes the abundance and countability of money. This is the same custom as the Cantonese people eating clams during the New Year and calling them "clams for wealth". Both customs express the wish for "years better than the previous one" and should not be viewed as superstition.