Types of Clams

Types of Clams

Like so much seafood, clams have a lot of names that can be confusing. The same species can have different names depending on their size, for example. Another example is that different species are all called "steamers" because people like to steam them.

Hard-Shell, Quahog, and Round

Hard-shell clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) go by many names. Littlenecks, topnecks, cherrystones, chowders—they are all the same clam, just different sizes (listed from smallest to biggest). They live in the Atlantic Ocean along the east coasts of the U.S. and Canada in intertidal areas burrowed in the sand. They are harvested by simply digging them up. Smaller ones are eaten raw, shucked and on the half-shell, whereas bigger ones are the basis of famed clam chowder. 

Littlenecks: The smallest of the hard-shell clams (Mercenaria mercenaria), measuring just over one inch across (measured at the hinge). These are the clams most often seen raw, on the half-shell on seafood platters. Want to shuck them yourself? They're shucked just like oysters.

Middlenecks or topnecks: These measure about two inches across. A bit bigger than littlenecks, they are still tender and tasty raw on the half-shell or steamed, but also big enough to take to grilling nicely—top the grilled ones with a bit of herb butter.

Cherrystones: They are bigger yet, perfect for pasta sauces or grilling (they grill up just like mussels if you want to give it a try). There are those who like them shucked, raw, on the half-shell.

Chowders: These are huge hard-shell clams perfect for soups, stews, and, of course, chowders—any dish in which they have some long, slow cooking time to make sure they're tender.

Soft-Shell

Soft-shell clams, commonly called steamers or Ipswich clams, are the species Mya arenaria. You can tell them from hard clams by their lighter-colored, more oblong shells, which are also quite brittle and thus require some care when handling.

They live in tidal flats on the eastern shore of Canada and the U.S. as well as across the Atlantic in the U.K., where they are also known as Essex clams. Because they live in the sand, they are famously gritty. In New England and other parts of the Northeast U.S., they are often steamed and then served with the resulting broth. To eat, one pulls the clam from the shell, dips it in the broth to rinse any sand or grit off of it, and then might dunk it in melted butter before popping in one's mouth. They're also delicious when fried or used in chowders.

Manila

Manila clams (Venerupis philippinarum) are, like Atlantic soft-shell clams, often called "steamers," since steaming them and pulling them from their shells to dip them in melted butter is a popular way to eat them. Originally from the shores of China and up to Siberia, they now grow on the West Coast of North America, too, where they are farmed along with other bivalves like mussels and oysters.

Razor and Pacific

Razor clams (Siliqua patula) are a local favorite in Oregon and Washington. They have long, thin shells and plant themselves in the sand vertically. Razors need proper cleaning to make sure they aren't sandy or gritty when cooked up. How to cook them? The most popular way is to coat them in bread crumbs and give them a quick dunk in the fryer. They can also be sauteed or broiled with great success. 

Razor, Atlantic Jackknife, and Bamboo

Sometimes also called razor clams like those that grow on the West Coast of North America, Atlantic jackknife clams (Ensis directus) are long and skinny and burrow vertically into intertidal beach areas. 

Geoduck

Geoducks (Panopea abrupta or Panopea generosa) are huge. Just huge. Pretty freakish, actually. To give you an idea of how big, the Chinese name for them translates as "elephant trunk clam." They burrow deep into the sand in tidal flats along the Northwest coast of the U.S. and Canada. They have become popular in different Asian cuisines. They are prized for their flavor and sprightly texture, as well as rumored aphrodisiac properties. They are delicious raw in sushi, used in ceviche, cut up and fried, or simmered in broth or chowder.

Ocean Quahog

Ocean quahogs (Arctica islandica) are distinct from the common hard-shell clams often called quahogs on the East Coast. They are also known as black clams, mahogany clams, or black quahogs. As their various names suggest, their shells are an extremely dark purple verging on black color; they are also much rounder than hard-shell clams. They are known as "ocean quahogs" because they live on the ocean floor, not burrowed in the sand in intertidal areas.

Surf, Bar, and Skimmers

Surf clams (Spisula solida) live on the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. and Canada from South Carolina up to Nova Scotia. Beach-goers on the Atlantic coast know the shells well—the surf tends to bring them to shore. They're famous when sliced up, fried, and served as "clam strips." They're also great clams to use for chowder. 

Donax, Bean, Tellines, and Coquinas

These small clams (Donax trunculus) have a distinctive triangular shape and are popular in Europe. They can be steamed and eaten plain, but their small size and gentle flavor make them perfect for tossing with pasta or stirring into a risotto.