Jiaozhou Bay Mixed Color Clams

Jiaozhou Bay Mixed Color Clams

　　Jiaozhou Bay mixed color clams, scientifically known as Ruditapes philippinarum (Manila clam), belong to the phylum Mollusca, class Bivalvia, and order Veneroida. The Jiaozhou Bay mixed color clams are not the true mixed color clams. Although the true mixed color clams are morphologically similar to those from Jiaozhou Bay, their taste is inferior. The book *Mollusks of the Yellow and Bohai Seas* describes the habits and distribution of the Philippine clam: “They prefer to inhabit calm, sandy or muddy seabeds in inner bays where freshwater flows in. They are distributed vertically from the intertidal zone down to 10 meters deep. They are widely distributed along the coasts of the Yellow and Bohai Seas, extending as far south as the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong...” Although they are widely distributed, the clams produced in Jiaozhou Bay are considered the best in quality. Due to the Dagu River and the Yanghe River flowing into Jiaozhou Bay from the left and right sides of Jiaozhou City respectively, the seawater in the Jiaozhou area, situated between the mouths of these two rivers, provides the most suitable conditions for clam growth. The area is rich in food sources, making the clams produced here absolutely top-notch. They have thin shells and plump, tender, and delicate meat with a uniquely sweet and delicious flavor—neither like fish nor shrimp. It’s a taste so distinctive you won’t forget it after one bite and will never tire of eating them.