Thin-shelled clams

Thin-shelled clams

　　Thin-shelled clams, scientifically known as Musculus senhousei, are a type of shellfish named for their thin shells.

They live in high-salinity outer bays or tidal flats on islands, often clustering together in large groups and attaching to mud and sand via byssus threads (commonly called "nails"). Mature females are orange-yellow, while males are milky white. They can be found both wild and through artificial farming. Chaoshan pioneered the farming of thin-shelled clams, with Fenggang Village in Dahao being the most renowned. Their meat is delicious and rich in protein. In fact, every part of the thin-shelled clam is valuable.

Thin-shelled clam meat has a delicious taste and is a distinctive food ingredient in Chaoshan cuisine, offering high nutritional and economic value. The shells, once the meat is removed, can either be burned into shell ash for use as a building material or ground into powder to produce animal feed additives, serving as a premium supplementary feed. The broth left over from processing clam meat, once filtered, can be made into oyster sauce. The muddy byproduct is a calcium-rich, high-salinity organic fertilizer.

It is reported that due to the high technical skill and labor intensity required in processing thin-shelled clam meat, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find skilled workers. It is hoped that this ancient and unique processing technique can be improved and promoted, allowing the distinctive flavor of Chaoshan’s thin-shelled clam meat to spread far and wide both at home and abroad.