Daa Ou Pearl Clams

Daa Ou Pearl Clams

　　    Daa Ou Pearl Clams are a type of shellfish seafood, scientifically known as Tegillarca granosa, belonging to the class Bivalvia and the family Arcidae. Their meat is edible and delicious. The shells can be used medicinally, known for their efficacy in “dispersing blood clots and resolving masses,” and can also be burned to make shell ash or used as raw material in the ceramic industry. Among the fine mud clams of the Chaoshan region, aside from Red Sand Clams, the Daa Ou Pearl Clams are the most prized. The ancestors of the people of Daa Ou came from Putian in Fujian, a place abundant in mud clams, and have been farming clams for generations with rich experience. The clams they farm are small and round, with reddish shells and deliciously tasty meat. Since Shanghai became a trading port in the Qing Dynasty, the people of Daa Ou have transported clams there for sale every year. They became highly sought after by diners and restaurants, earning the nickname “pearl-like” clams, and thus were renamed Pearl Clams. Daa Ou Pearl Clams are not only beautiful in shape but also superior in quality. In the Chaoshan area, they are prepared in a rather particular way: a new piece of tile is placed on a small charcoal stove and heated, then the clams are placed on the tile. As the clams warm up and slightly open, they are taken out and eaten, making a delightful pairing with drinks.

　　    Daa Ou Pearl Clams spawn every early spring, drifting with the waves to the shore and attaching to muddy tidal flats. The locals of Daa Ou timely scoop mud from the brackish water shoreline, digging out clam seedlings along with the mud, then washing them out. These seedlings are kept in small fields for nurturing. Around the “Winter Solstice,” they are transferred to larger fields, and the following winter, the larger ones are selected for market while the smaller ones are moved back to the larger fields. By the next year, they grow into big clams, with those that hide deeply or escape becoming giant clams that may develop pearls inside—valuable medicinal treasures.

　　The Raoping Daa Ou mud clams were introduced from Putian, the clam-producing hometown in Fujian, during the Ming Dynasty and have been farmed for over five hundred years. They are small and round, white with a slight red hue but free of dark gray, with delicate flesh that is not salty. They are rich in clear red blood, nourishing yin and kidney, activating blood and promoting body fluids, greatly replenishing vitality. They have always been popular in Shanghai, renowned for their premium quality—so beloved by the Shanghainese they were cherished like jewels, hence earning the laudatory title “Daa Ou Pearl Clams.” The Haishan Luoshanhu Pearl Clams and Meizhai Pearl Clams also enjoy considerable prestige and are currently sold in the Hong Kong and Macau regions.