What is Quahog?

Quahog, also called round clams, hard clams or a clam of soup, is the type of edible clams on the north American coast. Its range includes almost the entire continent, from the island of Prince Edward to the Yucatan Peninsula. Quahog is particularly popular in the kitchen of New England and can be served raw, stewed, stuffed or soups, steamed meat or sauce.

The word quahog comes from Narragankett poquauhock . The scientific name of Clam, Mercenaria Mercenaria comes from Latin for "money", because bell bells were once used among the native Americans as a form of currency called sewing In addition to their native station, Quahogs were introduced on the North American coast of the Pacific and Europe. In some areas, Quahog was bred to have special signs on the shell, to distinguish from clams in other areas. The smallest are the numbers, followed by Littlenecksand heating. Cherrystones are even bigger while the largest are called quahogs or chowder clams. These last two sizes are harder than smaller varieties and are used in chowders and stuffed clams or are ground in other dishes. Smaller quahogs can be served raw or, rarely, steamed with butter.

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Quahog population is influenced by a slightly understood parasite known as Quahog Parasite unknown (QPX). The result is to leave contaminated runs for several years, which financially affects the crisps. Red Tide, accumulation in the clams of neurotoxin -released algae, is another problem for the clam industry. Since the consumption of the affected clams can be fatal, farmers are very careful about red tide and must adhere to strict laws. It is safe to buy and eat clams from the market, but the phenomenon of the red tide negatively affects the offer of Quahogs. As with QPX requires rEd Tide, so that the affected population of the clam is unfounded for a significant time.