Elephant clam (scientific name: Panopea abrupta): The biological name is the Pacific mud clam, also known as the emperor clam, the goddess clam, and the seafood trade name "elephant clam". The elephant mussel is the largest known burrowing bivalve, with a shell length of about 18-23 cm, a water pipe that can be extended by 1.3 m, cannot be retracted into the shell, and weighs up to 3.6 kg in the shell, making it a large shellfish of the genus Clam. It is mainly distributed on the east coast of the United States and Canada. Elephant mussels are delicious and nutritious, and are high-end consumer goods in the catering industry.
Elephant mussel shell is thin and brittle, the two shells are small, usually equal, there are jagged teeth at the front end of the shell, the back, abdomen and rear end of the back shell have a secondary shell, the water pipe is extremely developed, the coarse water pipe can not be completely retracted into the shell, the part left outside the shell is up to more than 10 cm long, shaped like an elephant trunk, so the name elephant pulling mussel.
Elephant mussels live in sea areas with a water temperature of 0 °C to 24 °C, salinity of 26 ‰-34 ‰, water depth of 6 m-30 m, and sedimenty bottom. It is native to the North Pacific coast of the United States and Canada. The west coast of North America is the most fertile, and Vancouver, Canada, is the largest colony of elephant mussels. In 1998, Elephant Mussels were introduced in China, and farming began on the southeast coast of China.
Oleander mussels feed on single-celled algae in seawater, but can also filter sediments and organic debris. Its main predators are crabs, starfish, snails and flounder, and adult shellfish inhabit the seabed and have strong protective capabilities.
Elephant mussels grow faster in the first 4 years, 1-year shells are 5-6 cm long and weigh 36-40 g; 2-year-old shells are 8-10 cm long and weigh 200-250 g; 3-year-old shells are 10-12 cm long and weigh 400-500 g; and 4-year-old shells are 12-15 cm long and weigh 500-800 g. As we age, shell growth slowly progresses, but soft growth continues, with a lifespan of more than 100 years.
Elephant mussels are generally divided into mud mussels and sand mussels, and the neck of the elephant mussel growing in the sand is whiter, and the neck of the elephant mussel growing in the mud is darker. Eat sand mussels with few impurities and no peculiar smell as the top product.
The annual breeding season is generally from April to July, and the peak period is May to June. Individuals lay 10-20 million eggs at a water temperature of 14-17°C. The egg diameter is 82 microns, and the fertilized eggs develop into D-shaped larvae (120-130 microns) after 4-5 days; they develop into shell-capped larvae (160-180 microns) in 10-12 days; the larvae sink at about 30 days, and with metamorphosis, the shell is up to 350-400 microns.
Elephant mussels have the advantages of large individual size, fast growth, delicious taste and high economic value. Elephant mussels have a high meat yield of about 60%-70%, which is uncommon in shellfish, of which the main edible site is the water tube muscle, accounting for 30%-35% of the total consumption. Each 100 grams contains 81 kcal of calories, 14.4 grams of protein, and 1.3 grams of fat, which has a high nutritional value.
The method of elephant mussel selection is to see and touch by hand. Seeing that the shell is open and cannot be closed again, it is a dead mussel; when the hand touches the mussel shell with the hand, it still appears "hard-mouthed", and it is also a dead mussel. In addition, before the initial processing, a little pinch by hand, the flesh will appear beating, contraction reaction, after the slice of the flesh transparent and wavy, there is a fresh flavor, this should be alive; on the contrary, after the slice is straight and fishy, that is, not alive.
Elephant mussel offal should not be eaten because the elephant mussel offal contains a red tide toxin, which may cause food poisoning.
Even if the same elephant mussel, the taste and texture of the neck meat and breast meat are very different, and its neck meat has a unique fresh taste and a tough and crisp texture, which is usually used for raw food; while the breast meat has a delicate clam flavor and excellent soft texture, which is very suitable for frying or making soups.
Raw food elephants pluck mussels
No need to blanch the water, just batch into thin slices, dip into the saucer and eat. However, it should be noted that raw food elephant mussels are best used to use non-polluting deep-sea elephant mussels. The saucers are Chinese, Western, and Japanese.
Cooked food like mussels
Commonly used methods are boiling, scalding, stir-frying, frying, oil bubbles and other methods to make dishes. Cooking elephant mussels should be quick, the heat is better than over, otherwise the mussel meat is easy to become old and hairy, the taste is very poor; the seasoning should be light and light, in order to highlight the characteristics of the white and fresh dishes.