1 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Saber Protection of iHeartRadio. I'm Annie 2 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: Reach and I'm. 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 2: Learned vocal bum and today we have an episode for 4 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 2: you about the hard clam or cohog. 5 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: Yes, was there any particular reason this was on your mind? Lauren? 6 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 2: Uh, we hadn't done a protein in a minute, and 7 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:34,000 Speaker 2: especially not like a weird seafood one. Y'all know how 8 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 2: much we like talking about ocean about yeah, underwater life. 9 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 2: It's so weird and delicious, and yeah, this is one 10 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 2: that often goes into a variety of stuffing or dressing 11 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 2: for the holidays. And so I was like, oh, yeah, 12 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 2: that's a good that's a good December episode. 13 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: Sure. Yeah, have you ever had I've never had that. 14 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 2: I've never had that either, and now I really want it. 15 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 2: The cravings you guys, Oh my goodness. I do love 16 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 2: a clam chowder and New England style is my personal preference. 17 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: But you do you and hoofta, Yes, I already have 18 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: some clam chowder that I am anticipating. Oh I forgot 19 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: to get some. 20 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 2: Oh okaylul we can rectify this. 21 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: I have the technology. Yes, I would definitely love to 22 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: hear from listeners about this. I had known that it 23 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: was part of kind of a holiday stuffing in New 24 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:42,199 Speaker 1: England especially, but I've never had it, so I would 25 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 1: love to hear from listeners about this one. 26 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 2: Oh it sounds so good. I mean, I love a 27 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 2: stuffing or dressing situation in any case. Like I'm like, yeah, 28 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 2: I want some bread that you put some herbs in. Yeah, 29 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 2: and made a kind of cast role out of that's delicious. 30 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: You know what. I convinced my mom to half her 31 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: stuffing recipe. Oh wow, it was. It was way too much. 32 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: Oh okay, Like we used to have a much bigger gathering, sure, 33 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: and now it's smaller. And it was just I just 34 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: told her, we need I think we should have this. 35 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,839 Speaker 1: I don't think we need this much. And everybody's kind 36 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 1: of tired of it after four days. Oh wow, there's 37 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: an undue amount of stuffing. Okay, okay, fair, But I'm 38 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: I'm I feel kind of bad because I'm the one 39 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: always pairing out, Like, let's get rid of the rolls, 40 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: let's get rid of the hand, let's get rid of 41 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: the I just don't like food waste. No, that's reasonable, 42 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: thank you. I have to say I found a very 43 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: wonderful rabbit hole. In this episode of pun based clam names. 44 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 1: One of my favorites I found was aberclam Lincoln. Oh wow, okay, 45 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,919 Speaker 1: aberclam Lincoln is not the type of clam we're talking 46 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: about today, but it is a type of clam. Wow, 47 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: I just I laughed. I was unaware. Aberclam Lincoln is 48 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: so good. That's very funny, extremely high quality. Yes, excellent, 49 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: And that was one of many that I found cool. 50 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: All Right, if we were talking about the Southern Cohogue, 51 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: I would go into the story of aberclam Lincoln, but 52 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: we are not, not today. But I'm sorry now, heck 53 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: well later, just have that as a teaser in You're Caring, gotcha? Yes, 54 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 1: so past episodes, I would say oysters, blue muscles, chowders, lobster, scallops. Yeah, 55 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: I love that scallop episode. 56 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 2: Oh goat, y'all go look up pictures of scallops again. 57 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 2: Even if you did it the first time. 58 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: Do it again. You're so weird. It's a gift. It's 59 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: a gift. But I guess this brings us to our question. Sure, 60 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: hard clams, what are they? Well? 61 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 2: Hard clams, also called the Northern cohog, are a type 62 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 2: of hard shelled clams so appropriately named I guess, which 63 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 2: means that it's a squishy little blob that grows itself 64 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 2: a hinged pair of half shells in which to live, 65 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 2: In this case in coastal saltwater areas, we harvest them 66 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 2: whole in their shells, which are a convenient package, and 67 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 2: then eat the squishy blob in various ways. It'll have 68 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,280 Speaker 2: a tender, slippy texture that will firm up and can 69 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 2: become sort of chewy as it cooks, and a sweet, briny, savory, 70 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 2: rich kind of flavor. They might be sold fresh or frozen, 71 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 2: whole or shelled. They might be preserved via canning. With 72 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 2: whole fresh clams, you can pry open the shell and 73 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 2: eat them raw, perhaps dressed simply with a bit of 74 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 2: lemon juice or vinegar or hot sauce. But often, and 75 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 2: depending on their size, they're steamed for just a few 76 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 2: minutes in their shells, which then open fairly easily, and 77 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 2: the meat or the whole clam in the shell will 78 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 2: be added to dishes like soups or stews or sauces 79 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,119 Speaker 2: to be paired with starches like pasta or bread or rice. 80 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 2: And yeah, they're just really lovely. They're just just a 81 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 2: hearty little bite of the ocean. 82 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: The texture's really good. I really like when you get 83 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: it right. 84 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, bad texture, just tender with like a little bit 85 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 2: of chew to it. I've never had them raw, and 86 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 2: now I really want to try that. 87 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, me too. 88 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 2: Well, more cravings for things I haven't even had. 89 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: Okay. 90 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 2: The northern cohog or hard clam species name Mercenaria mercenaria. Yeah, 91 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 2: they go. Buy a bunch of other names as well, 92 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 2: like the round clam or the ches clam, or specific 93 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 2: names based on their harvest size. More on that later. 94 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 2: They are bivalve molluscs bivalve meaning two shells, and mollusc 95 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 2: being a phylum of soft bodied animals that tend to 96 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 2: be mostly muscle, which is fun for us because muscle 97 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 2: is generally the type of meat that we're most interested 98 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 2: in eating. Hard clams are from the eastern Atlantic shore 99 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 2: of North America and can live anywhere from like Nova 100 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 2: Scotia to Florida and along the Gulf of Mexico, though 101 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 2: they are most common from around like Cape cod to 102 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 2: New Jersey, and they have been introduced to other places. 103 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 2: There's also a couple other species in Mercenaria that overlap 104 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 2: with hard clams territory, and they can interbreed, but that's 105 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 2: not super relevant today, aside from aberclam Lincoln. Yeah, yes, yeah, 106 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 2: very important, very very very relevant always. These clams live 107 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 2: in the intertidal and subtidle areas. That is, like shallows 108 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 2: that are mostly to always covered in water. They'll burrow 109 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 2: into the sand or mud and eat by filtering phytoplankton 110 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,599 Speaker 2: like microscopic plants and bits of dead stuff out of 111 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 2: the water. Their shells are hard and thick, gray to 112 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 2: cream to white in color, with two more or less 113 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 2: equally sized halves. Each half is shaped sort of like 114 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,920 Speaker 2: a jaunty little elf cap, with like a bent rounded 115 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 2: point at the hinge that will expand out to a 116 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 2: broad half circle at the opening. The shells are banded 117 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 2: on the outside with slightly ridged growth rings, and are 118 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:39,160 Speaker 2: smooth on the inside with white and violet coloration in there. 119 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 2: They'll keep adding rings to the outer lip of their 120 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 2: shells as they age. The youngest and smallest size for 121 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 2: harvest are, depending on local laws, at least an inch 122 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 2: across at their widest point, but they can grow to 123 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 2: five inches or more hypothetically, and they can live for 124 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 2: over forty years. They'll be about as tall at their 125 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 2: tallest point near the hinge as they are wide at 126 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 2: their widest point, which is across the diameter of that 127 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 2: half circle at the opening. 128 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: Yeah. 129 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 2: Inside that shell, they have a pair of muscles that 130 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 2: hold the shell shut or or can relax to open it, 131 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 2: and a pair of siphons to draw in and expel 132 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 2: water and stuff that The inward siphon has little sensory 133 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 2: tentacles that help it find food. I love a good tentacle. 134 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 2: They also have a foot muscle that they'll use to 135 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 2: burrow down into the sander mud that they stay fairly 136 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 2: stationary once they've reached adulthood. The clam's body is surrounded 137 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 2: by a sort of goopy mantle, which is what secretes 138 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 2: the material of the shell, and their life cycle goes 139 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 2: like this, okay. During the warmer months of the spring 140 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:53,319 Speaker 2: to fall, male and female clams will each broadcast spawn, 141 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:56,319 Speaker 2: meaning they release their sex cells out into the water. 142 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 2: A female hard clam will produce some one to five 143 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 2: million eggs during a single spawning up to like forty 144 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 2: million a year, which sounds like a lot, but a 145 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 2: lot of them won't fertilize or survive if they do fertilize. 146 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 2: So yeah, the cells travel in water currents and if 147 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 2: they do meet up, they will fertilize, creating tiny larvae 148 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 2: that develop a sort of proto shell. Those will swim around, 149 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 2: eating whatever even tinier stuff they find in the water column, 150 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 2: and when they grow enough, they'll develop their foot, lose 151 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:30,079 Speaker 2: their ability to swim around, and develop their water siphons, 152 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 2: at which point they will sync to the seafloor and 153 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,760 Speaker 2: burrow in and attach themselves to the substrate while they 154 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 2: develop their calcified shell, after which they'll be heavy enough 155 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 2: to stay put on their own again. They're mostly stationary, 156 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 2: but they can budge around a bit if they want to, 157 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 2: seeking you know, food or personal space. They can also 158 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 2: rarely develop pearls as they grow when some irritant gets 159 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 2: stuck in their shell and they coat it over shell lining, 160 00:09:57,559 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 2: and those pearls can be white to like this really 161 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 2: pretty deep purple in color. Most hard clams begin life 162 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 2: as a male, but will change to being female as 163 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 2: they get older and or due to population demands, but 164 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 2: can also revert back or can exist as hermaphrodites. It 165 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 2: takes one to four years for them to grow to 166 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 2: the smallest harvest size, before which they're called seed. They're 167 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 2: really widely farmed but also wild harvested, mostly recreationally in 168 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 2: like smaller amounts, because you basically just have to like 169 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 2: wade around until you find them, usually with your feet, 170 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 2: and then you. 171 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 1: Just pick them up. Yep, yep. 172 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 2: There are a bunch of fishing industry names for these 173 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,880 Speaker 2: guys based on the size of the clam at harvest, 174 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 2: and there's no like hard and fast rules here. Classifications 175 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 2: can vary, but generally speaking, from smallest to largest, you've 176 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 2: got count necks, little necks, top necks, cherry stones, and 177 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:04,560 Speaker 2: then showder clams or cohogs. As they get older and larger, 178 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 2: they also get firmer in texture and stronger in flavor. 179 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 2: The younger, smaller ones are more tender and more likely 180 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:14,599 Speaker 2: to be served raw or maybe gently steamed and or 181 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 2: added to dishes at the end of cooking. The older 182 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 2: and larger ones tend to benefit from a longer cook 183 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 2: time to tenderize them, and thus often go into baked 184 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 2: or simmered dishes. Also, the brine inside of the shells, 185 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 2: or the brine that they're packed with, in the case 186 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 2: of canned clams, is super flavorful and can be used 187 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 2: in sauces, broths, you know, whatever you like, Especially when 188 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 2: they're farmed. Hard clams are considered a good sustainable seafood choice. 189 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 2: You know, as they're growing, they help the environment by 190 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 2: filtering the water they're farming. Equipment like trays or mesh 191 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:51,960 Speaker 2: bags that are secured to the ocean floor can be 192 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 2: incorporated into the environment without really displacing or disrupting much 193 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,959 Speaker 2: other marine life. They're also available year round. A couple 194 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 2: very popular New England to mid Atlantic dishes include clam chowder, 195 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 2: which comes in varieties of tomato based red or Manhattan style, creamy, 196 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 2: root based white or New England style, and broth based 197 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 2: clear or Rhode Island style. You can see our chowder 198 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:20,319 Speaker 2: episode for more on all of those, and then stuffed 199 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 2: baked clams, which involve taking raw or lightly steamed clam meat, 200 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:27,559 Speaker 2: chopping it up and adding it to a nice moist 201 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 2: mixture of breadcrumbs and seasonings. You know you've got like wine, briny, clam, liquid, herbs, cheese, 202 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 2: aromatic sausage. I don't know and then spooning that back 203 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 2: into the clam half shells and baking until golden brown. 204 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 2: This is sometimes called stuffies, I think in Rhode Island specifically, 205 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 2: and also from Rhode Island, a specific variation that incorporates 206 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 2: ingredients like bacon bits and bell peppers is called clams Casino. 207 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: I always wondered what clams casino is, so thank you. Yeah, 208 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: it's the butt of a joke that I, oh, I remember. 209 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 2: So I kept reading that word and I was like, 210 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:11,440 Speaker 2: is there a casino called clams casino? Is it a 211 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 2: casino for clams? And then my brain just went to 212 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:16,839 Speaker 2: a lot of different Yeah, yeah, is this a SpongeBob thing? 213 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:21,359 Speaker 1: I'm not sure. Yeah, it could be very well, could be. 214 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 2: All right, Well, hard clams are also great as an 215 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 2: ingredient in pastas or like saucy rice dishes like payea 216 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,679 Speaker 2: or risotto, or steamed hole with a broth of like 217 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 2: wine or beer, plus butter and some clam juice, you know, 218 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 2: to be picked out of their shells and the broth 219 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 2: spooned up or sopped up with bread. You can chop 220 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:45,560 Speaker 2: them up and add them to fritters or to holiday stuffing. 221 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 2: Slash dressing or to like a savory pie filling, typically 222 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,440 Speaker 2: with a creamy sort of gravy, and maybe potatoes like 223 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 2: a bit like a thick white clam chowder in a crust. Yeah, 224 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 2: we should probably do a whole episode on clam bakes 225 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 2: at some point point. Clam bake is a festive and 226 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 2: or community method of slow steaming hard clams, along with 227 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 2: other shellfish vegetables like potatoes, corn on the cob, and 228 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 2: maybe some aliums, especially at the beach. More notes on 229 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:17,480 Speaker 2: that in the history section. But yeah, also, I will 230 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 2: say that if you're looking to cook with fresh clams 231 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 2: and you don't have experience doing that, there is a 232 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 2: lot of good advice out there about it. Generally speaking, 233 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 2: you want to scrub them down and soak them in 234 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 2: salted water for a little while before cooking them to 235 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:33,240 Speaker 2: kind of get the grid out, and then you want 236 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:36,880 Speaker 2: to discard any clams that either won't close before cooking 237 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 2: or won't open after cooking, which indicates a clam that 238 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 2: was not at the height of its health. 239 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, Well, speaking of what about the nutrition. 240 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 2: You know, by themselves, they are a great source of 241 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 2: protein and good fats. Once you've cooked them. It depends 242 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 2: on how much butter you've used, and you're like ratio 243 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 2: of clams to breadcrumbs or pasta or whatever. There are 244 00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 2: a few types of bacteria that live in oceans that 245 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:12,360 Speaker 2: can be present in clams and other filter feeding shellfish, 246 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 2: but farms and public health officials do monitor for them, 247 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 2: and you can always cook your seafood to safe temperature 248 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,880 Speaker 2: if you're concerned about that. There are also some types 249 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 2: of algae that produce toxins that are fine for the 250 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 2: clams but will make us sick if we eat those clams, 251 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 2: but environmental programs do watch out for those, so it's 252 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 2: you're pretty safe. 253 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 1: Okay, got it. We do have some numbers for you. 254 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: We do. 255 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 2: As of twenty nineteen, US hard clam production from farms 256 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 2: from farms alone was about ten point seven million pounds, 257 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 2: which is about four point nine million kilos worth about 258 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 2: one hundred and twenty two million dollars. Wow, big big 259 00:15:56,720 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 2: plam industry. Yeah. Adult hard clans can filter about two 260 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 2: gallons of water an hour. It's about eight liters of 261 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 2: water an hour. Yep, yep, uh huh. And the town 262 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 2: of East Hampton, New York, holds a largest clam contest 263 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 2: every like late September early October. How it goes is this, 264 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 2: during a week long window, entrance who must have a 265 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 2: local shellfish license, may dig for clams and submit one 266 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 2: for a one dollar entry fee. This contest has been 267 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 2: running since nineteen ninety and thus was in its thirty 268 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 2: fifth year this year. The clam winners are literally crowned 269 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:48,680 Speaker 2: and placed on a tiny throne. And I couldn't find 270 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 2: like exact sizes or waits for winning clams of the past, 271 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,240 Speaker 2: but the photos are like they're like adult hand sized, 272 00:16:55,360 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 2: so like so like easily five plus inches Like yeah, okay, yeah. 273 00:17:03,720 --> 00:17:06,679 Speaker 2: They do also hold a clam chowder contest on the 274 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 2: day of judging with categories or measuring. I guess it's 275 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 2: not really judging with categories for red and white plus 276 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:16,439 Speaker 2: you know, like the normal festival stuff live music, clam 277 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:21,359 Speaker 2: pie tastings, barbecue, you know. Yeah, speaking of festivals, I 278 00:17:21,359 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 2: did see a couple clam festivals that exist, but I 279 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 2: couldn't ascertain exactly what kinds of clams were involved, so 280 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:33,639 Speaker 2: I didn't want to like misrepresent the clam festivals. 281 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, I did run into that doing this research again. 282 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: Aberclam Lincoln yeah, like, this is not the clam we're 283 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:45,359 Speaker 1: talking about. 284 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the Southern cohug. That's a different that's a 285 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:53,679 Speaker 2: different species. Also, what's called the Ocean cohug is a 286 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 2: different genus entirely. There was some clam confusion, I've got to. 287 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 1: Say, a lot of clam confusion, and to be honest, 288 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: there continues to be some. 289 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,640 Speaker 2: There does, there does, and we are going to get 290 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 2: into that in the history section, which we're going to 291 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 2: get into as soon as we get back from a 292 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:16,439 Speaker 2: quick break. For a word from our sponsors. 293 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:29,320 Speaker 1: And we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you, so Yes, 294 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 1: clams are old. Okay, I feel defensive at the front 295 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: of this, Okay, I'll try to dial it back. Fossil 296 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 1: evidence dates clams back to up to three million years ago. 297 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:50,280 Speaker 1: The hard clam itself is native to the East coast 298 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 1: of North America. Oh gosh, some of these episodes get 299 00:18:55,280 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 1: so overwhelming when you're trying to put it into simple 300 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: forty minute overview and a perspective that is followable, but 301 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:13,240 Speaker 1: exactly exactly. Humans with access to clams have been eating 302 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 1: them for thousands and thousands of years. For example, First 303 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: Nations peoples and what is now Canada. We're cultivating clam 304 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: gardens over five five hundred years ago. These gardens were 305 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: well cared for and prosperous, largely due to the responsible 306 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 1: harvesting by the First Nations people and indigenous peoples in 307 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:39,200 Speaker 1: the Americas in general have been harvesting and eating clams 308 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 1: for thousands of years. They prepared them in a whole 309 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: host of ways, including smoking or drying them, and they 310 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:51,359 Speaker 1: were added into a bunch of dishes. For instance, indigenous 311 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: peoples in the New England area are likely the ones 312 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 1: who conducted the first clam bakes by digging a hole, 313 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 1: filling the bottom with seaweed, followed by a layer of 314 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 1: fresh clams, another layer of seaweed, and lastly some wood 315 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:12,639 Speaker 1: for the fire. They would often stew the clams as well, 316 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:16,400 Speaker 1: along with beans, corn, and sometimes other meats, which some 317 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:23,400 Speaker 1: dub as the first clam chowders. We're a food show, 318 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,919 Speaker 1: but this could be a whole thing. I oh absolutely, 319 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:33,440 Speaker 1: oh my gosh. But the shells were used to make beads, 320 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 1: tools of all kinds, jewelry, to tell stories on garments, 321 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: and after the arrival of Europeans, as an item to 322 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: barter with yeah. 323 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 2: Their eventual species name Mercenaria is a reference to their 324 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:49,479 Speaker 2: value in trading. 325 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 1: Yes, and archaeological evidence suggests that the shells were being 326 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:58,680 Speaker 1: used by indigenous peoples over four thousand years ago. Some 327 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,640 Speaker 1: indigenous folks would bear or their loved ones with these 328 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,359 Speaker 1: shales as far back as fourteen hundred BCE, so they 329 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: were really really important. 330 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, and they are beautiful on the inside. If you've 331 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 2: never seen the inside of a hard clamshell, that's your 332 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 2: second photo photo assignment of the day. 333 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:18,719 Speaker 1: Yes, go check. I should give out homework at the Alps. 334 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 1: We should. When European colonizers arrived in New England, they 335 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:30,520 Speaker 1: anglicized the nar Againsett word for the clams to cohog. Later, 336 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: in seventeen fifty eight, Carlinaeus coined the species name. According 337 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: to some sources, colonists in the area only ate clams 338 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:43,639 Speaker 1: as a last resort in the early days of colonization, 339 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:46,560 Speaker 1: or they assaulted them to sell to fishermen as bait 340 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:50,160 Speaker 1: or use them as food for their pigs. For them, 341 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,680 Speaker 1: it was associated with the impoverished and association they did 342 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 1: not want so did not want to eat them. Over time, 343 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:03,360 Speaker 1: that did change, especially with the help of refrigeration, transportation, railways, 344 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 1: and for some leisure time. We talked about this in 345 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: past episodes, especially lobster I think is really relevant for 346 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 1: this one. But the clams went from being something that 347 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: was associated with the poor to something associated with luxury 348 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 1: and leisure. Yeah, yeah, oysters as well, Yeah yes, yes, 349 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 1: Indigenous preparations like chowder and clam bakes were adopted. Previously, 350 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:30,640 Speaker 1: many people outside of the East Coast in the US 351 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: couldn't get these clams, but with the advent of rail travel, 352 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:38,199 Speaker 1: they were having them on trains, or taking trains to 353 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: New England to have them in restaurants, or digging them 354 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: up themselves while visiting beaches in New England, and clams 355 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:48,159 Speaker 1: may have been used as a substitute for fish or 356 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:51,680 Speaker 1: other seafood if the chef was out or at the 357 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:54,920 Speaker 1: guest requests. You could basically kind of find them yourselves, 358 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,920 Speaker 1: bring them into a restaurant and be like put them 359 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 1: in a dish deemed fried or in a chowder. Clams 360 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:07,679 Speaker 1: showed up more and more on New England menus up 361 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:11,440 Speaker 1: until the early nineteen hundreds. Clams were harvested by waiting 362 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:14,800 Speaker 1: in shallow waters and feeling for them with your feet 363 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: or with a rake affixed with a bucket on the end. 364 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: So it was kind of a It was painted as 365 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:26,400 Speaker 1: something that could be a very almost tourist activity. Yeah, 366 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:30,639 Speaker 1: go out and do it. Yeah. Yeah. There were a 367 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: few attempts to establish hard clam populations in England and 368 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 1: France from the mid eighteen hundreds to the mid nineteen hundreds. 369 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: A few of them were successful for many years before 370 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 1: dying off. There's been a lot of studies on this 371 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: and most of them kind of were like it lasted 372 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: for a little bit. But speaking of in nineteen oh one, 373 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 1: dead shells of hard clams were found off America's West coast. 374 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 1: Over the decades, a few live ones were reported over there, 375 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:04,199 Speaker 1: but nothing substantial. By nineteen oh nine, researchers were writing 376 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:07,880 Speaker 1: about their concerns of the depletion of the clan population 377 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:11,960 Speaker 1: in New England. A report by one doctor David Belding 378 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 1: included this quote, all hopes for themorrow are sacrificed to 379 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 1: the clamorous demands of the present, And I just the clamorous, 380 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: clamorous demands of the present is a a beautiful turn 381 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: of phrase, and be the best pun i've read this week. 382 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:39,639 Speaker 1: I agree. I love it so much that it's excellent. 383 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: I almost couldn't believe it when I read it, Like, 384 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:44,880 Speaker 1: oh yeah, I. 385 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 2: Was reading through your notes and I was like, oh no, 386 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:50,640 Speaker 2: I like I stopped, and I like, I like clutched 387 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 2: my pearls and I cackled. 388 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: Yeah. Doctor Belding was like, yeah, I got to put 389 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:04,880 Speaker 1: a pun in here. That's soft. Despite all of this worry, 390 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:09,719 Speaker 1: clamming continued. Clamors in the fifties and sixties would trawl 391 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 1: for clams via boats. They would separate their catch into 392 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:18,680 Speaker 1: sizes and silently count them, sometimes over a thousand clams 393 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 1: at a time. That didn't change until the eighties, when 394 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:25,680 Speaker 1: clamors started using a machine that sorted the clams by size. 395 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 2: And if you're wondering about the silent note, because I was, 396 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:32,400 Speaker 2: there's a there's a beautiful story written about this about 397 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 2: just the the intensity of the sorting. And you know, 398 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:38,680 Speaker 2: you would have all of these workers who were sorting 399 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 2: all of these clans and trying to get through these 400 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,760 Speaker 2: piles and piles and piles of them, and they would 401 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:46,720 Speaker 2: they would just do it in complete silence, because apparently, 402 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 2: you know, no one no one could chat and still 403 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,679 Speaker 2: keep count, and it was just a serious venture. 404 00:25:51,800 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: So yeah, anyway, Oh, I get it. It's hard to 405 00:25:55,359 --> 00:26:01,320 Speaker 1: keep count when there's any distractions, especially numbers a large no, no, no, no. 406 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: Stepping back a bit, in the nineteen forties and fifties, 407 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,880 Speaker 1: a lot of research got underway around cultivating hard clams, 408 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 1: eventually leading to hatchery technology. This in turn led to 409 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:16,479 Speaker 1: commercial production of hard clams in the US, but at 410 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:20,440 Speaker 1: first producers encountered a lot of issues, primarily that predators 411 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:21,840 Speaker 1: would consume the seed. 412 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, they would be like, I think especially crabs 413 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 2: they had a problem with, but yeah, they would be like, oh, 414 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 2: you just put all of this delicious stuff in this 415 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,320 Speaker 2: one place for me, thank you. There was also an 416 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:37,960 Speaker 2: issue with providing feed for the newly spawned hard clams. 417 00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 2: You know, like if you have them in a protected 418 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 2: or artificial environment like a pond or something, you have 419 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:47,680 Speaker 2: to provide algae that's small enough for the spawn to eat, 420 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 2: and ideally that algae shouldn't cost you more than you're 421 00:26:52,560 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 2: going to make from selling the developed clams. So it 422 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 2: was another thing that they were working on. 423 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 1: Yes, and only a limited number of clams survived long 424 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: enough to be sold. To combat the predator problem, specific 425 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:09,520 Speaker 1: clam plantings with protections in place got underway in the 426 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:13,840 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies. Research collected from these efforts led to improved 427 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:18,159 Speaker 1: protection and hatchery techniques. Thanks to this, the production of 428 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 1: hard clams via aquaculture along the North American East Coast proliferated. 429 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 1: Research into the hard clam in Virginia during the nineteen 430 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: sixties and seventies led to the US's largest hard clam industry. 431 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:39,160 Speaker 1: Around the same time, there were purposeful efforts to install 432 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:42,720 Speaker 1: hard clam populations off the coast of California and Hawaii. 433 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:48,880 Speaker 1: Most eventually failed, but one off of Long Beach, California, 434 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:52,399 Speaker 1: lasted for a couple of decades before collapsing, which is 435 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:56,440 Speaker 1: kind of the story. As I said, in nineteen eighty seven, 436 00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: Rhode Island named the cohog as the state shell. 437 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:02,919 Speaker 2: Oh. I knew that there was something like that, but 438 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:04,199 Speaker 2: I couldn't track it down, thank you. 439 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:09,479 Speaker 1: Yes, And speaking of the shell, recently, scientists have been 440 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:12,480 Speaker 1: using the shells to study the ocean and climate change. 441 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:16,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, because of those growth rings, sort of like you 442 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 2: can look at the rings of a tree and kind 443 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 2: of figure out what the weather patterns were based on 444 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:26,159 Speaker 2: how vigorously the tree grew in different years. Yeah, you 445 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:30,160 Speaker 2: can study shells in the same way and or similar way, 446 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 2: and yeah, it's super cool. 447 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,439 Speaker 1: It is. I highly recommend reading about it because it 448 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: was one of those things where it just was like, oh, 449 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: I've got to think about this on a deeper level. Okay, 450 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:46,280 Speaker 1: just the way they were writing about it, about how 451 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:50,920 Speaker 1: the ocean shows climate change in different ways and how 452 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: it's changed. Yeah, and how these shells demonstrate it. It's cool. Again, 453 00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:00,760 Speaker 1: we're a food podcast. The shells are amazing and they 454 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 1: have a huge history. So yeah, I'll look that up 455 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 1: if you're interested. 456 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm sure that some other podcast has done that episode, 457 00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:11,640 Speaker 2: but it's a little beyond our scope. 458 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 1: Yes. 459 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:15,440 Speaker 2: Oh and the pearl the pearls are genuinely gorgeous too. 460 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yes, Well, I think that's what we have to 461 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:25,160 Speaker 1: say about hard clams for now. But listeners, again, please 462 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 1: write in if you have dishes that you use them in. 463 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:32,840 Speaker 1: Are any anything that we miss please let us know. 464 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, if you've been clamming, oh my goodness, yeah, here, 465 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:36,600 Speaker 2: I want to hear. 466 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:37,080 Speaker 1: All about it. 467 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 2: Okay, the cravings, yes, but right, we do already have 468 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 2: some listener mail for you, and we are going to 469 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:46,000 Speaker 2: get into that as soon as we get back from 470 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 2: one more quick break for a word from our sponsors. 471 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,920 Speaker 1: And we're back Thank you sponsored, Yes, thank you, and 472 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: we're back with Happy as a Clan. Where do we 473 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 1: think that came from? I don't know. Maybe you're just 474 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:22,480 Speaker 1: happy when you're having them. Well. Uh so, we have 475 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: recently read an email from Kelsey about Halloween where I 476 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: expressed a concern about why her children did not want 477 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: to go to oh right, and you you picked up 478 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: on what was going on immediately, but I did not, 479 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 1: And so Kelsey has written out a follow up email. Okay, okay, yes, 480 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: Kelsey wrote, I wrote you all a Halloween email a 481 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:55,680 Speaker 1: while back. When it was read on a recent episode, 482 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 1: Annie express concern regarding what I meant by no longer 483 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:01,840 Speaker 1: being allowed to try or treat with my child. The 484 00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 1: offspring in question is thirteen now, and they were adamant 485 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 1: I not come along. We are solidly in the place 486 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: of kiddo loving mom and dad, but also pushing away 487 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 1: to find their place in the world. Healthy, natural, and 488 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 1: unpredictable at times. Anyway, no freaky high control governing body involved, 489 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 1: or anything else similarly awful. Happily, they did take along 490 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 1: the violin case I painsakenly built out of cardboard, dec 491 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:39,120 Speaker 1: tape and an old Duffel bagstrap. Costume was Mafia guy. 492 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:44,840 Speaker 1: Violin case served as a candy receptacle and not a 493 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:51,720 Speaker 1: hidden weaponry. There was some cajoling involved, as apparently pillowcases 494 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:56,120 Speaker 1: are cooler. Somehow this kid has reached back to gin 495 00:31:56,520 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 1: x energy and now finds earnestness cringe worthy. The being 496 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: a parent is real weird. Yeah, I imagine. 497 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:10,479 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, oh, I I don't know how any if 498 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 2: y'all do that. I I struggle with cats. Yeah that's 499 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 2: these are these are above my pay grade kinds of issues. 500 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, but uh I love that you made this. 501 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: You helped make a costume piece. Yes, outfits prop and 502 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:35,920 Speaker 1: that it was actually used and it was it was Yeah, 503 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 1: it was a receptacle, it was it had utility. I'm 504 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 1: always thinking about that in my costumes. Oh oh absolutely, yeah. Yeah. 505 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 2: I mean a lot of them can't have pockets in 506 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:53,520 Speaker 2: a normal way, so m hmmm hmm. Well, thank you, 507 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:56,600 Speaker 2: thank you for for writing it and clarifying. 508 00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:01,040 Speaker 1: Yes, thank you, all right, so no, because spiracy okay 509 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:02,040 Speaker 1: to be horror movies. 510 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:09,320 Speaker 2: You got it, okay, Justine Writted. I just enjoyed your 511 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 2: stroop waffle episode with the perfect evening snack, a honeywaffle 512 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:16,840 Speaker 2: exactly the same as stroop waffle, except filled with honey, 513 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 2: a Belgian grocery store staple, and a cup of herbal tea. 514 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:24,000 Speaker 2: I was surprised how you described the filling because the 515 00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:26,920 Speaker 2: version that I know from Belgium is filled with strup 516 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:30,200 Speaker 2: that is thick and spreadable and made from fruit juice. 517 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 2: It's a traditional staple food, but the types from Barlong 518 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 2: and Liege are the most famous. Honestly, kind of worth 519 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 2: an episode. I think I have pictures of the Start 520 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 2: Museum if you want so. I went to the Dutch 521 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 2: Wikipedia article for stroop waffles and learned that they first 522 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 2: were developed because Guda had a big potato processing plant 523 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:55,120 Speaker 2: and there was syrup leftover from starch making potato syrup. 524 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:58,480 Speaker 2: Sounds very weird until I realized that the German answer 525 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 2: to Belgian fruit streep is beat syrup called ruben kraut. 526 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 1: Ooh, intrigued. 527 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 2: All all of this, all of this is rabbit holes 528 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:12,799 Speaker 2: that I didn't know I needed thank you. 529 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:22,600 Speaker 1: Yes, more stoop waffle rabbit holes, I'm in I'm into it. Yeah, 530 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:24,160 Speaker 1: Oh absolutely, thank you. 531 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:28,200 Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, I need to more cravings, more cravings 532 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:32,480 Speaker 2: for more different things. Great, yes, and send along the 533 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:36,480 Speaker 2: pictures you know, oh yeah, to get. 534 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:41,480 Speaker 1: We'd love to get them in the meantime. Thank you 535 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:43,960 Speaker 1: so much to both of these listeners for writing in. 536 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 1: If you would like to try to as you can, 537 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:48,960 Speaker 1: our email is Hello at savorpod dot com. We're also 538 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:49,880 Speaker 1: on social media. 539 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:53,759 Speaker 2: You can find us on Instagram and blue Sky at 540 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:55,640 Speaker 2: savor pod, and we do hope to hear from you. 541 00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:57,799 Speaker 1: Savor is a production of iHeartRadio. 542 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,240 Speaker 2: For more podcasts my heart Radio, you can the iHeartRadio app, 543 00:35:01,440 --> 00:35:04,360 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 544 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:07,359 Speaker 2: Thanks as always to our super producers Dylan Fagan and 545 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:09,799 Speaker 2: Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and we hope 546 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:18,800 Speaker 2: that lots more good things are coming your way.