Product Highlight: Manila Clams

We’ve been on blog hiatus lately because of our big move to Brooklyn. We’re mostly settled and wanted to come back to introduce a new feature, Product Highlight which will be updated every Wednesday.

We’d like to kick off our first Product Highlight with Manila Clams, one of our best sellers! We carry Manila Clams year round and have them shipped every day from Washington state. You won’t get any fresher than this in New York.

Credit: Christopher Conrad

Credit: Christopher Conrad

Common Name: Manila Clams

Scientific Name: Ruditapes philippinarum

Origin:

In the 1930s, Manila clams ‘accidentally’ arrived from Japan by stowing away in ballast water from cargo ships and thus introduced to the U.S. West Coast. Today, most manila clams are farm-raised in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Northern California, and Southeastern Alaska).

Brief Description:

  • Manila clams are typically raised near shore shallow waters
  • Manila clams can live for 7-10 years and grow to eight inches across, but most are sold at 3-4 years and less than 3 inches across
  • Many chefs prefer manila clams because they are sweet, open easily and simultaneously when steamed, and yield a long shelf-life. Also, manila clams have a dramatic and colorful shell pattern which allow for a beautiful presentation
  • Our manila clams are sold by the pound and available in three different sizes: small, regular, or large
  • Manila clams can be eaten raw, but taste better cooked or steamed. The clams need only 3- 5 minutes of cooking before they are steamed open.
Handling:

Clams are best kept alive by placing them in an open container in the refrigerator (34°F – 45° F) and covering them with a clean wet towel to prevent them from drying out. Do not keep them in a bucket of sea water. Do not store them in plastic bags or other air tight containers. Clams can also be frozen either shucked, or in the shell. Any clams that do not open their shells after steaming should be tossed.

Grading:

  • Small (avg. 25/lb)
  • Regular (avg. 18/lb)
  • Large (avg. 12/lb)

Availability:

Live manila clams are available year-round

Sustainability:

Manila clams have become well established in the Pacific Northwest without serious ecological consequences. These filterfeeders do not impair water quality or require wild fish as feed. Farmers harvest manila clams with rakes or by hand, which do not appear to significantly impact bottom habitats.

Taste:

Although Manila clams can grow quite large, the tastiest are about 1 inch wide. The meat in Manila clams is sweet, full, and tender.

Credit: Christopher Conrad

Credit: Christopher Conrad

Recipes:

Manila clams are classically used in pasta and soups. Below are links to our favorite recipes.

April 8, 2009 – 3:43 pm | By nellie | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments (1)

Abalone Please

lonimar_productimage2

No baloney here. Just delicious and tasty abalone, please. Growing up, my father always commented that I only liked pricey food. I think it was just a coincidence. But as a kid, if you asked me what my favorite food was, I would definitely say, “Abalone!” I can’t remember my first taste, but I can tell you when cooked properly, abalone is tender, juicy, and succulent. It absorbs the flavor of anything it’s cooked in, whether it’s soup or just sauce.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of entertaining new friends we made at the Boston Seafood Show, Nancy and Derek of Lonimar, a company based in Melbourne, Australia. We happened upon their booth at the show and got to talking. To our delight, we discovered that Lonimar only carries wild and natural abalone.

Lonimar is the company behind the 25 year old abalone brand, Sea Prince. The brand is quite well known and is particularly popular in Japan and Hong Kong. Lonimar has perfected the art of abalone packaging and most importantly, preserved the natural taste of the shellfish. And because the abalone is wild, there are different taste profiles and appearances within their product line. There are many fakes out in the market today most notably in the canned arena, topshell, which is often marketed as an “abalone-like” product. (Check out the differences as explained on Chowhound.) But don’t be fooled! Nothing beats the taste and texture of genuine abalone.

They have even taken the product further and developed the most delicious and authentic abalone sauces I’ve ever tasted. If you shop at any Asian supermarket you will most definitely find oyster sauce. It’s a staple of Chinese cooking. Occasionally, you will also find abalone sauce. Next time you shop for either of these items, make sure you read the label thoroughly. You will almost always find that there is no actual trace of shellfish in any of these sauces. Usually they are (or should be)  marketed as “oyster-flavored” or “abalone-flavored” sauce. Lonimar the only manufacturer of true abalone sauce. Their sauce contains over 30% of actual abalone extract. You only need to try a small dab to taste the concentrated abalone flavor.

During their visit with us, Nancy and Derek graciously brought some of their samples so we could test and taste at Ocean Jewel, a popular Chinese seafood restaurant in Flushing, Queens. Here are the dishes we tasted:

031909_lonimar-001Sliced abalone sashimi style. These abalone were taken right out of Lonimar’s brine and retort pouch and were ready to eat as is. They have previously been cooked before packagins so therefore safte to eat right out of the package.

031909_lonimar-002Steamed abalone with bean sprout stalks topped with Sea Prince abalone sauce. Flavorful and juicy!

031909_lonimar-006

Braised abalone with sea cucumber and broccoli. Braising is one of the most traditional ways to prpare abalone.

Any other abalone fans out there? I personally can’t get enough.

March 20, 2009 – 5:03 pm | By nellie | Posted in Mollusks | Tagged | Comments (0)

The Event of the Year: International Boston Seafood Show

From the main entrance to the show

From the main entrance to the show

Every year, we plan a trip to Boston to visit the International Boston Seafood Show. Most years, we usually attend the first day and then leave the evening after. This year, I decided two of us would stay for the duration of the show and attend the conference programs as well.

The show began on March 15 and ended on March 17. The additional two days was well worth the additional expense in entrance ticket and other travel costs. Kim and I attended the following sessions:

  • How You Can Net More Seafood Profits
  • The Future of Seafood: How the Market and Landscape is Shaping Trends and Innovations
  • The Congressional Shellfish Caucus
  • From Port to Point of Sale
  • Fraudulently Mislabeled/Substituted Seafood: New Cases, Technologies, Legislation & Updated Advice
  • What High Profile Buyers Want
  • Finding Funding in Tough Economic Times
  • Annual Shrimp Forum

I will be posting more specific posts dedicated to hot topics discussed in each session. Additionally, I’ll be dedicating mini-posts to new and interesting finds as well as a photo-op with one of my favorite chefs!

March 18, 2009 – 4:01 pm | By nellie | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (1)

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to W&T Seafood’s new blog! My name is Nellie, and I am the general manager of the company.

W&T Seafood has been around for almost 25 years. My father, Louis, started the business as a retail shop on Bayard Street in Chinatown and today, we are one of the largest wholesale distributors of seafood in New York. Although I’ve grown up with seafood as an integral part of my life, I only succumbed to working in the family-business two years ago and have never looked back.

My background is in Marketing and Advertising and I have worked for agencies and clients in all types environments (including large airlines, car companies, even a world-famous museum!) But I didn’t find true personal and career fulfillment until I started working for W&T Seafood. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Despite the misconceptions of working with your family, I find that working with family is wonderful especially when everyone has the same goals in mind, namely for us, is growing our company with a focus on integrity and quality. Every day offers different challenges and projects.

So you’re probably asking, what’s a blog and why do we have one?

Well, it’s because the seafood industry is a scary place! Chock full of information as well as misconceptions. As part of my personal education on seafood, I thought a blog would be a great way to share what I’m learning on my journey as well as provide an insider’s view of my experiences in the industry. My hope is that this blog will engage others as well, so please comment (by clicking the link below each post) or email me directly with your thoughts and questions.

I plan to share my finds in research, articles, as well as visits to tradeshows, markets, and other seafood and food related tidbits. If there’s something in particular you’d like to see, don’t hesitate to let me know.

Also, we plan to launch our site very soon so please check back often for news and updates on that.

For now, I leave you with a photo from one of my favorite trip experiences, a visit to Tsukiji Market in Tokyo.

At the fresh tuna auction at Tsukiji. (March 2008)

At the fresh tuna auction at Tsukiji. (March 2008)

March 18, 2009 – 10:43 am | By nellie | Posted in General | Tagged , , | Comments (1)