An ichthyologist's wonderland 魚類學家的異想世界: 沙烏地蛤蜊的愛恨情仇 My complex about Saudi Clams

"一次又一次選擇相信，但一次又一次被背叛"...這大概就是我對於沙烏地蛤蜊的寫照吧...

雖然因為在漁業組工作的關係，常常可以有新鮮的魚可以吃。然而對於一個台灣人，生活長可以圍繞在不同種類的蛤蠣、海瓜子等，不能享受到貝類，總覺得好像少點什麼東西。可能是因為沙烏地人不大吃蛤蠣，而主要是外國工作人士才吃雙殼貝類，所以這邊主要都是當地的傳統市場零星在賣，頂多超市的海鮮區偶爾會出現。也因為看到的時候，這些蛤蠣都是雙殼打開的死貝，所以只能先按耐自己想吃的心，耐心等待時機啦。

還好，沒有多久，我就在超市看到一批還算新鮮的貝類。因為還是有大概五成的死貝，所以也沒買多，先買個一公斤試試看。雖然有一半是死的，但是煮起來的味道很好，和台灣的蛤蠣不大一樣，但是吃起來的經驗很不錯。總算，我可以在沙烏地也吃到蛤蠣了，當下心情大好。第二次更是買到珍貴的海瓜子，吃起來也是相當的舒服阿...只希望在買多一些...第三次嘗試蛤蠣薑絲清湯，在寒冬的晚上，來完個蛤蜊湯真是相當的舒服阿

Although I usually have fresh fish from the sea because of working on the fisheries, I still have few chances to taste the clams in Saudi. Most likely the Saudis do not consume the clams, at least only in artisanal scale and probably the expats are the biggest group. So i can only find the clams from rural markets, and at times supermarkets. However, most of the times the clams are dead and not fresh, so I have to skip them and wait, which is pity as a Taiwanese whose life can be fulfilled by various clam species.

Once I found the alive clams in the seafood section, and that time I was excited, but still calm because there may be something wrong for these clams. Thus I bought just small portion (1 kg). Although around half of them were dead, they were still tasty! I was happy then for able to conquer my thirst for these clams. Second and third try were good, too. The second time I bought the "Sea watermelon seed", a highly popular clam species in Taiwan. They are as tasty as in Taiwan, and I regretted only for not have bought more! In the third time i cooked these clams in a clam broth, a proper way of enjoying the essence of clams, especially in the cold winter night.

First try for Saudi clams.沙烏地蛤蜊的第一次嘗試

Fried clams in fishermen style.漁夫風炒蛤蠣，就是放到熱鍋後佳九層塔調味。好吃!

Second try for Saudi clams. This species is really tasty!沙烏地蛤蜊的第二次，這海瓜子味道正點

Third try吃第三次蛤蠣

A proper way of enjoying the clams: Clam broth with shredded ginger享受蛤蠣的好方法: 蛤蜊薑絲清湯

然而，事情不可能永遠美好...當我在下一次吃蛤蠣的時候，我發現裡面很沙。我想說可能是因為沒有吐沙的關係吧，下次記得讓他們泡鹽水吐沙就好。很快的，下一次機會又來了。這次我記取教訓，好好的給他們泡在鹽水裡面。從中午泡到晚上，整整吐了一整個白天。每隻蛤蜊都非常吐力的噴水，甚至噴到碗外面去，讓旁邊到處都是鹽水。到了晚上，我想說，是時候上路了，就給他作了一鍋蛤蜊湯。當蛤蜊湯煮好，我很開心想要開動的時候，我的天阿，滿嘴都是沙...仔細看一下，這種蛤蜊，他有個特殊的沙囊構造，裡面滿滿都是"大粒"的黑砂子..用嘴巴咬掉沙囊也沒用，黑色大沙粒還分布到肉的深處...當下只好配著沙子把這鍋蛤蜊湯喝完。結束後，覺得牙齒好像被沙粒磨掉一層，又覺得自己是雞或鴨，吃沙粒來幫助消化。從此之後，就開始對蛤蜊的愛恨情仇...

However, life is not always en rose. As I was about to enjoy my fourth try, i found there are many sand particles in the broth as well as in the clams. I thought that i did not put them in saltwater for a while for them to exclude the sand particles. So i regarded this try as a mishandling of the clams, and ready for the next time.
For the fifth time, i remembered the lesson from last time. So I put the clams in saltwater for near a day, and the clams breath radically that they sometimes injected water outside the bowl. In Taiwan, soaking in saltwater for three hours is enough to get the sands out of the clams, so i think this time i can have a wonderful meal, but i was wrong about the diversity of clam behaviors....The god damn sands did not being excluded, and there was a sac full of sand, BIG BLACK ones, in EACH clam.. when i finishing my soup, my teeth were nearly worn by these sand particles, and I felt like a duck, eating sand as the "digestive"... Since then, my endless journey of having clams "with" sands have begun...

The fourth try 四次的蛤蠣嘗試

This clam broth has some sand particles...a bit anoying 這次蛤蠣湯有點沙，可能是沒吐沙的關係

This time, I put the clams in saltwater for about one whole day. 這次，蛤蠣可是泡水泡快一天，每隻都很開心的在呼吸吐水

Did I get rid of the sands from the clams? NO ! 這蛤蜊吐完砂了嗎? 完全沒有!!

There is a sac full of large black sand particles in EACH clam 每一隻的蛤蠣，都有個砂囊，裡面裝了滿滿的大黑砂...

Would you want some "black pepper" in your clam broth? 人客，您要在蛤蠣湯裡面加點黑楜椒調味嗎? 這麼多沙粒是要怎麼吃...

Live clams in Dammam market. Look delicious, uh? 達曼市場賣的蛤蜊，還是活的，有興趣嗎?

As usual, I put them in saltwater at least for two hours... 買回來的蛤蜊，一定會泡鹽水吐沙起碼兩個小時

Spaghetti alle Vongole, non-alcohol version, seasoned with sand..
無酒蛤蜊義大利麵，加入適當沙粒調味

Another try. Again, these clams have soaked for two hours...
又一次嘗試。一樣，蛤蜊已經吐沙超過兩個小時

Clam broth seasoned with sand.... 加沙子調味的蛤蜊清湯

Yet another try....
又是某次的嘗試...

Again the Spaghetti alle Vongole with sand.. 帶有蛤蜊的沙子義大利麵

Clams bought two weeks ago. Alive, big, but....
兩星期前買的蛤蜊，很大而且是活的...但你知道的

Again, this clam broth is full of tasty black sand. 還是一樣，這次的蛤蜊湯仍然是一堆沙..冏

來這邊的時間，我已經嘗試不知道幾次的蛤蜊。除了之前的兩三次之外，之後的"每一次"都有沙子...我已經吃近非常多沙子，讓我自己覺得不知道在吃土還是在吃蛤蜊...然而我仍然對蛤蜊抱有"信念"...每一次經過賣蛤蜊的地方，我都要天人交戰一番: "這次，是要買還是不買呢"，"沒關係，這次會不一樣的"，"這一批是不同批的，應該有妥善處理的"...當我每一次"相信"這次會不同時，每一次都被這些念頭給背叛，吃著帶有蛤蜊的沙子...或許附生在鑽油平台的牡蠣，或是尖角江珧蛤 (Pinna muricata)會是我的救星嗎?

I have tried a couple of times, and ALL of them have the fXcking sands except first few times...I ate so much sand that i feel like a geophagy with my stomach full of sand. Every time i see the clams in the market, i have a strong push-and-pull: to eat or not to eat, that is the question....I want to "believe" that this time will be different, this species will be fine, this batch is well-handled so that they bear no sand. However, i was betrayed by my decision, and keep eating clams with lots of sands...when can i find the pure "edible" clams here? Will the "oyster" or prickly pen shells (Pinna muricata) be my savior?