Geoduck (Mirugai)

Panopea Abrupta

Geoducks are large sized clams, but only the valve or the leg is worth tasting. For sushi, the valve is used mainly. The valve is first washed, and the tip is cut off. Then the outer flesh is skinned, and the valve is cut along its length and rolled out so it becomes flat. 2~4 pieces of nigiri can be made from one geoduck.

It is thinly sliced so it is easy to bite. Besides sushi, the chefs can prepare the legs of the geoduck and quickly grill them. They are chewy and have a sweet flavor. In sushi terminology, this is nicknamed mirushita or geoduck tounge, since the leg looks like a tounge when it is still in the shell.

Mirugai gets its name because the geoduck feeds on kelp (miru in Japanese fishery terminology ). This eventually became mirukui, or “kelp eater” and this name is often used as well. However, the name mirugai, or “kelp clam” is more widely used between common people.