A quick kinhason roundup

Weekends are the best time to find shellfish that I do not otherwise come across on regular days. By “weekend” I mean late Friday afternoon, because that is when small-time purveyors arrive to lay out their produce and/or catch, which means that if you want the best and freshest, you do not wait until Saturday, designated market day. By then it’s too late.

Shellfish particularly come in handy during full moon and habagat seasons when fish is hard to come by. Packed with proteins and other vitamins and minerals, they are suited to various modes of preparation, whether raw in spiced vinegar, stir-fried, or in light or heavy soup. To date, I have featured anínikád (plicate conch, sautéed and in coconut cream), tahong (mussel), dawdàwo (mangrove whelk), balisa’a (Manila clam, in soup — plain or with loofah/sponge gourd — and in pancit Canton, too!), tipáy (moon scallop) — even fawn melania, freshwater snail known locally as bagdaw.

As for some others — saáng (spider conch), liswi (blood-mouth conch), sisí (mangrove oyster) kalyong (scallop, bigger/thicker than tipáy), bug-atan (Venus clam), litób (ark clam, specifically blood cockle), takubo (giant clam), and tagmànok (which refers to not one but two kinds of conchs, “male” and “female,” each with unique colors and patterns) — I lump them under the category “Kinhason Pa Doesn’t Eat.”

Then there are those shells that fall in the gray area in between for being the kind we do not see much of, so often have no idea how to eat. Prior to this blog, I had never really paid much attention to the variety of mollusks (and seafood in general) available to us. These days, I discover something “new” each week. Tudlô-tudlô/tudlô-datô (razor clam), punáw (hard/surf clam), barinday (also a clam, but more properly a mussel). They are mostly sourced from the nearby towns of Matalom and Bato (with its abundant seafood market).

And then there’s this:

The vendor said they were tikwil, another type of clam; I’m guessing heart or basket cockle. The shucked meat (₱60 for a small tumbler) was very tender, perfect for kinilaw. I chose to do a quick stir-fry, with oyster sauce, kecap manis, and sriracha, inspired by a similar dish at Ocho in downtown Tacloban. Mollusks are naturally briny so it does not take much to season them. The key here is to cook the meat in a flash lest it turn tough.

Hey, is that one happy clam, or what? You wish. It’s definitely not a tongue sticking out of the shell, but a foot. Anthropomorphic attributes aside, our clam’s actually trying to find some sand to burrow into to escape predation (guess who from?). But I can’t afford to feel guilty about that; I have people to feed. Besides, did you know that the critter featured in the previous post feeds on mollusk? You read right: slipper lobster!

Stir-Fried Basket Cockles

This recipe also works for other tender mollusks like razor clam and scallop. To avoid overcooking, have all your ingredients ready before you start cooking.

• ¾ cup shucked tikwil (basket cockles)
• ½ medium red onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• small thumb of ginger, julienned
• 1 finger chili, minced


• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon kecap manis
• ½ teaspoon sriracha or any hot sauce
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Drain water from shucked clams into a bowl and combine with oyster sauce, kecap manis, and sriracha. Set clams and sauce mixture separately aside.
2. Heat oil in skillet, Add onion, garlic, ginger, and finger chili. Sautée for a minute, then add the sauce mixture. Let liquid come to a boil and reduce by half before adding clam meat. Give everything a quick toss, then turn heat off. Season to taste and serve immediately.