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Clam

A clam is an edible bivalve shellfish commonly steamed, boiled, grilled, or added to soups and sauces.

Clam — illustrative ingredient image

About Clam

A clam is an edible bivalve mollusc enclosed by two hinged shells. The soft body is eaten on its own or with the shell, and clams are commonly steamed, boiled, grilled, baked, fried, or added to chowders, soups, stews, sauces, pasta, and noodle dishes. The particular species determines many culinary differences.

Clams have a briny, marine flavour and release savoury cooking juices as their shells open. Their texture ranges from tender to pleasantly chewy; smaller clams are often more delicate, while larger varieties may be firmer. Cooking too long can make the meat tough, whereas gentle cooking preserves tenderness.

They are sold live or chilled in shells, frozen, canned, or already shucked. Whole clams have smooth or ridged shells in colours such as white, grey, brown, or blue-black. The meat may be pale cream, grey, or orange. Shell-on clams open during cooking, while shucked meat can be fried, baked, or added directly to dishes.

Ingredient type
whole food

Forms & related ingredients

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Where clam appears

18 linked foods

Find foods to recognise by country and type. Recipes and products vary; these are recorded ingredient connections.

Showing 13–18 of 18

Soups

Noodle dishes

Rice dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for clam

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

clam

English

clam (butter, raw)

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Clam, praire ou palourde, bouilli/cuit à l'eau

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Clam, praire ou palourde, cru

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Mollusks, clam, mixed species, canned, drained solids

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Mollusks, clam, mixed species, canned, liquid

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, breaded and fried

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, moist heat

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

English

Mollusks, clam, mixed species, raw

Search alias · Not a confirmed translation

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Clam nutrition & diet

Clam nutritional value

Mollusks, clam, mixed species, raw

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the recorded food form.

Calories
86kcal
Protein
14.7g
Carbs
3.6g
Fat
1.0g

Reference values for the specific food form shown. Other varieties, brands and preparations can differ.

Portions & preparation

Match the reference to the edible clam tissue, with species and preparation identified. Distinguish raw, steamed, boiled, grilled, fried, canned, smoked, or sauced forms, and exclude shell weight. Record whether cooking liquid, breading, oil, or other additions are consumed with the clam.

Compare the right form: Use a reference for the identified clam species and edible meat, prepared as specified; shell-on weights, canned products, breaded portions, and sauces need separate matching.

Diet considerations

Clam is animal-derived shellfish. Compatibility changes when it is fried, breaded, canned with additives, cooked in dairy or alcohol, or served with cereal-based noodles, crumbs, or sauces. Plain clam and a finished mixed dish are different foods, and portion size affects carbohydrate patterns only through accompanying ingredients.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically incompatible
  • Vegetarian
    Typically incompatible
  • Pescatarian
    Typically compatible
  • Keto
    May be compatible
  • Paleo
    May be compatible
  • Low-carb
    May be compatible
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Typically incompatible
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically incompatible
The ingredient profile identifies an animal-derived food or derivative.
Vegetarian · Typically incompatible
The profile identifies animal flesh, seafood or a derivative excluded by a vegetarian diet.
Pescatarian · Typically compatible
Seafood fits this pescatarian definition. Added meat-based stock or other ingredients would need checking separately.
Keto · May be compatible
The plain form may fit a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Check the portion, added sugar, coatings and sauces against the nutrition values above.
Paleo · May be compatible
May fit a paleo pattern, depending on the cut or form, processing and added ingredients.
Low-carb · May be compatible
The plain form may fit a carbohydrate-restricted diet. Check the portion, added sugar, coatings and sauces against the nutrition values above.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Typically incompatible
This profile identifies shellfish, which does not meet the kosher fish criteria.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: USDA FoodData Central — Mollusks, clam, mixed species, raw ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .