Clams from Spain: Why are they so good?!
Have you ever heard of the famous clams from Spain?
Have you ever tried the clams from Spain? Or any other types of clams?
While it’s always a great idea to buy and eat shellfish such as mussels or clams the thing most people ignore is how to tell the difference in quality from a good one, an average one, and a bad one.
Often you don’t know the quality of seafood until you try it, but at this point it is usually too late because you already bought and cooked your product.
At mmmediterranean, we import unique food from the Mediterranean area, including Spain, France, Italy, and other countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Since 1998 through our knowledge, connections, and relationship with providers, and the best chefs and restaurants, we have learned the best sourcing methods for our products.
Today in this blog post we will tell you why choosing shellfish, especially clams, from Spain is a great idea.
Types of Spanish clams
Almeja Fina Clams from Spain
The Almeja fina clams are one of the most famous clams in Spain. These clams are the ones people usually use for dishes like paella or the famous Italian spaghetti a la vongole. These are great clams to steam because they are small enough to open and be cooked quickly. No chance for uncooked clams with this kind!
Almeja fina clams live in water not more than 10 meters deep and close to rivers because they don’t like too-salty waters. Also, for this reason they are very flavorful and delicate.
Coquina Clams from Spain
The coquina clams are darker than the Almeja fina clams. They live in deeper water, about 15 meters deep, and they need more salty water than the almeja fina, thus, they are further away from rivers.
You can find them close to beaches and usually in the sand. In Spain, when you go on beaches and see small shells, there is a good chance it is the shell of a coquina clam.
The best way to cook these clams is with wine, garlic, and olive oil. Cook it with a lid for a few minutes and your clams will be ready.
This preparation of coquina clams makes a great appetizer and goes very well as a side dish to a main course.
Clams from Spain and Donana National Park
If you don’t know yet about the Doñana National Park, it is a Spanish national park that preserves nature and animals. This park is the biggest wetland in Europe, a protected area located in andalusia close to Cadiz and Sevilla.
As a preserved and protected area, not many people are allowed to go in the park and over there, nature has the control of what happens.
The park organises tours for tourists, you can visit the park not more than a day and always under the watch of a national guard. It is one of the beautifulest wetlands in Europe. Over there you can see a lot of free and wild animals.
Guess what, this park is also used for natural and sustainable agriculture. Farmers and agriculture workers use the water from the river and from the estuaries.
Which gives a very unique taste to everything that grows there.
Most of the growing is seafood since the park is next to the Mediterranean sea. And the clams are part of it.
Since it is natural and well protected, clams, mussels and every kind of shellfish loves this area. Most of the shellfish from Spain such as the clams come from Doñana National Park.
Because of all the regulations, the protection and the importance of this park in Spain, you can be sure that every product that comes from there is 100% natural and sustainable.
Everything has a unique taste and delicacy.
This is the main reason why clams from Spain are one of the best you can find, they grow in the most natural and cleanest water you could find along the Ocean or Sea coast.
Mussels, Clams from Galicia Spain
The name speaks for itself. Galician mussels come from the area of Galicia in Spain. It is one of the most well-known mussels and is served in almost every Spanish restaurant. They are simply the best and biggest mussel you can find over there.
Galician mussels are what you should choose for your paella. It will give the dish a lot of flavor, and it will be more authentic within the Spanish tradition. If you are interested in making a traditional Paella yourself, we wrote different recipe on this page.
Conclusion
If you’ve never tried clams from Spain, you should at least try them once. The difference between Spanish clams and the clams you find in any supermarket is great. Since these clams are a product that grows only in Spain, you might think they would be hard to find.
Fortunately at mmmediterranean we have worked with the best Spanish providers for more than 10 years and are able to deliver clams and mussels form the best areas in Spain to you in the United States.
If you ever want to try this unique shellfish, feel free to check out our website for more information about it!
We can give you this link toward our shellfish selection, on top of being able to buy it, you can learn a lot about it.
Cheers!