Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Quahogs R Us

Strangers might think that Rhode Islanders have an unhealthy obsession with quahogs. The bivalve mollusk is the state's official shellfish and favorite appetizer, whether eaten raw on the half shell, tossed into the broth of white, red or clear chowder, buried in the dough of clam cakes, made mince in stuffies or teasing linguini or angel hair pasta. Rhode Island even produces 1/4 of the nation's total commercial harvest catch. But there's more to the quahog than meets the stomach. It turns out that quahogs filter the waters of the Fountain of Youth. They are the longest-living creatures on Earth. They are harbingers of good fortune, whether providing riches in the form of pearls or wampum. And their "happy as a clam" mantra completes the trinity of health, wealth and happiness. (They even score big in Scrabble.) If you're not getting Zen with quahogs, then you're not living "la vida Rhody."

1 comment:

Terrence McCarthy said...

Re: Happy as a clam

It's a myth. Clams are among the most depressed creatures on the planet. Restaurateurs have been, for the past several years, trying to improve the mood and raise the self esteem of clams, many of which have been diagnosed with bivalve disorder. True, clams are being over diagnosed. Millions of clams who are simply " sad " are being given the label. Still. They are far from "happy. "

Blue Fish on the other hand, are very happy. Ironic, huh?