Savory Clams (Nuttallia obscurata)

Our Savory clam, also known as the varnish clam, purple varnish clam, or mahogany clam – is a nonnative species, originally from Asia. These are harvested on our Tarboo Bay farm and our Hood Canal farm and are all naturally occurring.

These clams, aka. Varnish clams are oval-shaped and flattened, with a shiny brown coating on the outer surface of the shell; the interior of the shell is purple. Varnish clams can grow to about three inches in size, and are typically found buried deeper in the substrate than either Manila clams or native littlenecks. Unlike most other local clams, which are filter-feeders, varnish clams are both filter-feeders and deposit-feeders. Because they are deposit-feeders, they have more grit in their guts and must be purged for longer than Manila clams. We generally purge these for 3-5 days or more before shipping to our wholesale distributors.