I looked at him with beads of sweat forming on my forehead. Looking at the menu, the going rate of geoduck was $42/pound. Speaking of special occasions, my brother-in-law invited my husband and I to go blow his newly deposited bonus check on geoduck at a local Chinese restaurant a few weeks ago.

All these seemingly strange things are considered delicacies to be enjoyed for special occasions, such as weddings. Thus, when you go to an authentic Chinese restaurant (not Pei Wei), you will see such items as sea cucumber and jellyfish on the menu. Asian cuisine not only focuses on the taste of foods, but also the texture. The siphon (neck) has a delicate, crunchy texture, while the mantle (body situated in the shell) resembles the taste of oysters when fried. If you like eating clams and oysters, then you will enjoy the taste of geoduck, which is by far sweeter and richer than any other variety. They are the clams that America actually exports to China and Japan. They are long-lived (that is, unless I eat them), averaging 146 years. Geoducks are found only in the American Pacific Northwest and in Western Canada.

Despite the spelling, which may seem rather counterintuitive, geoduck is actually pronounced “gooey-duck,” a Lushootseed (Native American) word meaning “dig deep.” This member of the clam family is also known as King Clam because it is the largest burrowing clam in the world. Well, for those of you that aren’t familiar with this obscene-looking creature, it is known as a geoduck. But really, were you thinking, “OMG! What on earth is she holding and why?!” 🙂 Please get your head out of the gutter before we proceed.

Geo duck fladded salt