Seafood Converter
Clams, Pipi & Vongole
Standard Names: Cockle, Pipi, Surf Clam, Baby Clam, Vongole
Surf Clams, Pipis and Vongole are sold live, often all under the name Clam. They are a coastal and estuarine bivalve, with the meat being the whole muscle inside the shell.
Different species are harvested along the entire coasts of Australia, mostly by hand methods such as 'raking'. Supply can fluctuate seasonally, the SA fishery is closed from June to October when the Pipi's (often marketed as Coorong Pipi or Goolwa Cockles) spawn.
'Baby Clams' might be an imported product from chinese aquaculture. Remember that fishmongers are legally required to state the place of origin in their product labelling.
| Government Stock Assessment | |||||
| Overfishing | Biomass | AMCS Listing | Accreditations | ||
| Pipi | NSW | Uncertain | - | - | |
| Vic | Undefined | - | - | ||
| SA | Sustainable | - | Pipi's from SA's Younghusband Peninsula (marketed as Coorong Pipis or Goolwa Cockles) are Certified by the MSC | ||
| Venus Clam | Tasmania | Environmentally Limited | - | - | |
| Vongoles | TAS | Environmentally Limited | - | - | |
| SA (Coffin Bay & West Coast) |
Sustainable | - | - | ||
| SA (Port River) | Overfished | - | - | ||
| Western Australia | Negligible | - | - | ||
| What do these terms mean? | |||||
The Why & How of Sustainability
NSW DPI declares the Exploitation Status of cockles, incl. surf clams and several varieties of cockle commonly marketed as vongole as UNDEFINED. For more info about species of cockle/vongole caught in NSW see HERE
Most harvesting occurs by hand and can be regulated locally by a system of quotas and closed seasons. Stock populations fluctuate year-to-year and NSW has seen a decline in stocks. In December 2011 the NSW Department of Primary Industries closed all NSW Pipi fisheries until 1 June 2012 out of concern over drastically diminished stocks.
Preparation & Cooking:
All Surf Clams, Pipi's and Vongole require purging to remove the fine sand or grit inside the shell. To do this, place in lightly salted cool water for several hours or overnight. Your fishmonger might have done this for you.
These bivalves respond well to brief cooking. Cook only until the shells open to prevent the meat from shrivelling and becoming tough. Steam or poach with asian flavours, BBQ, or open with white wine or stock before tossing through a pasta, soup or curry.