Having fried clam strips for lunch today. Got me wondering why I’ve never seen fried oyster strips before.
The middle is too squishy? I’ve seen fried oyster nuggets before…
Because oysters don’t grow big enough to slice into strips. Clam strips do not come from the same type of clams used as belly clams or steamers.
I always wondered how they made clam strips, all the clams I’ve encountered were small nuggets. So they’re actually really large clams that are sliced?
Usually. Clam strips are like french fries – you don’t see potatoes looking like they do at McDonald’s, either.
It’s not necessarily the size, but oysters when cooked don’t have the firm texture that clams do (and the clam strips are made from the toughest part of the clam).
Just the foot muscle of large, deepwater hard-shelled clams. They are basically too tough to eat whole, and their bellies (and other guts) are not fit for human consumption.
(And don’t get me started on some of the processed clam-like food products.)