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National Clams on the Half Shell Day

Food · March 31

A day for raw clams served on the half shell, briny and cold, usually with lemon, cocktail sauce or a sharp mignonette.

National Clams on the Half Shell Day falls on Wednesday, March 31, 2027. That is 155 days away.

A clam on the half shell is exactly what it sounds like. The clam is opened, the top shell comes off, and the meat sits in the bottom shell with its own juice, ready to eat raw. Most are served on a bed of crushed ice.

The clams used this way are usually small hard shell clams, often sold as littlenecks or cherrystones. They taste of the sea, a little sweet and a little salty, with a firmer chew than an oyster. The liquid in the shell matters as much as the meat. People tip the whole thing back in one go.

Toppings stay simple. A squeeze of lemon, a dab of cocktail sauce with horseradish, or a spoon of mignonette (vinegar with minced shallot and black pepper) is the usual range. Some add a few drops of hot sauce. Saltine or oyster crackers often sit on the side.

Raw bars and seafood shacks along the coasts are the classic places to find them, ordered by the half dozen or dozen. Shucking clams at home takes a clam knife and some patience, since a clam holds its shell shut tightly. Slipping the blade in near the hinge and working it along the edge is the usual approach.

Cherrystones are larger than littlenecks, so a plate of them makes fewer, bigger bites.

Ways to celebrate

• Order a half dozen littlenecks at a local raw bar.
• Try clams with mignonette instead of cocktail sauce.
• Watch a shucker at work and ask how they open them.
• Compare littlenecks and cherrystones side by side.
• Make a simple mignonette with vinegar, shallot and pepper.

Dates

All national days on March 31

Also on March 31

• National Tater Day
• National Crayon Day
• National Little Red Wagon Day
• National Prom Day
• World Backup Day
• National Bunsen Burner Day
• Eiffel Tower Day

Categories: Food days