The American hard clam, measuring 1 1/4 to 2 1/2 inches (3 to 6 cm), has a thick yellowish grey domed shell marked with deep concentric grooves and covered with warty lumps. It is rarely found in the Mediterranean, but is abundant on the Atlantic and English Channel coasts, living in the sand on seashores. Also known in France as rigadelle or coque rayée, it can be eaten raw (preperably without lemon juice, so as not to hide its subtle flavour) or cooked (stuffed like mussles, or in soups).
Clam chowder is a soup made from vegetables, onions and clams garnished with strips od larding bacon; it originated in New England. A clambake, is a picnic, originally along the east coast of North America, at which clams and other shellfish are cooked on heated stones under a layer of seaweed.
