赤貝 · アカガイ · akagai
Akagai
Akagai is ark shell — prized for deep-red, crunchy flesh and a clean briny sweetness. Slap a fresh one on the board and it visibly flinches.
- Also known as
- ark shell, blood clam
- Species
- Scapharca broughtonii (Ark shell)
- Category
- Shellfish & clams (kai)
- Texture
- crunchy, snapping — briny, sweet, mineral
- Peak season
- Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
- Sustainability
- varies — Wild ark shell stocks vary; some are imported and farmed.
- Mercury
- Not in the FDA consumer table
- Pregnancy
- Eat in moderation
- Price tier
- $$$
Red, crunchy, alive
Akagai is unusual among shellfish for its deep red flesh — it carries hemoglobin, like blood, which is where “blood clam” comes from. The texture is a clean, snapping crunch, and the flavor is briny-sweet with a mineral edge.
The freshness test
A truly fresh akagai twitches when the chef scores it and slaps it on the board — that flinch is the whole show, and a sign you’re getting it at its peak. The frilly mantle, the himo, is often served alongside for an even crunchier bite.
A prized edomae shellfish — see how it stacks up against the other clams.
Related neta
Hokkigai
Hokkigai is surf clam — sweet and crunchy, with a signature blanched tip that blushes from beige to a vivid red-pink. A cold-water Hokkaido staple.
海松貝 mirugaiMirugai
Mirugai is giant gaper clam — the crunchy, briny siphon prized for deep oceanic sweetness and an emphatic snap. Frequently confused with (and faked as) geoduck.