Geoduck from Canada come from the clean, remote waters of the coast of British Columbia and are renowned for their high quality and the care with which they are harvested and packed for the highly demanding seafood markets of Asia.

Geoduck, graphically dubbed the "elephant trunk clam" by the Chinese due to its large, meaty siphon is prized for its incredibly sweet flavour and crunchy texture. Extremely popular in Hong Kong, China and Japan, where it is considered a rare taste treat, Geoduck is mostly eaten cooked in a fondue-style Chinese hot pot or raw sashimi style, dipped in soy sauce and wasabi. On Japanese menus, Geoduck is called mirugai.

Like clams, oysters and other bivalves, geoduck are most popular live, preferably kept in a chilled salt water tank with good water circulation. However, other product forms such as chilled or flash-frozen, vacuum-packed siphons and even dried body meat are available from time to time. The former is very convenient to use and are popular in sushi restaurants and some Asian supermarkets, while the later is a prized ingredient used in Chinese soup tonics.

When buying live Geoduck, look for ones that have fresh, plump, firm looking siphons. Although light beige-coloured siphons are preferred by many customers, the taste and texture of the meat inside is the same regardless of the exterior siphon colour. Live Geoduck will keep in the coldest part of your refrigerator for two to three days wrapped in a damp cloth. If you plan to use the Geoduck on the same day, feel free to ask the store attendant to cut it out of its shell for you and discard the dark, egg-sized, oval stomach. What should remain is the siphon attached to a crescent-shaped strip of body meat.

Otherwise, simply insert a small, sharp paring knife in between the shell and the body of the Geoduck around the base of the siphon and cut along the edge of the shell to separate the shell from the body. Be sure to sever the adductor muscles at the top and bottom of the shell while doing so. Then trim off and discard the stomach as above.


To get rid of the tough skin covering the siphon and body meat, run hot water from your tap until it's just too hot to the touch; place the clam in the hot water until the skin begins to bubble and loosen. When ready, you should be able to peel off the skin easily like a cylindrical sheaf to expose the edible creamy-smooth flesh underneath. Rinse and scrub off any brown pigment and loose skin that may cling to the meat and it's ready to use.

To prepare, cut the siphon off from the body meat and split it lengthwise in half across the two apertures showing in the thicker end. Then, using a very sharp knife, cut each piece of the siphon into paper thin slices on a sharp bias. After trimming off the spongy parts from the body meat, it can either be sliced the same way as the siphon and served or cut up and put in a tasty chowder.


One very important thing to remember about Geoduck is that it toughens very quickly when cooked. So a very quick blanch in a pot of boiling broth or an equally quick toss into a boiling sauce yields best results.


For a quick and easy warm dipping sauce for blanched Geoduck: Heat equal parts of Japanese soy sauce and canned chicken stock with one or two sliced small chilies on the stove or in the microwave. Adjust to taste with a pinch of sugar and garnish with some chopped green onions or cilantro and a sprinkle of sesame oil if desired. Or try tossing some Geoduck into a stir-fry of snow peas, carrots and water chestnuts right before serving.

For a video demonstration of geoduck preparation click here