Have you ever been to Thailand and seen the ladies on the beach digging. You might want to know what they are digging for. They are digging for coquinas and you also maybe wondering what coquinas are. They are miniature clams. You will find them on the beach deep in the sand. To find them the sand has to be a little wet and a low tide, like a meter or maybe even 2 meters away from the ocean.
One day I was on the beach and started digging for them. I found 17 of them. It was a lot of fun. You need a lot of them since they are tiny. I mean REALLY tiny.
Here are some facts about coquinas
- They can be up to 1-inch long.
- They are a quarter inch thick.
- The word coquina comes from the Spanish language.
- You can find them worldwide.
- They come in all different colors like green, white, pink, blue, yellow, black, and mauve.
Here is how to cook coquinas.
- Rinse them well and put them on a plate.
- Put a little bit of olive oil in a pan.
- Turn the stove to medium heat.
- Put in the coquinas in the pain, but be careful. Because when we did it the pan went up in flames.
- You will know when they are done because their shells will open.
- Turn off heat and eat them. They have little meat so you need a lot of them.
- If the shells don’t open, it means they are dead. Don’t eat them and throw them away.
The coquinas were okay, but I think they would be better as a flavoring in food like a soup or something. Now you know what coquinas are and how to cook them.
Nana says
Thank you for another informative and delightful adventure from you, Sydney; I love reading everything you learn.
Win says
Hi Sydney,
Love reading your posts. We have something similar in New Zealand but slightly bigger otherwise as you say it’s not worth eating them. They can be sandy too so we leave them in a bucket of water for a while so they can spit the sand out.
Deena says
Thanks for sharing this information about the Coquinas, Sydney! I had never heard of them before, but will be sure to watch for women doing this when we get to Thailand. We may even have to dig up some for ourselves. Thank you!