Putien is bringing back the Duotou Clams that brought the heat to the global food scene with 130 tonnes sold yearly. Exclusively available at all Putien Restaurants for just $46.80/two dishes, come try this season’s fresh bounty of nature!
Putien Duotou Clams – Origins Of The Clams
Every year, as Spring gives way to the rising heat of Summer, clams in the Duotou village of Putian, Fujian reach their peak. Caringly hand-spaced apart by farmers, they have been growing quietly for half a year in a fertile bed of pure nutrient-rich black mud.
Now, at roughly six cm long, these plump and tender bivalves are ready for harvesting – a laborious process done only by hand to preserve their natural environment for future generations. Farmers from this village supply Putien – the official promoter of Duotou Clams, who then accentuate the umami of the clams through simple cooking methods.
The small fishing village has been rearing their prized catch for more than 600 years. Generation after generation, the farmers have continued their ancestral tradition of rearing the clams in the village’s shores of special black mud. The mud is rich with minerals, brine algae and organic matter, which is said to take more than a thousand years to form.
It is this mud – 20,000mu of it – and the higher salinity of its bay’s seawater (18-20% compared to the typical 10-15%) that makes all the difference. Duotou clams are alternatively known as Chinese Razor clams or Agemaki clams when harvested in other parts of the world. But the combination of mud and salt from the shores of Duotou Village cultivate these clams sweeter and fatter than anywhere else.
Still, it is a challenge getting them from the nurturing mud to a plate. Duotou clams are expert diggers. To better absorb the nutrients from the mud, they bury themselves up to 30cm deep. A distance farmers have to bridge by hand as they worry machinery of any kind might damage the environment. The painstaking harvesting process takes two hours for just one bucketful of clams. Yet, with sweat on their brows and the sun on their backs, the sight of each clam’s milky flesh bulging out of their shells makes everything worth it.
These key characteristics of the Duotou clams have been enshrined in official records since 2019, the same year Putien was named by Fujian Province Putian City Hanjiang District Sanjiangkou Town’s local government as Official Promoter of Duotou Clams. The distilled four Gold Standards are:
- From the Black Mud.
- A Shell of Gold.
- 6cm of Pride, Only Tasty when Fat.
- Sweet, Savory, Succulent
Putien Duotou Clams – Eight Styles. Try Two at a Special Price
Simplicity is beauty at Putien. To preserve this gift of nature, Putien is offering the seasonal Duotou clams in the following eight ways:
Baked Duotou Clams on Hot Plate, $26.80
THE classic way Putian locals cook it. Preserving the original sweetness of the clams, studded with fragrant baubles of Szechuan Peppercorns on a bed of sea salt, with each flavour bomb of a bite.
Red Mushroom Duotou Clam Soup, $28.80
Enjoy the umami of the mountains and sea in one pot. Feast your eyes on the plump flesh of the Duotou clams and drink in the savoury aroma of the Red Mushrooms, as its natural colour slowly dyes the nutritious clear broth a beautiful maroon. Then, bite into the Duotou Clam bursting with the umami-rich broth it has sponged up.
Steamed Duotou Clams in Aged Huatiao Wine, $26.80
Following a traditional local cooking method, Aged Huatiao and clams are added into a pot to steam. The Huatiao triggers the clams to release their sweetness. The marriage of the savoriness of the clams and the fragrance of aged Chinese liquor is truly heaven-blessed.
Stir-fried Duotou Clams with Ginger and Spring Onions, $26.80
The fisherman’s style. Fried in a screaming hot wok, the flesh of the clams are firmer. With the aroma of ginger and spring onion, this is a dish that demands a steaming hot bowl of rice.
Salted Spicy Duotou Clams, $26.80
Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with a light coating of punchy seasoning. This is the perfect accompaniment with our pot of fruity Sake available at $20 a pot with any order of clams.
Steamed Duotou Clams with Minced Garlic, $26.80
A not to be missed classic! Minced garlic is piled evenly on the clam’s meaty body, filling each succulent bite with an energizing fragrance of garlic.
Scrambled Eggs with Duotou Clams, $26.80
A taste of mum’s cooking, eggs are elevated to new unexpected heights with the addition of the clams in a dish that is loved by old and young alike.
Chilled Duotou Clams in Fermented Wine, $22.80
A cold refreshing dish, light on the palate with the lingering fragrance of the fermented wine to chase away the muggy fatigue of Singapore’s heat.
Understand a village’s generational obsession with these seemingly small clams! Head to your nearest Putien to try any two dishes for the special combo price of $46.80, and an additional 20% off a carafe of Sake with any order of clams, from now until the end of July.
