1.
short-neck clam, Manila clam, littleneck clam
A small bivalve commonly used in Japanese cooking, typically in miso soup, pasta, and sake-steamed dishes.
Usually written in katakana; the kanji 浅蜊 is rare.
Common collocations
- アサリの味噌汁: clam miso soup
- アサリの酒蒸し: clams steamed in sake
- アサリの砂抜き: soaking clams in salt water so they spit out sand
Cultural note: 潮干狩り (digging for clams at low tide) is a popular spring outing, and アサリ are the clams people usually find.
Similar words
- 蛤: hard clam — larger and pricier, served on festive occasions
Related Words
Compare:
ハマグリ (clam (hard-shell clam))