海松貝 · ミルガイ · mirugai
Mirugai
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.
- Also known as
- mirukui, gaper clam, horse clam
- Species
- Tresus keenae (Keen's gaper clam)
- Category
- Shellfish & clams (kai)
- Texture
- very crunchy — briny, oceanic, sweet
- Peak season
- Mar, Apr, May
- Sustainability
- varies — True hon-mirugai is scarce and pricey; cheaper 'shiro-mirugai' (a different clam) is often substituted.
- Mercury
- Not in the FDA consumer table
- Pregnancy
- Eat in moderation
- Price tier
- $$$
The siphon you came for
What you eat as mirugai is the siphon of a large gaper clam — firm, dramatically crunchy, and bursting with clean oceanic brine and sweetness. It’s one of the great texture neta.
Watch the name
True hon-mirugai is scarce and expensive, so a cheaper look-alike, shiro-mirugai (a different clam entirely), is frequently sold in its place. As with so much sushi, the move is to ask — and to notice that the real thing carries a real price. Compare it with the other clams.
Related neta
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.
北寄貝 hokkigaiHokkigai
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.