SushiUniversity

Mirugai clam (Mirugai)

【Nigiri sushi: Kai】
Markets often call this shellfish ‘Mirugai’ but the official name is ‘Mirukui’. Mirukui dwells in sandy places in waters about 10 to 20m deep in inner bays from Hokkaido down to Kyushu. The name is said to have come from green sea fingers (called “miru” in Japanese) that often stuck to shellfish’s siphon so it looked like it was eating the seaweed.

Mirugai is the most highly-valued shellfish. Firm, fine texture and fresh scent of ocean with juicy sweetness. It was once harvested from Tokyo Bay when the waters were rich with shellfish, but these days it has become a pricey sushi ingredient because there are few places it is harvested in Japan.