Enjoying clams by the sea

In hot summer days after a nice swim in the sea it is customary to enjoy delicious seafood, such as fish, shrimp, crabs and clams in Quang Nam Province.
Simply cooked as they are, clam dishes require a skillful combination of hot spices like lemongrass, peppers, ginger or lemon leaves in order to be free from their fish smell, yet preserve their sweet taste.
After being caught, clams need to be soaked in rice water for two hours, cleanly washed and then cooked. If soaked too long, they will die.
Quang Nam has a coastline of 125 km with plenty of nice beaches such as Ha My (Dien Ban district), Cua Dai (Hoi An town), Binh Minh (Thang Binh district), Tam Thanh (Tam Ky town) and Bai Rang (Nui Thanh district).
The most popular and simple clam dish at these beaches is clams steamed with coconut milk. Visitors favor this dish for its delicious smell as well as its sweet taste.
Eating boiled clams with salt and pepper also brings the same charming flavor. The clam-boiled water can then be used for cooking a sapid pot of clam gruel, which combines the fat and sweet taste of clams with hot spices.
Nowadays, more sophisticated clam dishes can be found in luxurious restaurants. However, only when relaxing at the beach, breathing in the cool sea air can diners fully enjoy the wonderful taste of small clams.