Study report on smoked products made from giant clam (Tridacna derasa) at the Micronesian Mariculture Demonstration Centre, Koror, Palau

Abstract

The product was given to staff and visitors of the MMDC, comprising Palauans, Americans and Japanese, to taste. The end product had a matt, dark amber to woody colour, the texture being chewy but not unpleasantly so. The taste being only slightly salty, with a light sweetness and a clear clam taste. The smoked mantle took up the shape of a ring. This product being considered more tasty, if more chewy than the adductor muscle. The coloured part of the processed mantle ended up a ve ry dark green, almost black, with a certain vegetable taste to it. Some tasters in the panel objected to this part of the meat, but it was considered important to leave it in order to give the product a typical “giant clam” appearance, and to avoid further weight loss. The surface of the cut appeared translucent white. The adductor muscle, although more appealing in aspect, had a blander taste and a more outspoken “grain” in the structure. The colour of the cut is of a more opaque whit e. After trials, the panel found the smoked guts to be a less valuable product, although the taste is good. These were therefore not utilised in later experiments. 3 1801g 612g 420g 563g 389g 171g 549g 386g 165g 411g 302g 127g 31% 63.5% 40.7% 97% 99% 96.5% 75% 78.2% 77% 29.5% 5 6920g 2240g 3090g 1683g 1192g - 1536g 1094g - 1324g 981g 24.3% 53.2% - 91% 92% - 86.2% 89.7% - 25.2% 7 2865g 902g 1415g 752g 473g - 679g 441g - 531g 364g - 26.2% 52.4% - 90.3 92.2% - 78.2% 82.2% 23.8% Legend: Exp. = experiment number;M = mantle;A = adductor