palourde / praire / clam (difference on menu)

English translation: palourde clams/praire clams/half shell clams

17:30 Apr 1, 2008
French to English translations [PRO]
Cooking / Culinary
French term or phrase: palourde / praire / clam (difference on menu)
This line figures in a seafood menu.

10 palourdes, 3-4 amandes, 3-4 praires, 1/2 clams

I know palourdes can be called carpetshells, but would this be recognizeable on a menu?
For me praires are clams, which leaves me with the mystery of what to put for 1/2 clams

Anyone else ever have this problem?
Miranda Joubioux (X)
Local time: 11:38
English translation:palourde clams/praire clams/half shell clams
Explanation:
They are all types of clams, but for a menu I wouldn't be too specific as some of the English names don't sound very appetising. I would just leave the French term followed by clams so people know what they are, as in the following examples:

Our resident Chef Ian Haywood has come up with a simple way to combine the wonderful flavours of Wild Sea-Trout and palourde clams. (serves 4.) ...
www.chefclubdirect.co.uk/ih-seatrout.html

... Scottish Langoustines (creel caught); Scottish hand-dived Scallop in shell; Cornish Scallop in shell; Cornish Crab; Palourde Clams; Rope-grown Mussels ...
www.new-wave.co.uk/shellfish.htm

Add the palourde clams to the pan. Put the lid back on and cook for a few minutes, until the shellfish are open. Remove and discard any that don't open. ...
www.bbc.co.uk/food/get_cooking/videos/084.shtml

Mussels Mariner or Sailor Style (Mussels in White Wine Sauce) · Sea Urchins · Stuffed Palourdes (Small Clams) · Seafood Platter · Stuffed Praire Clams or ...
www.wine-food-matcher.com/examples-wine-food-matching.php

We used two different kinds of clam, and as the praire take longer to cook than the palourde, we cooked them first, took them out of the pan and then cooked ...
www.suppertonight.co.uk/clamchowder.htm
Selected response from:

cmwilliams (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:38
Grading comment
Thank you everyone.

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3palourde clams/praire clams/half shell clams
cmwilliams (X)
4 +2see explanation
Etienne Muylle Wallace
3 +1half shell
mariavaz
4softshell / hardshell /quahog
rkillings
4Carpet shell OR Manilla clam / Warty Venus / Clam
B D Finch
3clams/clams/clams! (but there's still hope...)
Melissa McMahon
2Array of grooved carpet shell, venus and quahog clams
Emma Paulay


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
half shell


Explanation:
I think clam is already an English word; and 1/2 can mean that the clams are served in the half shell...just a guess!
Have a look at the menu in the link.


    Reference: http://www.billsseafood.com/menu.htm
mariavaz
Local time: 10:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  emiledgar: "clams on the half shell" not "in"
5 mins
  -> Sure! Sorry!
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52 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
see explanation


Explanation:
palourde = tellina clam
praires = clams
clam= giant clams

The three are different kinds of clams: I would mention on the menu: Assortment of Seafood

Etienne Muylle Wallace
Spain
Local time: 11:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  maria ef
31 mins

agree  Sara Mullin
2 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
softshell / hardshell /quahog


Explanation:
In Canada, at least.<g>

Good luck: bivalve taxonomy is a mess (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veneridae).

In any case, French "clam" is reported to be the North American quahog transplanted to the other side of the pond. It too is a "hardshell clam". Definitely not the giant clam of the South Pacific.

rkillings
United States
Local time: 03:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 12
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
Array of grooved carpet shell, venus and quahog clams


Explanation:
It doesn't sound very appetising, does it? But then, only those who actually know what they are will order them!


Emma Paulay
France
Local time: 11:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 43
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Carpet shell OR Manilla clam / Warty Venus / Clam


Explanation:
Palourde = Carpet-Shell (Ruditapes Decussatus - formerly Venerupis decussata)
Palourde = Manilla Clam (Ruditapes philipinarum)

Praire = Venus verrucosa = Warty Venus (a very unappetising name)

clam = perhaps every common or garden clam?

Other refs:
http://www.marlin.ac.uk/sah/
http://www.gourmetbritain.com/encyclo_results.php?encyclo_se...



    Reference: http://poissonsdemer.free.fr/site/coquillages_latin_francais...
    Reference: http://www.macalister-elliott.com/media/reports/2_reports.pd...
B D Finch
France
Local time: 11:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 43
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
palourde clams/praire clams/half shell clams


Explanation:
They are all types of clams, but for a menu I wouldn't be too specific as some of the English names don't sound very appetising. I would just leave the French term followed by clams so people know what they are, as in the following examples:

Our resident Chef Ian Haywood has come up with a simple way to combine the wonderful flavours of Wild Sea-Trout and palourde clams. (serves 4.) ...
www.chefclubdirect.co.uk/ih-seatrout.html

... Scottish Langoustines (creel caught); Scottish hand-dived Scallop in shell; Cornish Scallop in shell; Cornish Crab; Palourde Clams; Rope-grown Mussels ...
www.new-wave.co.uk/shellfish.htm

Add the palourde clams to the pan. Put the lid back on and cook for a few minutes, until the shellfish are open. Remove and discard any that don't open. ...
www.bbc.co.uk/food/get_cooking/videos/084.shtml

Mussels Mariner or Sailor Style (Mussels in White Wine Sauce) · Sea Urchins · Stuffed Palourdes (Small Clams) · Seafood Platter · Stuffed Praire Clams or ...
www.wine-food-matcher.com/examples-wine-food-matching.php

We used two different kinds of clam, and as the praire take longer to cook than the palourde, we cooked them first, took them out of the pan and then cooked ...
www.suppertonight.co.uk/clamchowder.htm

cmwilliams (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 28
Grading comment
Thank you everyone.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  writeaway: they sound like names of clams one actually sees on menus
1 hr
  -> thanks!

agree  Melissa McMahon
3 hrs
  -> thanks!

agree  Sheila Wilson: with writeaway here - some other suggestions are quite offputting for an English-speaking diner
9 hrs
  -> thanks!
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
clams/clams/clams! (but there's still hope...)


Explanation:
Clams are a real nightmare: it is really a generic term and then there are many names for species or kinds of clam that vary and can contradict each other according to the region.

In the end I agree with cmwilliams: leave the terms as they are, because it's such an imprecise area and the staff can always explain to the customer what kind they are.

But if it helps, I translated a French-Canadian food encyclopedia for an American market and reproduce the entry on clams below, with my translations of the specific terms inserted. The client was happy with these, however as I say this is really not an area where terms are laid down in stone.

According to that:
- a 'palourde' is a generic term, or generic type of clam - if it is a 'palourde americaine', it may be a hard-shell clam.
- amande -> amande de mer? not in the below but GDT gives 'littleneck clam'. Alternatively could it refer (like 1/2) to the way they are served, ie off the shell?
- praires, venus or ridged clams (perhaps suggesting that the palourde is 'the other type' ie smooth-shell claim)
- 1/2 clams: clams on the half-shell seems most likely here.

Palourde (Clam)
Venus spp, Vénéridés
Mollusque que l’on retrouve dans les mers du monde entier, notamment dans les eaux peu profondes de l’Atlantique. Certaines espèces sont cultivées. **Le mot « palourde » est un terme générique qui regroupe plusieurs espèces.** La plupart, comme le *quahog (quahog)* et la *mactre d’Amérique (surf clam)* ont des coquilles très dures. Certaines ont des coquilles lisses. C’est le cas de la *mactre d’Amérique (surf clam)* et du *couteau (razor clam)*. D’autres, telles les **praires ou vénus [both = 'venus clams' or 'ridged clams' see next]** ont des valves striées. Les coquilles sont de couleur, de forme et de grosseur variables. Elles ont souvent des teintes de brun, de brun-noir, de gris pâle ou de blanc crayeux. Les *couteaux ou rasoir [razor clams]* sont minces et allongés. La plupart des autres espèces sont de forme elliptique.
L’une des plus volumineuses, la *mactre d’Amérique [surf clam]*, peut mesurer jusqu’à 18 cm. Le *quahog nordique [ocean quahog]* atteint jusqu’à 13 cm, la **palourde américaine [hard-shell clam]** 15 cm et la mye [soft-shell clam] atteint 13 cm.
La chair, maigre, varie de couleur selon les espèces, allant du blanc crème au gris et à l’orange foncé.

Melissa McMahon
Australia
Local time: 21:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 35
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