Common name: Razor clam, Japanese jacknife clam

Japanese name: Mategai (馬蛤貝、馬刀貝、末天乃加比)

Scientific name: Solen strictus Gould, 1861

Nigiri sushi detail: Razor clam (Mategai) Nigiri sushi

Characteristics:

Razor clam (Mategai) is distributed throughout Japan from southern Hokkaido to Kyushu, and along the coasts of the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, and China. The shell length is 12 cm, and it is elongated and cylindrical. In the market, Chinese razor clam (Agemaki) and Giant razor-shell (Oo-mategai) imported from China and Korea are the most commonly distributed species under the name of Mategai. However, Chinese razor clam is not a member of the Mategai family.

It is crunchy, has a sweet taste, and has an elegant aftertaste. Moreover, it does not have the peculiar characteristics of shellfish. It should be suitable for Nigiri sushi, but it is a minor category. It can also be grilled in the shell, baked in butter, or steamed with sake. It is an ingredient used in Chinese and French cuisine, so perhaps it is a matter of quantity that it is not often used as sushi topping.

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