Indigenous Australians have harvested Pipi (also known as Goolwa Cockles in South Australia) for the past 10,000 years. This is confirmed by the fact that middens in the vicinity of the Murray River mouth in South Australia are composed almost exclusively of the shells of adult Pipi. Many Australians, Indigenous or not, have childhood memories of digging through the sand for Pipi on family holidays or at their local beach.

The great news is that these foraged bivalves have not lost any of their deliciousness since then. Commercially, all of their supply is hand-harvested – much by Indigenous Australians, in places such as Eden – meaning that this industry is a truly artisanal one to this day.

DIVE DEEPER

COMMERCIAL NAME

Pipi

Method of Capture

Hand-harvested

Region

Mainly south from the NSW/Queensland border to the beginning of the Great Australian Bight in SA.

Other names

Beach Pipi, Clam, Coorong Cockle, Eugarie, Goolwa Cockle, Pippie, Ugari.

Scientific Family

Donacidae (Pipis).

Seasonality

Available year round from SA, with NSW fishery closed from November to May.

Size

Meat commonly weighs 8-12g and the shells average 5-6cm (with large specimens around 8cm), with those harvested from SA typically smaller than those from NSW and Victoria.

Price range

Low priced.

Alternative Species

Blue Mussels, Surf Clams, Vongole.

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES

SHOPPING TIPS

Sold live. Look for brightly coloured, intact, lustrous shells, that are closed or close when tapped or gently squeezed, and a pleasant fresh sea smell.Due to their sandy habitat they can contain quite a bit of grit, ask your fishmonger if they have been purged (stored in aerated saltwater for at least 24 hours to eliminate sand), if they haven’t been, see below for purging instructions.

STORAGE TIPS

Pipis should be consumed as soon as possible after purchase. Place in a container, cover with a damp cloth and keep in a cool part of the house (not the refrigerator) for a few hours, or store overnight in salted water (see purging directions below). Before cooking, discard any shells that are open and don’t close when tapped or gently squeezed. Freeze meat for up to 3 months below -18ºC.

COOKING TIPS

If Pipis haven’t been purged, place them in a solution of cool water and sea salt (30g salt to each litre of water) for several hours, or overnight, in a cool part of the house (if you refrigerate them they’ll close up and won’t ‘spit out’ the sand).Average yield is 20-30%. They have a strong, rich flavour, medium oiliness and moist, firm flesh. Remove from the heat as soon as they open, as they quickly shrivel and become chewy if over cooked.While traditional wisdom was to discard shells that don’t open when cooked, you can pry them open, away from the plate, and, if they smell good, eat them; if they’re bad, they’ll have a distinctly ‘off’ aroma.

COOKING METHODS

Steam, poach, stir-fry, bake, grill, barbecue, smoke, raw (sashimi), pickle. The firm flesh works well in soups, curries and stir-fries. The classic Pipi dish is stir-fried with black bean sauce.