Clam
A soft-bottom mollusc with a mineral flavour, present in broths and steamed dishes.
Clams appear in austral cooking with less prominence than king crab, but they underpin much of the region’s broths and rice dishes.
Like other bivalves, they depend on the sanitation programme and vary by harvest area.
Origin
Specific beds and volumes pending verification.
Season
Indicative window. Closed seasons and quotas are set by the fisheries authority and change between seasons: confirm with SUBPESCA before making a travel decision.
Availability warnings
- Bivalve: subject to sanitation programme.
- Verify origin before eating raw.
Culinary methods
Raw and marinated
Seafood served raw or cold-marinated. Requires strict sanitary traceability.
Restaurants offering it
Territories
Punta Arenas
Capital of the Magallanes Region and the air gateway to the far south. A port city on the Strait of Magellan.
Strait of Magellan
The passage between oceans. Origin of the seafood that defines the austral table.
Sources used
-
National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service
Government of Chile · Consulted August 29, 2026
Enforcement, traceability and bivalve shellfish sanitation programmes.
Related reading
Seafood available by season
What depends on closed seasons, what depends on the sanitation programme, and what depends only on the weather.