A special delicacy in Lianzhou Town in Zhuhai’s Doumen District is the Shangheng Steamed Yellow Sand Clam. The town abounds with clams since it is located at the marine outfall of the Xijiang River with a network of waterways crisscrossing it.

The clams in Lianzhou are yellowish-green, and therefore are called yellow sand clams.

This was once a deliciously popular dish for distinguished guests in the region. Though the identified place of origin of Yellow Sand Clams has changed from Shangheng to Lianzhou, the food still dominates menu choices throughout the region.

There is a story that Zhao Bing, the last emperor in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), jumped into a river to find clams, but found nothing. At that time, clams were abundant in the region, but people did not like them. More than 700 years later, people in Shangheng Town adopted the mollusk as their favorite food and developed many ways to cook them.

These days, local people bake and fry them, but the most popular method is to steam them with garlic on an aluminum plate. The best season for the delicacy is from February to April, when locals and nearby out-of-towners swarm to Shangheng for a feast.

Clams are not only gastronomical delights, but they also can be used as a medicine to improve eyesight, serve as a diuretic, stimulate lactation, and eliminate dampness.