Why do I still long to drink as evening falls? Beyond the wall, I hear someone calling out clams for sale. C…
Why do I still long to drink as evening falls? Beyond the wall, I hear someone calling out clams for sale.
Clams come in rounded, triangular, or elongated oval shapes, some reaching two or three cun in size. Rich in umami flavor, they were a beloved delicacy in ancient times. Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty wrote in Alchemical Codex: "Clams may be boiled or roasted—if common folk can enjoy them, how much more the gentlemen and scholars?" The History of the Southern Dynasties - Tales of Wang Rong records: "No matter the trouble—let us eat clams." Clams frequently appear in Tang and Song poetry as well, the poet Pi Rixiu once wrote, "What stirs my thirst so late at night? A clam-seller's call beyond the wall." Showing just how common it was