What's A Pipi?

-->"Tracy" == Tracy S Thompson  writes:

  Tracy> A friend of mine wants to know what a "pipi fritter" is.

Pipi's are small shellfish that are dug up on a beach at low tide. Their shell is usually roundish with dark patches on a lighter shell. Then again they may be the flatter, longer species which are a light cream/orange colour. I think the second one is would possibly be called clams. Anyway they make great fritters ... but not as good as whitebait.

Speaking of seafood, I hear they had a season of bluff oysters last year. What I would give for four dozen fresh oysters with a hint of lemon ...

andy

In article 010394104416@dalwhinnie.dcs.st-and.ac.uk, peterb@dcs.st-andrews.ac.uk (Peter Burgess) writes:
> In article , bond@azure.dstc.edu.au
> (Andy Bond) wrote:
> 
> > Pipi's are small shellfish that are dug up on a beach at low tide.
> > Their shell is usually roundish with dark patches on a lighter shell.
> > Then again they may be the flatter, longer species which are a light
> > cream/orange colour.  I think the second one is would possibly be
> > called clams.
.....
> Pipi are small (5-10cm) white bivalves with a flat elongated shell.  They
> have orange flesh and a not unpleasant mild flavour.
.....
> Pipi like sandy beaches or
> esturies where the tide goes out a long way and are generally found near
> the low water mark.  They make good bait for snapper and parorae (a.k.a.
> black snapper).  I think the round things Andy is refering to are cockles,
> which prefer muddy beaches and are also quite good to eat.

There are also "tuatuas", which are very similar to pipis, and (as far as I remember) identical in taste. (Unlike pipis, the shells of tuatuas are slightly asymmetrical, with the top of the hinge being slightly to one side.) Pipis and tuatuas seem to live in similar conditions, but I recall that beaches tend to be dominated by one or the other. For example, at Orewa beach (where I grew up) the shellfish were predominantly tuatuas, but at Waiwera - the next beach to the north - pipis dominated.

This discussion is making me homesick!

	Ross.

>>> Pipi's are small shellfish that are dug up on a beach at low tide.
>> They are the small ones that look like tiny snails.
> 
> No they aren't - the pipi is a bivalve - ie., it has two shells that hinge
> at the base.
> 
> Brian Harmer

pipi's also are not dug up from a beach, they are got from harbour locations at low tide (no surf) tuatua's are gor from beaches at low tide

tuatua (2-a,2-a) are similar in shape to pipi's but the hinge is not in the centre of the shell it is about 1/3 of the way along

shawn

In article , bond@azure.dstc.edu.au
(Andy Bond) wrote:

> -->"Tracy" == Tracy S Thompson  writes:
> 
>   Tracy> A friend of mine wants to know what a "pipi fritter" is.
> 
> Pipi's are small shellfish that are dug up on a beach at low tide.
> Their shell is usually roundish with dark patches on a lighter shell.
> Then again they may be the flatter, longer species which are a light
> cream/orange colour.  I think the second one is would possibly be
> called clams.  Anyway they make great fritters ... but not as good as
> whitebait.

Pipi are small (5-10cm) white bivalves with a flat elongated shell. They have orange flesh and a not unpleasant mild flavour. A fritter is a flat cake, covered in batter and deep fried. The contents vary widely from a single pinaple ring to minced meat of some kind such as paua (a kind of green abalone) or white bait mixed with breadcrums or potato. I've not tried pipi fritters or seen them on sale. Pipi like sandy beaches or esturies where the tide goes out a long way and are generally found near the low water mark. They make good bait for snapper and parorae (a.k.a. black snapper). I think the round things Andy is refering to are cockles, which prefer muddy beaches and are also quite good to eat. So far as I know you don't get clams in N.Z. waters.

Peter Burgess (Kiwi in exile)