“Bibarasse” or tiny clams
Tiny clams, called in Venetian “bibarasse”, are shellfish belonging to the Veneridae family, they look like medium-sized clams.
Scientific description: Venus Gallina
Tiny clams live mostly in sandy and shallow bottoms. In Italy they can be found mainly in the Adriatic Sea and can be fished through the use of suitably equipped boats, called “vongolari”, having a hydraulic dredge (or turbocharger). This metal parallelepiped lays on the bottom, pushing the air through its mechanical power in order to remove the sand in its path, therefore trapping the shellfish.
The importance and benefits of tiny clams in the daily diet is highlighted by their nutritional properties.