It's a clam clear soup. It's said that hamaguri clams symbolize happy marriage, and this soup is traditionally served on Japanese Girl's Day.
Ingredients:
- 12-16 small or 4 large hamaguri (hard-shell clams), soaked in salted water to expell sand
- 3 cups water
- 1 Tbsp sake
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- For garnish:
- 1 bunch of nanohana (rape flower), boiled and chopped, or mitsuba (wild parsley) leaves (optional)
Preparation:
- Put hamaguri clams and water in a medium pan.
- Place the pan on medium heat and simmer until clams open.
- Stop the heat and remove the clams from the pan and place into individual soup bowls. (3-4 small clams or 1 large clam per bowl.)
- Heat the soup again and skim off aku (any foam or impurities that rise to the surface).
- Season with sake, soy sauce, and salt, and bring to a boil. Stop the heat.
- Pour hot soup over clams.
- Garnish with boiled nanohana or mitsuba leaves if available.