When buying fresh cockles make sure they are completely closed when out of the water. Otherwise they may be dead and dangerous to eat. When cooking them, make sure all the cockles open. It is best to throw away those that remain shut.

Cockles have the nasty habit of filtering water, so they toxicity levels can be offensive for humans.

There are cockles in just about every sea on earth. Some varieties grow as large as 12 centimeters in diameter. The edible part amounts to just 16 % of their weight; all the rest is shell. It must also be pointed out that it is fairly tedious to clean them, so it is no surprise that most people prefer to buy them canned.

How to cook cokles:
Soak the cockles in water for an hour or two with some salt, but never put them in the refrigerator. This helps remove whatever salt the cockles have taken in.

Next, steam the cockles using two tablespoons of water for each kilo of crustacean and keep the pot covered until the water boils. Cook them on low heat, and don't leave them in the water for long because that way they can toughen and lose their flavor.

They are also delicious with tomato sauce, a bit of basil, oregano and savory and a pinch of parsley and red pepper. To sample them, sautee some potatoes in a frying pan with a bit of oil, onion and garlic, then melt some Burgos-style cheese over them in the oven.

Cockles are also delicious served in the Spanish pastry known as the empanada, a classic of the Galicia region of the northwest. I know cockles are great with a few drops of lemon juice and nothing else. Even the Japanese variety called torigai, or chicken crustacean, because the texture and flavor recall that of chicken.

Cockles can also be the main ingredient of soups.

Cockles with a cold puree of� potatoes and coliflower and small chunks of duck liver, and a white wine aged in a barrel , it is also a great way to enjoy a good meal.&

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