A Tale To Warm The Cockles Of Your Heart

You might have heard of Molly Malone, selling cockles from a
wheelbarrow in Dublin, or of Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, with her
cockle shells and pretty maids all in a row—but the chances are
most Gastropod listeners have never actually tasted a cockle. And,
apparently, you're missing out! For the Native American tribes in
the Puget Sound, where cockles used to be abundant, they're a
treasured treat: meatier, sweeter, and richer-tasting than other
shellfish. But they're also disappearing, and no one knows why—or
how to save them. This episode, we join the team of intrepid marine
biologists and tribal leaders on a mission to restore the cockle,
on a journey that involves cockle viagra, a cockle vampire, and
some carefully choreographed simultaneous spawning. Listen in now
for a story of shellfish science and cultural history that will
warm the cockles of your heart—and perhaps inspire the revival of
other indigenous foods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
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