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Common name - Cockle
Scientific name - Cerastoderma edule
Average rating
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Visit Fishonline for the full range of options available for this species.
Consumer Information
Make sure your cockles are hand gathered from the Burry Inlet in south west Wales if you can – they are MSC certified. Cockles have distinctive rounded shells that are slightly heart shaped. It is a bivalve (having two identical shells) belonging to the family Cardidae meaning ‘heart-shaped’. They can jump by bending and straightening the foot - the end part - which is often coloured red and called the ‘red nose’. Best boiled then seasoned with malt vinegar and pepper, they are often pickled but also sold in a sealed packet to ‘eat on the go’. A traditional Welsh breakfast is cockles fried with bacon and served with laver bread.
Summary
Choose cockles harvested by sustainable methods only such as licensed hand gathering. Avoid eating them during breeding season from March to August. Burry Inlet cockles are MSC certified and provide the most sustainable option in the UK.
Alternatives
(Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating: only fish rated 3 and below are included.)
Visit Fishonline, the website for the seafood industry, for more detailed information about this species.