Smooth clams are sea molluscs with a firm and tasty meat. Due to the especially intense flavour of their meat, they are suitable as the main ingredient in many recipes: boiled or steamed and seasoned with aromatic herbs, au gratin in the oven, sauté with wine and parsley. They are mainly used to prepare first course dishes using fresh pasta and risotti, but can also be eaten au naturel by those who love the flavour of the sea.

They are very similar to clams and have a strong, smooth and shiny shell with striae that represent the growth phases of the mollusc. Inside, the valves have a light and shiny colour, similar to porcelain. The soft part of the mollusc is formed by the foot, which allows the animal to move, anchor itself and hide under the sand with simple movements.