Why are fried clam strips, cheaper then fried whole clams?!
Why are fried clam strips, cheaper then fried whole clams?
If they are cutting off the bellies than why isn't it more expesive?
Answers:
i believe it is becuase fried clam strips are "pieces" of clams, probably the most undesirable parts, which are formed into the strips, where the whole clams are just that - whole.
Think of it like chicken nuggets and a chicken breast. The breast is a whole piece of meat where the nugget is normally all of the extra bits and pieces from the chicken formed into a nugget shape.
The premium products are sorted by size and part. When you get strips, they can be made out of parts that are not consistent in size (random) and hence they are cheaper. May also be made from broken pieces etc. Also, demand has something to do with price. Probably a big demand for whole clams, and hence the higher price!
They get them from the most inexpensive clam and they are cut down even further into strips. Consider the difference between a chicken breast strip and a chicken McNugget, the mcnuggets are cheaper because they are not made from A#1 ingredients, they are made from the cheaper cuts of meat.