Clams that are steamed, then packed in brine or a light sauce. Spanish almejas from the Galician rias are the benchmark, graded by size and packed with very little else so the shellfish stays forward.

No. Chowder clams are chopped and packed for volume. These are whole, graded by count, and meant to be eaten on their own. The price difference reflects a different product entirely.

Straight from the tin with lemon and bread, or stirred into pasta, rice, or beans at the very end of cooking so they do not toughen. The brine goes in with them.

Count per tin. A lower number means larger clams, so 12/16 are bigger than 25/35. Larger grades cost more and are the ones usually served on their own rather than cooked into a dish.

No. They are cooked before canning and are ready to eat. If you add them to a hot dish, add them at the end and only long enough to warm through.