Kate breaks protocol and eats in public.

Kate Middleton broke her habit of rarely eating in public - by tucking into a giant "phallic" clam.

The Duchess usually steers away from food during appearances due to the potential for photographic disasters.

But Kate and William were only too eager to try 'geoduck' at a food and wine festival in British Columbia today and pronounced it delicious.

The geoduck is a giant clam with a long neck which the uninitiated often find off-putting.

 Giant  Geoduck clam is very phallic like. It is good eating in BC

 
As the couple toured a food and wine festival in the idyllic setting of a hilltop winery in the Okanagan valley, they initially appeared as if there was no chance of any geoduck passing their lips.

“Presentationally they are quite challenging,” said William.

But chef Ned Bell told them: “They are getting more popular all the time.”

A few stands later at the Taste of BC festival at the Mission Hill winery, they came across some geoduck prepared by Japanese chef Hidekazu Tojo - and could not resist it.

It was, however, unrecognizable from the raw version on Mr Bell’s stand, having been transformed into thinly sliced BC wild geoduck sashimi, garnished with a Miso Mustard Sauce.

“There is a slightly firmer texture to this,” said the duchess.

“It’s really unusual. I've never seen it before. It's so fresh from the sea.”

Mr Bell said: “It is an extraordinary species. You can eat the body, but you can also eat the neck raw, which is what they ate."

“It is absolutely phallic, but at end of the day it is just a clam."

"Here on the west coast we have some of the best wild, well-managed shellfish in the world.”

Their tour saw them taste an array dishes from some of Canada’s most celebrated chefs. They included Mr Bell’s Cured North Coast BC Wild Sockeye Salmon Tataki with Miso, Maple and BC Grown Radishes, and Chef Rob Feenie’s Braised Cache Creek oxtail and caramelized onion ravioli with Hazelmere farms celeriac puree, port wine jus, shaved parmesan and extra virgin olive oil.

From Chef Vikram Vij they ate Maharaja Style Coconut Curried BC Vegetable Curry With Basmati Rice and Wine marinated BC lamb popsicle.

Asked if she liked cooking, Kate replied “Yes, especially curries.”

William said: “This is amazing. It's the right level of spice for me.

"I'm very glad you did not surprise us with a vindaloo. I can't manage that - it's too much for me.”

William also tried a Laird of Fintry single malt whisky, which William pronounced “delicious”.

He said : “You can tell the Scottish element - there's a peatiness to it.”

Kate turned down the whisky, but tried their cassis - a blackcurrant liqueur - instead, which she said was “like sloe gin”.

Earlier the couple, wearing almost identical Raybans, tried their hand cutting pinot noir grapes from the vines.

Okanagan Valley is Canada’s second largest wine region, and accounts for 90% of all wine produced in British Columbia. Mmmm! and it sure is good.