Frozen River Snails
Small spiral-shelled snails, purged and cleaned before freezing, with a springy bite that drinks up a chilli and garlic braise.
What It Is
A freshwater snail sold in the shell, cleaned of mud and purged before freezing. The shell is a tight, ridged spiral in olive-brown; the meat inside is firm and springy rather than soft, and it takes on the flavour of whatever it is simmered in. Eaten with a pin or a quick suck, the way bar snacks are.
Where It Comes From
Collected from managed freshwater ponds in southern China, purged in clean water for two days, then cleaned and blast-frozen at the plant.
Specifications
| Pack size | 2 kg, vacuum-sealed |
| Form | Whole, in shell, operculum closed |
| Shell | Tight ridged spiral, olive-brown |
| Meat | Firm, springy, faintly sweet |
| State | Raw, frozen |
| Grade | A |
State on Arrival
Arrives frozen hard. Any snail with a broken shell or an open operculum should be discarded.
Storage & Thawing
- Keep at -18 °C or colder, in the sealed pack.
- Thaw in the refrigerator for 8–10 hours.
- Rinse twice in cold salted water and rub the shells clean.
- Do not refreeze after thawing.
Shelf Life & Delivery
Best within 9 months at -18 °C; cook within 24 hours of thawing. Shipped frozen with gel ice in an insulated box, on a cold-chain service — freeze on arrival.
How to Cook It
- ('Spicy braise: fry dried chilli, Sichuan pepper, ginger and garlic, add the snails, then simmer in stock and soy for 15 minutes.', 'Boil: 6–8 minutes in salted water, then dip in a garlic and vinegar sauce.', 'Stir-fry: high heat with chilli bean paste and perilla for 5–6 minutes.', 'Hot pot: simmer in a spicy broth for 8 minutes at the table.')
Allergens
Contains molluscs and soy (in the suggested braise). Packed in a facility that also handles fish and crustaceans.