Home
» City specials
» Hangzhou
Eating snails in spring more nutritious than goose
By Xu Wenwen |
April 18, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WHILE escargot, a land snail, is celebrated in French cuisine - often served with garlic butter and parsley, maybe a splash of Cognac - in China the humble freshwater luosi or Chinese mystery snail takes the honors.
Spring, especially April, is the season when luosi is at its most succulent. Since they are abundant and cheap, they have been eaten for hundreds of years by ordinary people, steamed, boiled or braised.
They are common in small eateries and on family tables as filling meals, not as appetizers.
The spiral Chinese mystery snail has gills and an operculum, or "lid" covering the opening of the shell. The edible snails are from 1 to 4 centimeters inside.
The meat is tight and crunchy, and the taste is a bit bland, but Chinese chefs have invented many recipes to flavor the versatile snail.
April is considered the best time to enjoy a bowl of luosi because they are quite plump and have not yet bred.
The old saying goes that "Luosi around Qingming Festival is more nutritious than a goose."
Chinese eat luosi in an interesting way. They are served in the shell, the operculum is removed for cooking. Only the head of luosi, the only crunchy part of the mollusk, is edible. The rest of the mollusk is too soft and mushy to bite into.
To pick the meat out of the shell, northern Chinese usually use toothpicks, while southerners suck the meat out. Before cooking, southern Chinese people cut off the tip of the top of the spiral shell so air circulates and the meat can be sucked out. Again, only suck and bite the head off.
Some luosi gourmands are so skilled they use only chopsticks, no hands or toothpicks, and they're very fast, able to eat a snail every one or two seconds.
Because they are cheap and abundant, they were very popular among poor people in ancient time who could not afford meat but could harvest nutritious luosi from river shallows.
Hangzhou people who live near West Lake and various other lakes and streams have a long tradition of eating luosi.
Shanghai Daily recommends two restaurants famous for their Chinese mystery snails and two DIY recipes.
Huo Long Tang (Fire Dragon Restaurant)
The restaurant sells only one luosi dish, its specialty that comes in a wooden bucket-like bowl containing the steamed snails and broth, Chinese bacon, pepper and other seasonings.
People in eastern China do not usually eat spicy luosi but this dish has a hot reputation. The small peppers permeate the soup, the meat and the shell, and can sting the lips and tongue.
Address: 759 Moganshan Rd
Tel: (0571) 8800-6677
Address: 169 Wenyi Rd W.
Tel: (0571) 8886-2429
Xiaonanyang Luosiwang (The King of Luosi)
The restaurant serves more than 40 recipes including ordinary luosi in brown sauce, luosi braised in chicken soup and various creative dishes that cannot be found elsewhere.
The specialty is bullfrog braised with luosi in brown sauce; it's salty and spicy and combines two kinds of firm meats that blend umami and sweetness.
Address: 243 Jianguo Rd S.
Tel: (0571) 8780-6777
DIY
It's easy to cook luosi at home but first it needs to be cleansed and the earthy flavor removed. It should be soaked for two or three days in water with a couple of drops of soybean oil added. This will help flush impurities from the snails.
After the third day, use kitchen scissors to cut off the small tip of the shell - if one wants to suck out instead of poking and prodding it out.
To pick the best luosi, choose the small ones around 2cm in length. Avoid the large once since they contain tiny white baby snails, their shells embedded in the body.
Luosi Braised in Chicken Soup
1. Heat oil, fry bacon, sliced garlic and ginger.
2. Once the aroma emerges, add luosi.
3. Fry until the lids or plates come loose. Add some beer or wine.
4. Add chicken soup so the luosi is covered. Boil, add salt and sugar if desired.
5. Serve.
Luosi in Brown Sauce
1. Heat the oil and fry brown sauce (salted and fermented soybean paste from supermarket).
2. When the aroma can be smelled, add luosi. Some people add Sichuan pepper.
3. Fry until the lids come loose; add soy sauce, salt, beer or wine and sugar.
4. Add shallots and fry with luosi.
5. Serve.
Spring, especially April, is the season when luosi is at its most succulent. Since they are abundant and cheap, they have been eaten for hundreds of years by ordinary people, steamed, boiled or braised.
They are common in small eateries and on family tables as filling meals, not as appetizers.
The spiral Chinese mystery snail has gills and an operculum, or "lid" covering the opening of the shell. The edible snails are from 1 to 4 centimeters inside.
The meat is tight and crunchy, and the taste is a bit bland, but Chinese chefs have invented many recipes to flavor the versatile snail.
April is considered the best time to enjoy a bowl of luosi because they are quite plump and have not yet bred.
The old saying goes that "Luosi around Qingming Festival is more nutritious than a goose."
Chinese eat luosi in an interesting way. They are served in the shell, the operculum is removed for cooking. Only the head of luosi, the only crunchy part of the mollusk, is edible. The rest of the mollusk is too soft and mushy to bite into.
To pick the meat out of the shell, northern Chinese usually use toothpicks, while southerners suck the meat out. Before cooking, southern Chinese people cut off the tip of the top of the spiral shell so air circulates and the meat can be sucked out. Again, only suck and bite the head off.
Some luosi gourmands are so skilled they use only chopsticks, no hands or toothpicks, and they're very fast, able to eat a snail every one or two seconds.
Because they are cheap and abundant, they were very popular among poor people in ancient time who could not afford meat but could harvest nutritious luosi from river shallows.
Hangzhou people who live near West Lake and various other lakes and streams have a long tradition of eating luosi.
Shanghai Daily recommends two restaurants famous for their Chinese mystery snails and two DIY recipes.
Huo Long Tang (Fire Dragon Restaurant)
The restaurant sells only one luosi dish, its specialty that comes in a wooden bucket-like bowl containing the steamed snails and broth, Chinese bacon, pepper and other seasonings.
People in eastern China do not usually eat spicy luosi but this dish has a hot reputation. The small peppers permeate the soup, the meat and the shell, and can sting the lips and tongue.
Address: 759 Moganshan Rd
Tel: (0571) 8800-6677
Address: 169 Wenyi Rd W.
Tel: (0571) 8886-2429
Xiaonanyang Luosiwang (The King of Luosi)
The restaurant serves more than 40 recipes including ordinary luosi in brown sauce, luosi braised in chicken soup and various creative dishes that cannot be found elsewhere.
The specialty is bullfrog braised with luosi in brown sauce; it's salty and spicy and combines two kinds of firm meats that blend umami and sweetness.
Address: 243 Jianguo Rd S.
Tel: (0571) 8780-6777
DIY
It's easy to cook luosi at home but first it needs to be cleansed and the earthy flavor removed. It should be soaked for two or three days in water with a couple of drops of soybean oil added. This will help flush impurities from the snails.
After the third day, use kitchen scissors to cut off the small tip of the shell - if one wants to suck out instead of poking and prodding it out.
To pick the best luosi, choose the small ones around 2cm in length. Avoid the large once since they contain tiny white baby snails, their shells embedded in the body.
Luosi Braised in Chicken Soup
1. Heat oil, fry bacon, sliced garlic and ginger.
2. Once the aroma emerges, add luosi.
3. Fry until the lids or plates come loose. Add some beer or wine.
4. Add chicken soup so the luosi is covered. Boil, add salt and sugar if desired.
5. Serve.
Luosi in Brown Sauce
1. Heat the oil and fry brown sauce (salted and fermented soybean paste from supermarket).
2. When the aroma can be smelled, add luosi. Some people add Sichuan pepper.
3. Fry until the lids come loose; add soy sauce, salt, beer or wine and sugar.
4. Add shallots and fry with luosi.
5. Serve.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
