Small Turban Snails 珠螺

Small Turban Snails (珠螺) are an edible shellfish associated with Penghu (澎湖). The Fisheries Research Institute (農業部水產試驗所) identifies the local snail as Lunella coronata, a rounded species found on rocky or gravelly tidal shores.

Boiled or stir-fried

The institute describes washing the shells, boiling the snails and letting them cool before taking out the meat with a pin. The cooked meat can be eaten plain, mixed with soy sauce and garlic, or quickly stir-fried with basil.

An older preserved preparation

Researchers at its Penghu Marine Biology Research Center (澎湖海洋生物研究中心) also document a salted, fermented snail preparation. Historically, this used raw snail meat and a large amount of salt, producing a strongly flavoured accompaniment to rice porridge. Their account places it within island food-preservation traditions from the period before household refrigeration.