Small Turban Snails 珠螺
Small Turban Snails is featured among the local specialties of Taiwan.
Image notes
Resized for the web; the photo itself has not been edited.
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.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and fact-checked against them on 2026-09-30. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.