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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Eating Snails in Hanoi

Snails Stir Fried in Butter

Snails Boiled in Spices

Hanoi people love paddy snails. These snails thrive in the wetness of the paddy fields. I suppose that is one good way of getting rid of garden pests that eat the food you grow. You turn the garden pests into accompanying dishes. Hawkers set up mini tables and stools along the side walks. They have huge vats of boiling water filled with herbs and spices. Snails are boiled and the served to customers in bowls together with a dipping sauce augmented with garlic and herbs. In one shop, the snails were served fried in garlic and butter.

The Husband and I aren't squeamish about snails. I used to hunt garden snails in My Someone's veggie patch in spring and early summer deep in the French countryside. Then after, I would go and play. A few days later, we would be served "escargots au beurre persillé". Yummy!

Snails have the texture of fish balls. Springy. The meat is quite bland so it helps to augment the taste with some strong herbs or aromatic butter. Ya gotta cook them good though 'cos they have something called zoonotic nematodes that can make you quite ill.

4 comments:

Wen-ai said...

Snails remind me of "joot joot" and "gong gong", but tastier. Nonetheless, the joy of eating snails is in the "digging" part. I can sit there all day, digging into the shells with a tothpick!

Blur Ting said...

We ate some really big boiled snails in Ho Chi Minh and they were so slimy and quite gross actually, even CH who has a stomach for such things couldn't eat more than a few.

Petunia Lee said...

Wen-Ai... I remember the gong-gong! Me too... I can pick and eat those snails all evening!

Petunia Lee said...

Ting - Big ones? Hmmmm... when I get to Ho Ch Minh, I will check those out. Dun sound good though!!