Taste of Homeland: Palm Snail

Located at a depth of 30 - 50 m in clear sea, hand snails (some places also called star snails) live attached to coral reefs so they have very hard shells.

On the shell there are 5-7 rough spines extending out like an open hand or like a star. Hand snails are distributed evenly in the central coastal area, the ideal season to catch this seafood is in the summer.

Photo: Ta Tu Vu

In addition to the characteristic sweetness of snail meat, hand snails are also a valuable source of nutrition with lots of protein, minerals, B vitamins, natural antioxidants, omega 3... Despite their "massive" appearance and hard shell, hand snails are very easy to prepare. After washing the shell, hand snails are soaked with lemongrass and chili for about 20 minutes to let the snails release all the seaweed, mud and characteristic mucus.

The best way to make a delicious hand snail is to steam it dry with spices. The more elaborate way is to break the back of the snail shell to marinate it with spices. Even simpler, pour the spices along the mouth of the snail and then steam it dry. The special thing about hand snails is that when they are cooked, all the snail meat turns orange-yellow and comes out of the snail's mouth. The spices to marinate this type of snail should be ginger, pepper, garlic, and you can add a tablespoon of oyster sauce, stir well and marinate the opening of the snail's mouth.

Perhaps the fatty, chewy taste and the characteristic aroma of the sea through each piece of snail meat will make many people linger. In particular, if the hand snail is grilled, without any marinade, after the snail is cooked, just pull out the hot, firm meat, dip it in sweet and sour chili salt, the characteristic strong flavor of the sea and the chewy, sweet taste of the snail meat will make the person enjoying it even more fascinated.

Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that snails are a gift from the sea.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/huong-vi-que-huong-oc-ban-tay-185251128190628412.htm