Sibu Tales : River Snails

"Humans have consumed land snails for thousands of years.  They are low in fat, high in water and proteins."

In fact it was recorded that during the Roman Empire, snails were part of their cuisine - they even farmed snails to meet to great demand!!

Heliciculture is the practice of snail farming for food. (Roman historian, Pliny, the Elder) It was documented that snails were served at wine parties during the Roman time.

Today, in France and Great Britain, especially, dishes made with land snails are rather exclusive and they command very high prices.

The best way to cook river snails is to just boil them in soup laced with pepper, salt and soy sauce. A favourite Foochow way is to stir fry them with lots of ginger, with Foochow red wine, sugar and soy sauce for a better flavour.

During the Japanese Occupation, although river snails were plentiful, all families living by the river side would rush to the river banks to collect as many river snails as possible. Those who were late could not even get a small bowl. My mother told us that as a teenager she was fast in collecting and within half an hour she would collect a pailful. And all the young ladies, when they had filled their pails, they would rush home. Snails were nice to eat, but they could not fill their stomachs.

Whenever the engine of a long boat was heard, announcing the Japanese patrolling soldiers, the snail pickers would either run for their lives into the nearby woods or submerge themselves in the river.

Once or twice my Foochow relatives suffered a few blows from the butts of their bayonet. They told us that they were lucky they were not shot for collecting snails.

One of them remarked, "The end of world would be with us if the Japanese put a tax on snails."