Qianjiang Snails

Qianjiang Snails

　　Qianjiang snails are a specialty snack from Qianjiang City, Hubei Province. “Snails in March, clams in April” is a local saying in Qianjiang, meaning that March and April are the peak seasons for fresh snails and clams.

　　Locals in the Jianghan Plain don’t stir-fry snails half-cooked and then suck them noisily out of their shells like people from other regions. Instead, they first “rinse” the snails in boiling clean water, then use a broken-off spinning spindle or a bamboo skewer to extract the snail meat, and eat it following one of the methods used in the “Three Steamed Dishes” of Tianmen, Qianjiang, and Mianyang. Recently, another way of enjoying them has become popular across restaurants in the city — a so-called “Three-Flavor Hotpot” featuring clams, cured meat, and bean dregs cake.