Perilla snails

Perilla snails are a traditional Han dish in Hunan Province and belong to Hunan cuisine. The main ingredients include snails, perilla leaves, and a little chili, minced garlic, tempeh, etc. Stir-frying the snails with perilla leaves can not only remove the muddy smell of the snails themselves, but also bring out the umami flavor of the snails. When you enter the food, you can taste a spicy and sweet taste.

Food raw materials

A small amount of snails, perilla leaves, sand tea sauce, minced garlic, and tempeh.

Production process

1. Heat a red wok, add oil, pour minced garlic, perilla leaves, sand tea sauce, tempeh, etc. into the wok and sauté until fragrant.

2. Add the snails and stir-fry continuously, splash in boiling water, season with refined salt, and stir-fry until cooked.

3. Thicken the gravy, add tail oil and sesame oil, mix evenly and serve on a plate.

Introduction to raw materials

The appearance of the hard shell of field snails is conical, 5 to 6 centimeters high, with a slightly pointed top, 6 to 7 layers of snails, and an oval shell mouth with brown upper and lower edges. There are growth lines arranged in concentric rings, and the body is soft and the head is cylindrical. There is a kiss protruding from the front end, and a mouth and a pair of tentacles on the ventral surface. They are very sensitive and dexterous, and can stretch and contract. The head and feet can be retracted into the shell to seal the shell. They mostly live in lakes, rivers, swamps and paddy fields, and feed on the leaves and algae of succulent aquatic plants. During the cold period, it burrows into the soil to rest and is found in most parts of the country.

Snail meat is plump, delicate and delicious, and is known as the "pearl on the plate". It is rich in egg whites, vitamins and essential amino acids and trace elements. It is a typical natural animal health food with high protein, low fat and high calcium.

Perilla leaves are small soft branches with leaves of Perilla perillata and Perilla perillata of the Labiatae family. Perilla perilla is an annual herb. Harvest from July to August in the south and from August to September in the north when the branches and leaves are luxuriant. Spread them on the ground or hang them in a ventilated place and pluck the leaves after they are dry.

Perilla leaves are mostly shrunken and curled. When intact, they are oval in shape, 4 to 11 cm long and 2.5 to 9 cm wide. The apex is long or sharp, and the base is round or wide. Wedge-shaped, with serrated edges, purple on both sides or green on the upper surface, with many concave dot-like glandular scales on the lower surface. The petiole is 2 to 5 cm long, purple or purple-green, and brittle. The twigs are purple-green, with pith in the middle of the cross section. They have a fragrant aroma and a slightly pungent taste.

The leaves of wild perilla are often shrunken. When the leaves are flat, they are oval in shape, 4 to 7 cm long and 2.5 to 5 cm wide. The leaves are green on both sides, dark green or purple, with rounded edges. Sawtooth. The ones with intact leaves, purple color and strong aroma are the best.