Are there parasites in river snails? This is how to wash them clean
From late March to early April is when river snails are at their plumpest and most delicious. At that time many people go to the riverbank to gather some and bring them home to make all kinds of dishes. But since river snails, like crayfish, must be washed clean before eating, how do you wash river snails so they are clean? Do they contain parasites?
I. Introduction to river snails:
1. Are river snails the same as field snails?
River snails are not field snails. Although the two look similar in appearance, the shell of a river snail has many spiral ribbed ridges, while the shell of a field snail is relatively smooth. At the same time, river snails can only be found in lakes in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and other parts of China.
2. Where do river snails come from?
River snails have few places of origin. They are generally more commonly seen in rice paddies, flooded fields, ponds, lakes and similar places in Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan in China, among which they are found in Dianchi Lake, Erhai Lake, Yangzonghai Lake, Yilong Lake and Fuxian Lake in Yunnan Province.
II. How do you wash river snails so they are clean?
River snails are not easy to wash, and they contain parasites, so you must be careful when cleaning them. Specifically, you can clean them according to the methods below:
Method 1: Soak in clean water
Step 1: Put the gathered river snails in clean water and wash them several times.
Step 2: Add an appropriate amount of table salt, then add an appropriate amount of clean water and leave them for 4 to 5 hours. This way the river snails will keep expelling water and taking in water, spitting out all the impurities inside.
Step 3: Check whether the water is clear. If it is still cloudy, change the water, add salt again and soak for a few more hours, repeating this until the water becomes clear.
Step 4: Once the river snails have spat everything out, take them out and rinse them several times.
Step 5: Put the river snails in hot water and boil for a few minutes, then let them sit for a while, and skim off the impurities floating on top.
Method 2: Rub and wash by hand
Step 1: Put the gathered river snails in clean water and wash them several times.
Step 2: Rub and wash them one by one repeatedly by hand. Of course, using a brush is recommended, as it is faster and easier.
Step 3: Add an appropriate amount of dishwashing liquid specially for this purpose, then rinse several times repeatedly.
Step 4: Use a knife to remove the tail end.
Method 3: Wash with sesame oil
Step 1: Put the gathered river snails in clean water and wash them several times.
Step 2: Put them in a basin, drip in a few drops of sesame oil, then add a small amount of water and leave for about half an hour. This way the river snails will spit out the impurities and small worms inside their bodies.
Step 3: Take the river snails out, then rinse them repeatedly with water.
Step 4: Use a knife to remove the tail end of the river snails.
III. Are there parasites in river snails?
Although river snails are tasty, they contain parasites, and no matter how much you wash them you cannot wash them completely clean. So when eating them you must cook them thoroughly, and then you will not get parasitic diseases. However, I personally suggest that eating them occasionally is fine, but do not eat too many. Some of the parasites found in river snails are as follows:
1. Blood flukes
Blood flukes, also called schistosomes, mainly parasitize the veins of flatworms. Generally, the larval stage parasitizes and grows inside snails. When mature, they enter the body through the skin or mouth and parasitize and grow inside the human body. The young eggs they lay pass through the vein walls into the bladder and are then excreted with urine.
2. Angiostrongylus cantonensis
Angiostrongylus cantonensis mainly parasitizes the bodies of snails, slugs and similar creatures, and then uses freshwater fish, freshwater shrimp, crabs and so on as paratenic hosts. If a person eats them, the parasite will then parasitize the human body. This parasite is very common, and it can occur in almost all tropical or subtropical regions, and Taiwan, China is an endemic area.
3. Fasciola hepatica
Fasciola hepatica mainly parasitizes the liver or bile ducts of herbivorous animals such as sheep and cattle. The eggs excreted by the parasites in the bile ducts are discharged from the body along with bile, fall into water, then develop into miracidia at a suitable temperature, and finally parasitize snails.
4. Lung flukes
Lung flukes, also known as Paragonimus westermani, are one of the most common and most harmful worms to the body. They mainly enter a person's lungs, abdomen, brain and other areas, then cause symptoms such as blood-streaked sputum, coughing and epilepsy. Generally, the first intermediate host is the Jullien's river snail, and the second intermediate host is freshwater crabs, crayfish and so on. If a person eats these foods without cooking them thoroughly, it will cause infection.
The above is the related introduction to how to wash river snails and the parasites inside them. I hope it is helpful to everyone.