Do river snails have parasites? How long should they be boiled to kill them, and how are they different from apple snails?

River snail is a general term for mollusks of the family Viviparidae, distributed across most regions of China and deeply loved by diners. But these days many people say river snails contain parasites - is that true? And how long do you need to boil them to kill the parasites? What is the difference between them and apple snails? Do you know all this? According to data on the family Viviparidae, river snails do contain some parasites to a greater or lesser extent, but these are killed after high-temperature heating. And it mainly depends on how you eat them; the meat of many animals contains parasites, such as pork, fish, and especially shrimp and mollusks, all of which have parasites. As long as the temperature is properly controlled during cooking, there is no problem. Never eat them raw! Eating them cooked is no problem.

How long must river snails be boiled to kill the parasites?

1. Most parasites are insensitive to chemical reagents, but they cannot tolerate dryness or high temperatures, and boiling water kills them within a few seconds. One hundred percent of the freshwater fish we normally eat carry parasites, but as long as they are thoroughly cooked, they generally are not infectious - this is the fundamental reason why we eat freshwater fish yet are rarely infected by parasites.

2. From an epidemiological standpoint, the parasites in river snails are generally schistosomes, so if they are not thoroughly sterilized, it can easily lead to schistosomiasis and cause certain harm to human health. However, river snails are usually stir-fried and cooked, and about 20 minutes is enough to kill the parasite eggs inside, so they no longer infect people. So as long as river snails are fully cooked, there is no problem and you can eat them with peace of mind. Never eat them when they are undercooked or unclean - there is no benefit to your health.

3. Boiling for 10 minutes can kill them; generally 80 degrees for 10 minutes can kill most pathogenic bacteria.

What is the difference between river snails and apple snails?

1. The shell of the apple snail is yellow, while the shell of the river snail is greenish-brown.

2. The apple snail has a flat, short spire, while the river snail's spire is long and pointed.

3. The apple snail's operculum is rather flat, while the river snail's operculum is relatively round.

4. The apple snail's flesh is lighter in color, mostly yellowish-white, while the river snail's flesh is mostly greenish-brown.

Bonus: How to wash river snails the fastest and cleanest

Step 1: Put the river snails you bought into a basin, first rinse them briefly several times with clean water, then add clean water and a sufficient amount of table salt, and soak the river snails in the salt water just like that. Stimulated by the salt, the river snails will desperately absorb and expel water.

Step 2: After 4~5 hours, change the water, add a bit more salt, and continue soaking. See whether the river snails expel more mud and sand. If after a while the water is still rather dirty, it means they have not finished expelling it, so keep soaking. If the water is very clean, it means they have finished expelling it.

Step 3: Scoop out the river snails, rinse them clean with clean water, put them into a box, add table salt and an appropriate amount of clean water, cover with the lid, and shake continuously up and down. Leave for three to five minutes, then wash with clean water. This step can be repeated, but do not add salt again, until the water becomes clear.

Step 4: Pour the river snails into a pot of boiling water, bring the water to a boil again, then let them sit covered for a while, and you will see that much of the stuff on the very top of the snails has floated up, which means they are ready.