---
title: "Stuffed River Snails (田螺酿)"
description: "Stuffed River Snails is the premier dish of Yangshuo's \"Eighteen Stuffings.\" The snail meat is chewy and firm, the pork is tender and silky, and the fragrance of perilla and mint wafts through the air. It was featured on \"A Bite of China 2.\" It is rich in protein and various trace elements, and the combination of snail meat and pork offers complementary nutrition."
image: "https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/ai-generated/other_tian-luo-niang.jpg"
url: "https://cookbook.cn-trending.com/r/meat_dish_tian-luo-niang/"
---

# Stuffed River Snails

**田螺酿 · tián luó niàng**

> Time: 40 min · Difficulty: Hard · Calories: 533 kcal · Serves: 1 serving · Category: [Meat](https://cookbook.cn-trending.com/c/meat_dish/) (荤菜)

Stuffed River Snails is the premier dish of Yangshuo's "Eighteen Stuffings." The snail meat is chewy and firm, the pork is tender and silky, and the fragrance of perilla and mint wafts through the air. It was featured on "A Bite of China 2." It is rich in protein and various trace elements, and the combination of snail meat and pork offers complementary nutrition.

![](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/ai-generated/other_tian-luo-niang.jpg)

## Ingredients

- 20-25 pieces (about 1000 g) River snails (大田螺) — per serving
  - Tip: Ping-pong ball size; best to buy in the morning to allow time for de-sanding
- 250 g Pork (猪肉) — per serving
  - Tip: Front shoulder meat with a 3:7 fat-to-lean ratio is best
- 10 g Fresh mint leaves (新鲜薄荷叶) — per serving
  - Tip: The finishing touch of this dish
- 10 g Perilla leaves (紫苏叶) — per serving
  - Tip: A perfect match for river snails; try not to omit it
- 1 small piece (about 15 g) Ginger (生姜) — per serving
  - Tip: Mince and set aside
- 2 stalks (about 30 g) Scallion (葱) — per serving
  - Tip: Fresh small scallions are fine
- 15 ml Guilin Sanhua rice wine (桂林三花酒) — per serving
  - Tip: If you don't have it, you can substitute cooking wine, but the flavor will be compromised
- 30 ml Light soy sauce (生抽) — per serving
  - Tip: Use in two portions: one for the filling and one for the sauce
- 5 g Salt (食盐) — per serving
  - Tip: Use in batches
- 30 ml Cooking oil (食用油) — per serving
  - Tip: Any regular vegetable oil will do

### Optional

- 50 g Pickled bamboo shoots (酸笋)
  - Tip: A Guangxi specialty that adds flavor
- 5 cloves (about 20 g) Garlic (大蒜)
  - Tip: Smash and set aside
- 4 pieces Dried red chili (干辣椒)
  - Tip: Adjust to taste
- 10 ml Oyster sauce (蚝油)
  - Tip: Enhances the umami of the filling
- 10 g Starch (淀粉)
  - Tip: Makes the filling more viscous and cohesive
- 2 g White pepper (ground) (白胡椒粉)
  - Tip: Removes fishiness and adds aroma

## Tools

Brush, Pliers, Cleaver / chef's knife, Large pot, Toothpick, Meat tenderizer, Wok

## Method (5 steps)

1. **De-sand** — Place the river snails in a basin of clean water and let them sit for an afternoon. You can add a few drops of sesame oil or mustard to the water to speed up the de-sanding process.
   - Duration: 240 min
   - Tip: Prepare half a day in advance
   - Tip: Adding sesame oil or mustard significantly speeds up the process
   ![Step 1: De-sand](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_tian-luo-niang/step_1.jpg)
2. **Prepare the River Snails** — Scrub the shells clean. Use pliers to snip off the tail ends. Blanch in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Remove the snail meat, discard the snail caps and sand intestines, and rinse the shells clean and shake dry.
   - Duration: 10 min
   - Tip: You can scrub for a longer time
   - Tip: Do not blanch for too long, or the snail meat will become tough
   - Tip: Snip off 1/3 to 1/2 of the tail
   ![Step 2: Prepare the River Snails](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_tian-luo-niang/step_2.jpg)
3. **Make the Filling** — Chop the snail meat finely. Mince the pork. Add chopped mint, perilla, ginger, scallion, and seasonings (Sanhua wine, light soy sauce, salt, and optional oyster sauce, etc.). Stir in a clockwise direction until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive.
   - Duration: 10 min
   - Tip: Do not puree the snail meat; retain some texture
   - Tip: For convenience, you can use a meat tenderizer
   - Tip: Be sure to stir in one direction only
   ![Step 3: Make the Filling](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_tian-luo-niang/step_3.jpg)
4. **Stuff the Snails** — Use chopsticks to stuff the meat filling into the prepared river snail shells. Stuff them as full and tight as possible.
   - Duration: 10 min
   - Tip: Pack it tight but do not crack the shells
   ![Step 4: Stuff the Snails](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_tian-luo-niang/step_4.jpg)
5. **Braise** — Heat a wok with oil and sauté sour bamboo shoots and chilies until fragrant. Add water and seasonings and bring to a boil. Add the stuffed snails and braise over low heat for 10 minutes. Finally, add the remaining mint and perilla and reduce the sauce over high heat.
   - Duration: 15 min
   - Tip: Do not stir frequently until the filling has set
   - Tip: Add the mint and perilla in two batches; the final addition enhances the fresh aroma
   ![Step 5: Braise](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/steps/other_tian-luo-niang/step_5.jpg)

## Tips

- How to eat: First, suck out the broth from inside the shell, then use a toothpick to pick out the filling or suck it out with your mouth.
- The ideal ratio of snail meat to pork is 1:1
- Mint is the essence of this dish, and perilla is a perfect match for river snails. You should have at least one of the two.
- If you don't have Sanhua wine, you can substitute cooking wine, but the flavor will be compromised.
- Be sure to keep the blanching time short; too long and the snail meat will become tough and hard.
- Pairing with ice-cold Liquan beer is the standard way to eat this in Yangshuo.

## Overview image

![Stuffed River Snails — ingredients and steps overview](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend/dataset/images/overview/other_tian-luo-niang_overview.jpg)

## Source

Recipe text from [HowToCook](https://github.com/Anduin2017/HowToCook), structured by [Vibe Cook](https://github.com/zkeq/vibe-cook-backend). Public domain (Unlicense).

Original: https://github.com/Anduin2017/HowToCook/blob/master/dishes/meat_dish/田螺酿/田螺酿.md

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