Rice Field Snails in Japan: A Vietnamese Favorite Met With Caution

Japanese people don't dare eat snails living in the fields, in rice paddies, or in little ditches, everyone.

Today I discovered a dish that I bet many Vietnamese people, when they see it, will get excited right away.

But Japanese people are quite wary of it, They don't even dare to catch them or even try eating them.

In Japan, these bitter snails are extremely plentiful. That's because Japanese people don't eat them, so there are so many of them.

But anyone in Vietnam who's tried these bitter snails gets hooked.

For anyone who grew up in the countryside, field snails are nothing new.

Back then, after a rain, we'd go out to the fields for a bit and could catch a whole basketful, then bring them home, soak them clean, and cook them in all sorts of dishes. Boiled snails, snails stir- fried with lemongrass and chili.

Just thinking about it makes me crave them already.

But when I told Japanese people that these snails could be eaten Some people look at me with disbelief, surprise, and can't believe this snail is edible.

I think that's understandable, because every country has different eating habits.

Some things that are humble dishes to us Vietnamese are completely unfamiliar to Japanese people.

Japanese people often pay close attention to where food comes from, where the snail lives, and how it's prepared, so they won't necessarily dare to eat one just because it's caught in a field. When I see these snails, I remember my childhood in the countryside.

It's only when you're far from home that you realize some dishes that seem so ordinary actually hold a whole world of memories, everyone.