What are marsh snails for stock?

Marsh snails for stock are smaller-sized marsh snails harvested from rivers that have undergone a purging process (to remove impurities) and cleaning, then blanched in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Because they have been purged and cleaned more than 10 times, you can simply receive the marsh snails for stock, add them to water, and bring it to a boil to have an instant, ready-to-use stock. Even though these are smaller than those typically used for shelled snail meat, they are generally at least 1.5cm in size. These snails are lightly cooked and flash-frozen, making them frozen marsh snails. Since they are frozen, they are available year-round.

Purging refers to the process of removing impurities inside the shells of creatures living in the sea or rivers. By keeping the snails in dark water, the purging process occurs. As nocturnal snails move around in the dark water with their bodies extended out of their shells, the impurities inside are naturally expelled.

Using marsh snails for stock to make broth for dishes like hangover soup, noodles, sujebi (hand-pulled dough soup), or seaweed soup allows you to fully enjoy the unique, savory flavor characteristic of marsh snails, and it is also very healthy. Marsh snails are famous as a "Color Food" due to their blue-toned flesh. When you eat dishes made with marsh snail stock, you are consuming natural blue pigment. Because the snail processing company Yeongwol Pyeongchang Daseulgi has received HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certification from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the marsh snails produced by them are even more hygienic and safe. Here is a brief introduction to marsh snails.

Marsh Snail

The marsh snail is one of the representative seafood items of early summer in Korea, and they are relatively easy to find in streams with clear, flowing water. Snail flesh is a nutritionally excellent food, rich in protein and containing a balanced amount of carbohydrates, minerals, and fats. Because they are rich in the amino acid taurine, they are widely used as an ingredient in hangover soups today.

Marsh snails are called by many different names depending on the region, such as *olgaengi*, freshwater snail, freshwater whelk, *godi*, *godong*, *sora*, *daesari*, and *golbaengi*. Because they have been a familiar food source for our ancestors, there are many regional dialects for them. Marsh snails inhabit most rivers and streams across the Korean Peninsula, except in the far north.

Marsh snails are mollusks that live in rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds, distributed across Korea, Japan (south of Hokkaido), Taiwan, and China. In Chinese characters, they are written as *wara* (蝸螺), combining the character for "snail" (蝸) and "whelk/conch" (螺). They are known as *wara* in Korea, *senken* (川蜷) in Japan, and *duangouquan* (短溝蜷) in China.

There are 3 genera and a total of 9 species of marsh snails in Korea, including the common marsh snail, *cham-daseulgi*, *jureum-daseulgi*, and others. North Chungcheong Province is famous for its marsh snails, and *olgaengi* hangover soup is a well-known local specialty. The Donggang River in Yeongwol is home to many *yeomju-al* (beaded) and *guseul* (bead) marsh snails.

Marsh Snail Farming

In December 2010, marsh snail farming was successfully achieved for the first time in the world in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province. However, it is still too early to mass-produce them through farming to supply the food industry. Although the National Institute of Fisheries Science successfully used formulated feed in Yesan, the feed cost remains a hurdle that makes industrialization difficult.

Humans still do not fully understand the ecology of marsh snails. Currently, small-scale farming is being attempted in about 15 locations across Korea, where they hatch the snails in farms, raise them as juveniles, and then release them into streams to grow to full size. Even this method is reportedly not very easy.

The annual demand for marsh snails in Korea is about 6,000–7,000 tons, consumed as food in large cities, but domestic production is only about 2,000–3,000 tons per year, so the remainder is met through imports. Naturally, the imported snails are also all wild-caught, as they cannot be farmed in other countries either.

Why Marsh Snails Are Famous

Marsh snails became famous due to the late Kim Il-hoon, a folk medical expert who lived in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province. He was the developer of Insan Bamboo Salt, which is made by putting salt into bamboo and roasting it nine times.

Master Kim was famous for helping many people by processing common animals and plants using unique methods. His descendants and enthusiasts of folk medicine currently uphold his legacy through institutions like the Insan Oriental Medicine Clinic, Insan Bamboo Salt Co., Ltd., and the Insan Foundation.

Master Kim utilized marsh snails based on the energy inherent in the color of objects. Just as he developed bamboo salt by using the white energy of salt (白) combined with high-temperature red fire energy (火), he created marsh snail oil by using the blue energy (靑) of the snail's flesh combined with high-temperature red fire energy (火). As the marsh snail oil he developed became extremely famous, the reputation of the snail itself soared. Forty years after the development of the snail oil, products such as snail extract, shelled snail meat, and snail stock are being consumed nationwide. Below is the appearance of the blue-toned flesh of the marsh snail.

Nutrients in Marsh Snails

Below is the proximate composition table of marsh snail flesh. "Dry weight basis" means the content ratio calculated excluding moisture.

Proximate Composition of Marsh Snail Flesh (Dry Weight Basis)

The analysis results above are for snail flesh, not snail oil. Since snail oil is made by rendering the flesh, we can largely understand the composition of snail oil by examining the flesh. Let's take a quick look at the features of the components in marsh snail flesh.

The characteristic of marsh snail composition is that it is high in protein, and its nutrients are well-balanced and abundant.

This product is produced/supplied by Yeongwol Pyeongchang Daseulgi Co., Ltd. (CEO: Jo Byeong-chan). CEO Jo has been in the daseulgi wholesale and retail business for about 25 years, starting by harvesting and selling them in the Donggang and Jecheon regions of Yeongwol. Captivated by the benefits of daseulgi, CEO Jo established the private company 'Yeongwol Pyeongchang Daseulgi' in 2009 and began producing daseulgi processed goods. In 2020, drawing on 25 years of experience in harvesting, processing, and selling, CEO Jo founded Yeongwol Pyeongchang Daseulgi Co., Ltd., a company specializing in daseulgi processing.

Yeongwol Pyeongchang Daseulgi Co., Ltd. received HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) certification from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2022. As of 2024, the company produces and sells daseulgi oil, concentrated daseulgi extract, raw daseulgi, shelled daseulgi, daseulgi for broth, and daseulgi broth. We take pride in being a company that produces hygienic and safe daseulgi products. We would like to briefly introduce Yeongwol Pyeongchang Daseulgi Co., Ltd. to you.

Not applicable for this food product under the law.

This product is not subject to relevant legal requirements.

This product is not subject to relevant legal requirements.

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