What is Marsh Snail Oil 500?

Marsh snail oil is produced by taking marsh snails that have been purged of impurities, washed, and dried, placing them in traditional porous clay jars, and continuously heating them at high temperatures of over 360°C for 72 hours, which completely dissolves the snail meat. Therefore, the marsh snail oil contains both the snail meat and portions of the shell that were dissolved during the process. Purging refers to the process of removing impurities from inside the snail shells. This marsh snail oil product uses glass bottles instead of traditional ceramic containers, and the volume has been reduced from 1,000ml to 500ml. Thus, the "500" in Marsh Snail Oil 500 refers to the volume of the oil contained in the bottle. This reduction in volume was made in response to consumer requests.

Due to the name "marsh snail oil," one might assume it is the oil extracted from inside the snails. Marsh snail oil is not an oil (fat, 脂, fat) like sesame oil or perilla oil. The term "oil" in marsh snail oil is simply a name given to indicate that the nutrients within the marsh snail have been completely dissolved; in reality, the most abundant component in marsh snail oil is amino acids.

The manufacturer, Yeongwol Pyeongchang Marsh Snail, produces its goods under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's HACCP certification, and we take pride in the safe and hygienic production of our marsh snail oil. Here is a brief introduction to the raw ingredient: the marsh snail.

Marsh Snail

Marsh snails are known by various local names across Korea, including Olgengi, freshwater marsh snail, freshwater whelk, godi, sora, daesari, kkolpaengi, and golbaengi. Because they were a familiar food source for our ancestors, there are many regional dialects for them. Marsh snails inhabit most rivers and streams in Korea, excluding the far north.

Marsh snails are distributed throughout Korea, Japan (south of Hokkaido), Taiwan, and China. They are mollusks that live in rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds. The Chinese character name "Wara" (蝸螺) is composed of "Wa" (蝸, snail) and "Ra" (螺, conch/whelk). In Korea, they are called Wara (蝸螺), in Japan, they are called "Tenken" (川蜷), and in China, they are called "Danguquan" (短溝蜷).

There are a total of 9 species within 3 genera of marsh snails in Korea: the standard marsh snail, *Cipangopaludina chinensis malleata*, *Cipangopaludina ussuriensis*, *Sinotaia quadrata*, *Semisulcospira coreana*, *Semisulcospira forticosta*, *Semisulcospira tegulata*, *Semisulcospira gottschei*, and *Semisulcospira buschi*. North Chungcheong Province is famous for its marsh snails, and Olgengi Haejangguk (marsh snail hangover soup) is a well-known local dish. The Donggang River in Yeongwol is home to many *Semisulcospira tegulata* and *Semisulcospira coreana* species.

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 premature to mass-produce marsh snails for the food industry through farming. Although farming was successful in Yesan using formula feed developed by the National Institute of Fisheries Science, industrialization is difficult due to the cost of feed.

Humans still do not fully understand the ecology of marsh snails. Currently, there are about 15 small-scale farming attempts across Korea where snails are hatched and raised to a young stage before being released into streams to grow large. Even this method is said to be quite difficult.

Korea’s annual demand for marsh snails is about 6,000–7,000 tons, consumed mainly in large cities, while domestic production is only about 2,000–3,000 tons, requiring the rest to be imported. Needless to say, the imports are also entirely wild-caught, as farming is not viable abroad either.

Why Marsh Snails Are Famous

The reason marsh snails became famous is due to the folk medicine practitioner Insan Kim Il-hoon, who resided in Hamyang, Gyeongsangnam-do. During his lifetime, Mr. Kim developed "Insan Bamboo Salt," which is made by putting salt into bamboo and roasting it nine times.

Mr. Kim was famous for helping many people by processing common animals and plants around us using unique methods. His descendants and enthusiasts of folk medicine have established the Insan Oriental Medicine Clinic, Insan Bamboo Salt Co., Ltd., and the Insan Philosophy Association to uphold his legacy.

Mr. Kim treated marsh snails based on the energy inherent in the color of objects. Just as he developed Insan Bamboo Salt by utilizing the white energy (白) of salt and the high-temperature red fire energy (火), he created marsh snail oil by utilizing the blue energy (靑) of the snail meat and the high-temperature red fire energy (火). Below is the appearance of the marsh snail meat, which possesses the blue energy.

Composition of Marsh Snails

Below is the general composition table of marsh snail meat. "Dry matter basis" means the content ratio calculated excluding moisture.

General Composition Table of Marsh Snail Meat (Dry Matter Basis)

The analysis result above is for marsh snail meat, not the oil itself. Since marsh snail oil is made by dissolving snail meat, understanding the general composition of the meat helps us grasp the components of the oil. Let’s take a brief look at the composition of marsh snail meat.

The characteristic of marsh snail nutrition is that it is high-protein and rich in a well-balanced variety of nutrients.

Differences Between Marsh Snail Oil and Marsh Snail Concentrate

The most famous marsh snail processed products are marsh snail oil and marsh snail concentrate (also known as marsh snail extract). Here is a brief introduction to the differences between the two.

Freshwater Snail Oil Manufacturing Process

Here is a brief introduction to the freshwater snail oil manufacturing process.

Freshwater Snail Extract Manufacturing Process

Here is a brief introduction to the freshwater snail extract manufacturing process.

The manufacturer/supplier of this product is Yeongwol Pyeongchang Freshwater Snail Co., Ltd. (CEO: Jo Byeong-chan). About 25 years ago, CEO Jo began in the wholesale and retail business of freshwater snails, harvesting and selling them in the Yeongwol Donggang and Jecheon regions. Captivated by the benefits of freshwater snails, he established the individual enterprise "Yeongwol Pyeongchang Freshwater Snail" in 2009 and began producing snail-processed goods. In 2020, drawing on his 25 years of experience in harvesting, processing, and selling, he established Yeongwol Pyeongchang Freshwater Snail Co., Ltd.

Yeongwol Pyeongchang Freshwater Snail Co., Ltd. received HACCP certification from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2022. As of 2024, the company produces and sells freshwater snail oil, extract, raw snails, peeled snails, and snail broth. We take pride in being a company that produces hygienic and safe freshwater snail products. Here is a brief introduction to our company.

Not legally applicable to this food product.

Not legally applicable to this food product.

Not legally applicable to this food product.

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