Vietnamese stir-fried creeper snail with coconut milk

One of the most special parts of Vietnamese cuisine is eating snail which any foodie traveling to Vietnam should not miss. Vietnamese stir-fried creeper snail with coconut milk is a favorite snail dish of lots of local for its fragrant smell and delicious taste. It’s a perfect blend of crunchy creeper snail’s meat, creamy and greasy coconut milk, smelling lemongrass and hot chili. Vietnamese stir-fried creeper snail with coconut milk is a must in the menu of any snail restaurant in South Vietnam, especially Saigon.

Delicious and smelling Vietnamese stir-fried creeper snail with coconut milk

In Vietnamese, creeper snail is a kind of snail living in salt marshes in Ca Mau, Can Tho, An Giang, Kien Giang (Mekong Delta, South Vietnam). Creeper snail contains many nutrients including calcium and vitamins. A creeper snail is as small as a thumb nail, its raw meat is red but it turns green after being cooked. In flooding season, creeper snails climb roots of trees in mangroves. Locals just row boats in these mangroves and catch these snails easily.

Creeper snails should be soaked in rice water for about 2 hours to remove its mucus. Then the cook uses a knife to create a small hole at the apex of the snail’s shell so that dinners can suck the snail meat at snail lip. Clean creeper snails are stir-fried with chopped lemongrass, coconut milk, grilled garlic and chili in a big pan for about 15 minutes. At last, Vietnamese mint is put into the pan. This dish must be served hot right after being ready.

It’s better to dip the snails into a mix of lemon juice/kumquat juice, salt and chili/black pepper. Vietnamese mint couldn’t be missed to add flavor to this greasy dish. When eating, dinners can feel flavorful coconut sauce play off creepers’ shells and meats. Some of foodies even like the addicting sauce than creeper’s meat itself. One interesting thing about this food is that the creeper snail’s head is crunchy but the creeper snail’s body and tail are tender. It’s worth a taste on your trip to Vietnam.

Not only Vietnamese, but foreigners also love to eat snail dishes at snail restaurants. There’s no better than gathering at a cool night, tasting stir-fried creeper snail with coconut milk and sipping some local beer

Vietnamese stir-fried creeper snail with coconut milk

If you are feeling good like us, please go ahead to book the Night Street Food tour to enjoy many kinds of street food.