Apple snails are well edible and are often considered a protein rich delicacy. Consuming these snails is therefore an interesting option in those area's where they have become a pest and treat for the rice and taro production. In such cases, eating these snails has two benefits: 1. Collecting the snails is encouraged; 2. The diet of the farmers (especially in thirth world countries) is enriched with a protein source.
 Woman preparing Pila ampullaceasnails on a market in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam, Januari 2001. (picture not licenced under creative commons). |
Nutritive value
The nutritional value of apple snails is relatively high. More precisely, the protein content of apple snail can make them a good protein source for humans.
For example the protein value of Pomacea haustrum is reported to be 72.9% for humans. In practise this means that out of 100 gram snail protein, 72.9 gram human body proteins can be made.
To understand this (skip this if you have a good knowledge about proteins), one has to know that proteins are made of chains of amino acids, and that there are 20 different amino possible acids in both snail as well human proteins. The ratio of each amino acid to the whole mass of proteins in the body differs from snails and humans. So if one eats apple snail meat, the human body cannot use all amino acids, simply because some amino acids are in overload and others are less available in comparison with the amino acid content of human proteins. The unused amino acids cannot be stored in the body, and will be degraded and used an energy source.
An example (not realistic) to illustrate this: if apple snail proteins are made of 10% amino acid A and 90% amino acid B and human proteins consist of 50% A and 50%B, then a human can only make 20gr proteins from 100gr snail proteins. This because 100gr snail protein in this example contains 10gr A and 90gr B, and a human will only use an equal amount of A and B (50%A, 50%B), so for 10gr A, a human will use 10gr B, resulting in 20gr protein.
| Nutritive value of Pomacea canaliculata (From Management options for the Golden Apple Snail. Rice Technology Bulletin 2001, No 33) Values for 100 g fresh apple snail meat
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Precautions
Precautions have to be taken to kill the possible parasites that these snails can carry. Cook the snails thoroughly before consumption as this is a simple and effective way to eliminate the risk of infection. NEVER eat raw or poorly cooked snails!
Some basic tips to prepare the snails:
1. Put the snails in a tank without food for 2 days to make sure that the intestines are emptied (optional).
2. Boil the snails lightly or freeze them to kill the snails.
3. Remove the snails from their shell with a hook or tweezers.
4. Remove the body and intestines of the snails (only eat the foot). The internal organs don't taste well; especially the albumen (yolk) gland from the female apple snail has bad taste (the same bad taste as the eggs, a possible protection mechanism against predators).
5. Remove the operculum (shell door).
Recipes:
source: http://www.applesnail.net/content/various/eating_snails.htm
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