Stir-fried field snails

Stir-fried field snails [Photo/study-shanghai.org]

The dish is usually served as a culinary delight typical to the Yangtze River Delta region during the summer solstice, as summer is a great time to enjoy the field snails commonly found in the area.

According to the Compendium of Materia Medica compiled by Li Shizhen during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), field snails are "cold" in nature. So eating field snails in summer is helpful in dispelling inner "heat", which also helps to remove dampness from the body as well as improving a person's eyesight.