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Among all these delicious delicacies, Ghongi, the snail cuisine is one of the most common one. This dish is typically enjoyed by sucking the snail out of its shell and can be found in marketplaces throughout the Terai region. Ghonghi is a type of mud-water snail found in streams and paddy fields across the Terai region. Interestingly, water snails are considered harmful to rice cultivation as they can damage crops. However, consuming paddy snails serves as a natural and effective way to control this pest, making it both a culinary tradition and a form of biological pest management. Ghongi is served as commonly as chicken or mutton within the Tharu people.
The delicacy is cooked with local spices and flaxseed, it offers a tangy and spicy flavor that lingers in the eater’s mouth. It is served after the snails are thoroughly washed and then boiled in a spicy soup. The cooked meat is sucked directly from the hard shell. In other cases, the shells are crushed with stones, and the meat is carefully cleaned multiple times before being cooked in a style similar to meat dishes. However, the most flavorful version is when the snails are hard-boiled in a spicy broth. If you’re trying it for the first time, you’ll immediately notice its bold spiciness, but the taste is so unique and delicious that it’ll leave you wanting more.
If you’re ever around Terai then don’t forget to try out this delicacy!
Photo Credit-Purva Shova Chitrakar,snowcattravel,What The Nepal.
