When exotic snails glide on the menu, does it strike your fancy? A restaurant serving bold tantalizing snail bake and Taiwan fares opened on Sept 1 at Taiwan-themed Town of Pingtan, the closest place on the Chinese mainland to the island of Taiwan. Let's see how Zhan Junjie, a Taiwan compatriot hatches humble garden snails into a delightful dish, an educational experience, and other profitable endeavors.

Zhan Junjie used to be a computer engineer. While helping his farmer relatives gather agricultural information, he had learned about the plots of deserted farmlands in Taiwan. To revitalize the soil, he came up with breeding snails and everything took off from there. Since 2001, his efforts have been paid off. 

Zhan Junjie (left) discusses recipes with a chef

When talking about the reason why he settled in Pingtan, Zhan said: "My ancestral home is in Quanzhou, so I want to return to my hometown of Fujian." So, he took the "Haixia", a high-speed  ferry shuttling between Pingtan and Taiwan, to start his root-seeking journey. He believed that Pingtan has a lot in common with his hometown Changhua, especially its geographical location and climate, so he chose to expand the snail industry chain in Pingtan.

Previously, Zhan has already set up a well-developed snail industrial chain in Shanghai. Now, the industrial chain is transferred to Pingtan for its conducive environment and pro-Taiwan policies. "Besides, we can get whatever sauces needed right in the Taiwan-themed Town to make the authentic Taiwan dishes, "he said.

Opening up a new "track" for the snail is not an easy job, and the biggest obstacle is the customer's rejection of the exotic. The restaurant’s specialty is baked snails with cheese. The snails taste similar to conches but are softer and smoother. “Once they heard our dish is prepared with snails, many were intimidated by the idea,” Zhan said. How to solve this? Zhan said there’s a solution- persistence.

Changes in eating habits should be carried out in a gradual manner. So in the initial stage, Taiwan cuisine was the leading role in the snail restaurant. Some dishes were also created to integrate with mainland cuisine to cater to consumers, based on which diners are guided to accept snail dishes.

With gradual exposure, even group diets can be conditioned. Initially, Zhan's restaurant served Taiwan dishes. Gradually, more fusions were introduced to cater to local tastebuds. Subsequently, dinners embraced this “dark cuisine”.

A staff sets the tables to gear up for the soft opening in the snail restaurant.

In a conversation with reporters, Zhan compared crayfish to snails. The road to the “dining table” for crayfish is similar to that for snails. He believes the crayfish craze is the future of snail cuisines.

For ordinary people, the snail is just a mollusk crawling in the field, and Zhan sees unlimited business opportunities behind it.

"The meat of the snail is edible, the mucus has beauty effects, and the shell can also be used to make cultural and creative products." In Zhan Junjie's view, the snail is a treasure all over. So he built a diversified industry with snails.

First, Zhan started from the agricultural sector by breeding snails, expanded the scale, and then worked with partners to achieve mass production. On this basis, the business ascended to the secondary industry by running snail-themed restaurants with French baked snails and some Chinese snail dishes. Even crossing into the education sector as Zhan introduced a series of DIY activities for teens and families to promote public awareness for snails and complete the industrial chain.  

Zhan is confident in such a combination. Because he believes that his efforts will push him forward step by step against such a booming economy on the mainland.

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