Scallops are not the same as mussels. There are differences between scallops, mussels, and cockles in terms of appearance and taste.

　　Sea snails In fact, "sea snail" is a general term for all shellfish belonging to the *Mytilus* genus. However, there are several varieties of sea snails that come from the coastal areas of China, such as the purple sea snail and the thick-shell sea snail, and the jade sea snail, which are commonly found in the market.

Image of purple sea snails

Purple sea snails are produced in northern China, and they are relatively small in size with a dark purple and shiny shell, commonly known as...Sea snails.

Image of thick-shell sea snails

Thick-shell sea snails are produced in the coastal areas of Jiang and Zhejiang provinces, and they are larger in size with thicker meat and a brown-colored shell. The top of the shell is often worn, revealing a white part, and they are commonly known as "freshwater clams".

Image of jade sea snails

Jade sea snails are produced along the southern coast of the East China Sea and the coast of the South China Sea, and they are relatively large in size with thin and smooth shells that are a vibrant green color, commonly known as...Clams Or clams.

Due to the large yield and difficulty in preserving sea snails, coastal people often cook the sea snails they catch and then process the meat into dried products for sale. Some places also call the dried meat of these sea snails "freshwater clams" or "dried freshwater clams".

In summary, "sea snails" is a general term for sea snails, freshwater clams, and clams. The dried meat of sea snails is sometimes also called "freshwater clams" or "dried freshwater clams".

Let me add a few more details:

The people of Jiang and Zhejiang provinces in China have the habit of drying sea snail meat to make...Porridge Or cook soup and add a few dried sea snails, which have an extremely delicious flavor. However, drying sea snail meat is slightly more complicated. It requires using a sharp knife to carefully separate the pieces, then washing them thoroughly, and boiling a large pot of water, adding the sea snails, and immediately removing them when the shells open. Try to remove the entire muscle intact to ensure that the meat is complete and beautiful.

After that, evenly spread the removed sea snail meat on a large round platter and expose it to the sun. After a few days, you can harvest it. When the whole sea snail meat is dried, it is commonly known as "dried freshwater clams". If the sea snail meat is large and has been grown for a long time, it is very suitable for making higher-priced "butterfly dried freshwater clams".