With a sweet, briny flavor similar to clams, Periwinkle Snails are tiny, plump mollusks found in the northern Atlantic Ocean.

The common periwinkle or winkle (Littorina littorea) is a species of small edible whelk or sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc that has gills and an operculum, and is classified within the family Littorinidae, the periwinkles. This is a robust intertidal species with a dark and sometimes banded shell.

Cooking

Cooking periwinkles is simple. Just throw them in boiling water with a little salt for about seven minutes, drain, and remove the meat by stabbing with a toothpick or pin and pulling gently. Through tiny, the body is surprisingly long, ending in a curling tail that is usually coiled around the upper spiral of the shell. Once cooked the periwinkle’s operculum will easily detach from the body and resembles a flake of mica. you can dip the meat in garlic butter or just eat it plain. The taste is similar to a steamer but with a more inviting texture. I quite enjoy them.