Dried Periwinkle (Isam / Mfi) – Shell-Free, for Afang & Edikang Ikong

Periwinkle

Dried periwinkle snail, already removed from the shell. Isam in Efik and Ibibio, mfi in some parts, and simply periwinkle on most Nigerian menus.

Small, dark, chewy and intensely savoury. Calabar and Akwa Ibom cooking would not be the same without it.

Shell-free matters

Traditionally periwinkle comes in the shell and you suck the meat out, which is enjoyable at a table and tedious in a pot. These are already shelled, so they go straight into the soup and nobody has to pick shells out of their teeth.

How to prepare

1. Rinse thoroughly in cool water. Dried seafood always needs a proper wash.
2. Soak for fifteen to twenty minutes to soften.
3. Add to the pot partway through cooking. Too early and it toughens.

What it goes into

• Afang soup, where it is close to compulsory
• Edikang ikong
• Ekpang nkukwo
• Native soup and palm nut soup
• Pepper soup and okra

Taste and texture

Deeply savoury with a firm, springy chew. It holds its texture through cooking, which is the point of it.

Product details

• Also known as: isam, mfi, periwinkle, winkles
• Form: Dried, shell-free
• Sizes: 8oz, 1.02lb
• Storage: Airtight in a cool dry place, or freeze.

Shipped from Nexxtmart to anywhere in the United States.

Allergen: molluscan shellfish.