Whelks are any of several carnivorous sea snail species
True whelks (family Buccinidae) are carnivorous, and feed on annelids, crustaceans, mussels and other molluscs, drilling holes through shells to gain access to the soft tissues. Whelks use chemoreceptors to locate their prey.
Many have historically been used, or are still used, by humans and other animals as food. In a reference serving of whelk, there are of food energy, 24 g of protein, 0.34 g of fat, and 8 g of carbohydrates.
Dog whelk, a predatory species, was used in antiquity to make a rich red dye that improves in color as it ages.
Usage
The
common name "whelk" is also spelled
welk or even
wilk.
The species, genera and families referred to by this common name vary a great deal from one geographic area to another.
Asia
In Japan, tsubu are frequently used in
sashimi and
sushi. In Vietnam, they are served in a dish called
Bún ốc - vermicelli with sea snails.
(골뱅이 무침) is a Korean dish consisting of whelks and with chili sauce in a salad with cold noodles. It has been a very popular side dish with alcohol for many generations.
Australia, New Zealand
In
Australia and
New Zealand, species of the genus
Cabestana (family
Ranellidae) are called
predatory whelks, and species of
Penion (family
Buccinidae) are called
siphon whelks.
Brazil
In
Brazil, there is a very popular
Afro-Brazilians divination game practiced by older women of African ancestry called
jogo de búzios (game of whelks), which uses empty shells of these
gastropoda.
United Kingdom and Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands
In the
British Isles,
Belgium and the
Netherlands (
wulk/
wullok), the word is used for a number of species in the family
Buccinidae, especially
Buccinum undatum, an edible
and Northern Atlantic species.
In the British Isles, the common name "dog whelk" is used for Nucella lapillus (family Muricidae) and for Nassarius species (family Nassariidae). Historically, they were a popular street food in Victorian London, typically located close to public houses and theatres.
Scotland
In
Scotland, the word "whelk" is also used to mean the periwinkle (
Littorina littorea), family
Littorinidae.
[Multilingual Dictionary of Fish and Fish Products, prepared by the OECD, Paris, second edition, 1978]
United States
In the
United States,
whelk refers to several large edible species in the genera
Busycon and
Busycotypus, which are now classified in the family
Buccinidae. These are sometimes called
Busycon whelks.
In addition, the unrelated invasive species murex Rapana venosa is referred to as the Veined rapa whelk or Asian rapa whelk in the family Muricidae.
West Indies
In the English-speaking islands of the
West Indies, the word
whelks or
wilks (this word is both singular and plural) is applied to a large edible
top shell,
Cittarium pica, also known as the
magpie or
West Indian top shell, family
Trochidae.
Some common examples
See also
-
Conch, another common name used for a wide variety of large sea snails or their shells
External links
