Ginataang kuhol
Ginataang kuhol is a Filipino snail stew made from apple snails in coconut milk with leafy vegetables, onion, garlic, ginger (or turmeric), siling haba chilis, bagoong alamang (shrimp paste), and salt and pepper. Labuyo chilis are also commonly added for a spicier version. The leafy vegetables can include water spinach, moringa leaves, and chili pepper leaves, among others. Background The dish was originally used for members of the genus Pila, which are the native apple snail species found in the Philippine islands. These are known as kuhol (also kohol or cohol) in most parts of the Philippines, and bisokol (or bisocol) in northeastern Luzon. However, it is now more commonly used for the highly invasive golden apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata), also called kuhol, which are originally from South America and considered to be in the top 100 of the "World's Worst Invasive Alien Species". Golden apple snails originally entered the Philippines from 1982 to 1984 from farmed specimens in Taiwan. They were originally meant to be used as food for humans and domestic ducks, but they escaped into the wild. They have become a major pest in rice fields in the Philippines as well as in other Asian countries. Description