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Shen Yun stated in *Food Bencao* (Compendium of Food): "Tutie" belongs to the category of sea snails, with a size comparable to the middle segment of a finger. Its abdomen is white and gelatinous like solidified paste. The mucus it expels from its shell is larger than its own body, bright, pure, and white, making it visually appealing. People in Gusu serve it as a small dish accompanying wine for guests, considering it a premium delicacy among seafood. It is also known as Mailuo (Wheat Snail) or Meiluo (Plum Snail). Those produced in Ningbo are large and rich in fat, whereas those from Yuyao are inferior; consuming them raw may cause headaches. Locals pickle them with salt to remove the initial saliva, after which they shrink and become edible.

*Haiwei Suoyin* (Hidden Secrets of Sea Flavors) states: Tutie is also called Niluo (Mud Snail), with the best quality coming from Nantian in Ningbo, harvested and processed after the plum rains in May.

*Kuaiji Zhi* (Chronicles of Kuaiji) records: During certain times of the year, Tutie holds sand in its mouth, which is black like iron. By the time peach blossoms bloom, the "iron" (sand) is completely expelled.

*Jianzhi Bian* (Records of What Is Seen Only Once) notes: It can be eaten in September. This is likely because this creature lives in mud flats and feeds on mud. From August to September, it ceases feeding on mud and instead exudes white fat, which appears crystal clear on the surface, making it superior to those harvested in other months.

*Fuzhou Fuzhi* (Gazetteer of Fuzhou Prefecture) records: Tutie is a top-tier seafood delicacy. It has a greenish color and a soft outer shell. The meat is black like iron and protrudes from the shell. People preserve it by pickling or fermenting it in rice wine lees and distribute it to various regions. There is another variety as small as a mung bean that appears only during the peach blossom season, named Taohua Tutie (Peach Blossom Tutie). Those produced in Quanzhou are called Mailuo.

Zhao Guan Yi, brother of Zhao Kai, wrote in *Guanyilu*: Tutie from Haining lacks fat and contains much mud, with tough meat that is inedible. Tutie from Ningbo is very large, rich in fat, free of mud, and has crisp meat. After washing three times with water, soak it in sweet raw white wine for half a day until the salty taste emerges. Then change to fermented white wine liquor, or add distilled spirits (Baijiu) or use distilled spirits alone for soaking. It is essential to add a large amount of rock sugar so that it does not spoil even after long storage.

*Ganyuan Xiaoshi* (Small Knowledge from the Citrus Garden) states: Tutie grows in the sea, resembling a flat snail slightly. Its shell is thin and white, while the meat is greenish-black. The larger ones are fatty; pickled with salt, they can be transported over long distances.

Its nature is sweet, sour, salty, and cold. It tonifies the Liver and Kidneys, benefits the essence and marrow, and brightens the eyes and ears.

Commentary: Tutie is greenish in color, inheriting the Qi of Jia Wood. It feeds exclusively on saline seawater and nothing else. Furthermore, it derives residual moisture from the earth to generate fat and paste. In August and September, it does not consume soil because Autumn Metal Qi is prosperous while Wood Qi declines; thus, it expels mud without eating. Its ability to tonify the Liver and Kidneys and benefit the essence and marrow is analogous to how Spleen Earth, when nourished, transforms fluids and sends them upward, thereby benefiting the eyes and ears. Li Shizhen (Dongbi) mistakenly identified Liaoluo (Polygonatum Snail?) as Niluo, claiming its sour flavor enters the Liver. However, these two substances differ significantly in form and texture, as well as in nature and flavor. Forcing them into one category is erroneous. This substance can also moisten dryness in the throat and generate fluids. In the second month of the Gengshen year, I frequently suffered from dryness-fire syndrome. At night, my throat and pharynx were dry, and my tongue was withered and seemed ready to crack. Taking Tianhuafen (Trichosanthis Radix) and other fluid-generating herbs yielded little effect. One day, I purchased and ate Tutie. It tasted sweet, and by nightfall, the dryness in my throat had healed. This demonstrates the significant power of this substance in generating fluids and nourishing Spleen Yin.