Snails

Name: Snails — land gastropod molluscs eaten as food, especially the Burgundy snail (Helix pomatia) and the garden snail (Cornu aspersum), served as escargots. They are a classic of French cuisine, and are also eaten in Spain, Italy, North Africa and West Africa.

Description

Snails have been eaten since prehistoric times, and the Romans farmed them in enclosures, and fattened them in milk. In France, escargots in garlic and parsley butter became a classic restaurant dish, and the farming of edible snails is called heliciculture. In West Africa, giant African land snails are an important source of protein, and Spain's Andalusian caracoles are cooked in spicy broth.

Snails taste mild and slightly earthy, with a chewy texture, and take on the flavour of the garlic butter. Wild snails need to be purged for days, to clear their gut of anything poisonous they may have eaten, and must be cooked thoroughly.

Main nutrition value

Snails are a lean, high-protein food, with iron, magnesium, selenium and omega-3 fats, and very little fat before butter is added.

How best to be consumed

Snails are cooked thoroughly, and usually served in a rich butter.

1. Buy cooked, canned or frozen snails from a shop, or farmed live snails, which are already prepared.
2. Bake in their shells or in special dishes with garlic, parsley and butter, until bubbling.
3. Simmer in tomato or spicy broth, as in Spanish and Moroccan dishes.
4. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the butter.
5. Never collect wild snails without purging and cooking them properly.

Overconsumption could cause…

Snails are healthy in food amounts, with specific hygiene points.

1. Rat lungworm and other parasites, and bacteria, from raw or undercooked snails, so cook them thoroughly.
2. A lot of butter, garlic and salt in classic preparations.
3. Shellfish allergy, which can be severe and is usually lifelong, so anyone allergic must avoid shellfish and check labels. People allergic to shellfish or dust mites may react to snails.
4. Poisoning from wild snails that fed on toxic plants, or from polluted areas, if not purged properly.

GroupsMolluscsMolluscsHigh proteinLow fatLow sodiumRich in magnesiumRich in seleniumFresh

Related foodsSquidClamsMusselsOctopusCuttlefishAbalone

Wikipedia — Escargot, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escargot