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Snails as food

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A French dish featuring snails, a popular culinary tradition in France.

Snails as Food

Snails are eaten in many parts of the world! People in Southeast Asia, Mediterranean Europe, and Africa enjoy eating snails. In English, we call them escargot, a word that comes from French.

People have been eating snails for a very long time. Even ancient people liked to eat them. Today, snails are farmed in a special way called heliciculture. This happens mostly in Spain, France, and Italy.

Snails are cleaned very well before they are cooked. They are cooked in many tasty ways, like in stews or with garlic butter. In Indonesia, they are fried on skewers, and in Nepal, they are eaten with rice.

Snails are not only tasty but also good for you. They have protein and important minerals that help keep our bodies healthy. So, in many cultures, snails are a special and delicious treat!

Snail dish from Toledo, Spain

In the 21st Century, snails could be found in a canned form

Eating escargots (snails) in France, a classic French delicacy

Seller of snails in Nigeria

Images

A plate of cooked snails served in a traditional French dish called Escargots à la bourguignonne.
A traditional Algerian dish featuring snails, showcasing the rich and diverse cuisine of Algeria.
A close-up of an Achatina achatina snail, a type of food enjoyed in many cultures.
Live snails for sale in a French market, a popular delicacy in many parts of the world.
A delicious plate of escargot with garlic-parsley butter and grilled bread served at a restaurant in Tapiola, Finland.
A traditional Tharu dish, showcasing the rich culinary heritage of Nepal.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Snails as food, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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