Snails as food

Snails are eaten by people in many parts of the world, including Africa, Southeast Asia, and Mediterranean Europe. In some places, eating snails has been a tradition for a long time, while in others it is not common. In English, we often call edible land snails escargot, a word that comes from the French language.

People have been eating snails for thousands of years. Today, snails are farmed in a process called heliciculture, especially in Spain, France, and Italy. These countries have long histories of using snails in their cooking. Snails used to be simple food, but now they are enjoyed as a special treat in fancy restaurants around the world.

Etymology of escargot

The word escargot means snail in French. People have used this word since 1892. It came from older words in Provençal and Old French. These words go back to Latin and Ancient Greek, where they talked about shellfish. The French word was also shaped by words about scarabs.

History

People have eaten snails for a very long time. Archaeologists found many broken snail shells in old places, like Franchthi Cave in Greece, from 10,700 BCE. These shells show that people ate snails before they started farming other foods. Snails are easy to catch and prepare, which may be why they became popular food in many places.

The ancient Romans loved eating snails and thought they were a special food for rich people. One Roman, Quintus Fulvius Lippinus, raised large snails and sold them in Rome. Today, some churches still allow eating snails during certain fasting times because they are not considered animals like fish or meat. In Spain, old cookbooks from the 1600s have recipes for cooking snails, showing that people have enjoyed them there for centuries.

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Species

Not all land snails are good to eat. Many are too small to cook easily, and their taste can be different.

Some popular snails for eating include:

From the genus Helix:

• Helix lucorum, European snail
• Helix pomatia, Roman snail or Burgundy escargot, the most eaten snail in France
• Helix salomonica

From the family Achatinidae:

• Lissachatina fulica (formerly Achatina fulica), giant African snail, which is very popular.

From the genus Cepaea:

• Cepaea nemoralis, grove snail, called rayado ('striped' snail) in Spain
• Cepaea hortensis, white-lipped snail

From the genus Otala:

• Otala punctata, known as cabrilla in Spain, these are bigger
• Otala lactea, Spanish snail

From the genus Pomacea:

• Pomacea canaliculata, apple snail, native to South America but widely eaten in Asia and considered a very invasive species
• Pomacea urceus, in Colombia and Venezuela, where it comes from, it is called guarura

Other snails eaten include:

• Buccinum undatum, common whelk
• Cantareus apertus (formerly Helix aperta), garden snail
• Cornu aspersum (formerly Helix aspersa), common or garden snail, called petit-gris in France
• Elona quimperiana, called Escargot de Quimper in France and caracol moteado in the north of Spain
• Littorina littorea, common periwinkle
• Pachychilus spp. eaten by the Maya
• Ryssota ovum, found only in the Philippines and called buko or bayuko
• Thetystrombus latus, called bilolá in Fang, kolobwidjo in Yoruba and búzio cabra in Cape Verdean Portuguese

Nutrition

Snail meat is a healthy choice because it has fewer calories and less fat than many other meats. It is a good source of protein. Snails also contain important minerals like magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium. They are especially helpful for people who need more iron.

Snails provide essential amino acids, which are important for our bodies. They also have vitamins A, E, B12, and niacin (vitamin B3), which help keep us healthy. Even though snails have some fat, it includes helpful omega-3 fatty acids and selenium.

Culinary use

Before snails are cooked, they are cleaned very well. They are left without food for a few days, and sometimes they are given only flour to eat. This helps clean their insides. After this, the snails are washed well.

When cooking snails, they are washed many times to remove any slime. They are put in cold water with salt and brought to a boil. Once they come out of their shells, the heat is increased to cook them fast. Snails are often served as a snack with toothpicks. They can be cooked in many ways, such as in stews or baked dishes, and are used in many traditional recipes.

By region

People in Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, and other African countries eat large African snails. In Equatorial Guinea, a special giant sea snail called bilolá is cooked in stews or grilled on skewers.

In the Mediterranean area, many places have long traditions of eating snails. Countries like Andorra, Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal all include snails in their cooking. In French cuisine, snails are cooked with garlic butter and herbs. In Cretan cuisine, snails are boiled with wine and herbs before being fried. In Moroccan cuisine, snails are cooked with spices.

Snails are also popular in Southeast Asia, where they are eaten in countries like Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. In Indonesia, they are often fried on skewers, while in West Java, they are served with sauces and curries.

In South Asia, snails are a traditional food in parts of Nepal, India, and Bengal. In the Terai region of Nepal, they are called ghonghi and eaten with rice. In Nagaland and Manipur in India, snails are prepared in special local dishes. In Bengal, they are a valued, affordable food known as geri gugli.