Snails are eaten by humans in many areas such as Africa,Southeast Asia andMediterranean Europe, while in other cultures, snails are seen as ataboo food. In English, edible land snails are commonly calledescargot, from theFrench word for 'snail'.[1] Snails as a food date back to ancient times, with numerous cultures worldwide having traditions and practices that attest to their consumption. In the modern era snails are farmed, an industry known asheliciculture.
The snails are collected after the rains and are put to "purge" (fasting). In the past, the consumption of snails had a marked seasonality, from April to June.[2] Now, snail-breeding techniques make them available all year. Heliciculture occurs mainly inSpain,France, andItaly, which are also the countries with the greatest culinary tradition of the snail.[3] Although throughout history the snail has had little value in the kitchen because it is considered "poverty food", in recent times it can be classified as adelicacy thanks to the appreciation given to it byhaute cuisine chefs.[4][5]
Escargot,French pronunciation:[ɛskaʁɡo]ⓘ, comes from the French term for snail. Usage of the French word "escargot" dates back to 1892. The French word, first recorded in the 14th century, derives fromescaragol (Provençal) and thenescargol (Old French). It ultimately traces back throughVulgar Latincoculium and Classical Latinconchylium to the Ancient Greekkonchylion (κογχύλιον), which meant "edible shellfish, oyster". TheOnline Etymological Dictionary notes that the form of the word in Provençal and French seems to have been influenced by words related to the scarab.[6]
Researchers have not been able to pinpoint when humans began consuming snails, although archaeological discoveries point to earlier stages than the invention ofhunting. A lot of broken snail shells have been found in theFranchthi Cave, in the GreekArgolis, from the year 10,700 BCE. InHistoria de gastronomía (2004),Fernández-Armesto points out the possible reasons: snails are easy to handle, and their cultivation "seems like a natural extension of harvesting".[7]
It is difficult to go beyond the limits of a developmentalist and progressive model of the history of food, according to which it is unthinkable that no food was cultivated in such early times, but snail farming is so simple, requires so little technical effort and is conceptually so close to harvesting methods, that it seems doctrinaire to the point of stubbornness to exclude such a possibility.
- – Felipe Fernandez-Armesto.[7]
Many sites in theZagros Mountains of Iraq and theKermanshah region of western Iran are from the late Pleistocene and include snail shells that have been interpreted as food debris.[8] Specifically, these species were mainlyHelix salomonica orLevantinaspiriplana. The deposits with snails from the ancientCapsian culture (present-day Tunisia) are of notable importance, as well as those found in theCantabrian Mountains, thePyrenees and thenorthern Adriatic (present-day Croatia and Slovenia), in addition to many other remains of snails throughout the Mediterranean Basin.[9][10] The most convincing evidence for prehistoric land snail consumption is found in theMaghreb, beginning in theIberomaurusian (20,000 BP) and continuing through the Capsian to at least 6,000 BP.[11] Outside the Mediterranean region, the occurrence of land snails as food debris is less common. According toLubell (2004b), archaeological remains of land snails have been found in the Caribbean, Peru, Texas and other parts of North America, East Africa, Sudan, Nigeria, and the Philippines. Also, archaeological remains offreshwater snails have been found inYunnan.
A snail sauce is mentioned in theBook of Rites, a Confucian text ofancient China.[12][13]
The Romans considered escargots anelite food, as noted in the writings ofPliny the Elder. The Roman breederQuintus Fulvius Lippinus is considered the "father" of heliciculture, or at least, the first written reference to snail farms. Lippinus established his study center in the Tuscan city ofTarquinia to feasibly domesticate various animals, such as dormouse and wild boar, among many others. However, he was best known for his enormous snails, of which he had several species brought fromIllyria toAfrica. With a fatty diet he devised to fatten them, he obtained large quantities of snails, which he then marketed in Rome. His snails set the trend among the Roman upper class, and the practice became popular. Lippinus was an innovator who managed a large company that marketed his snails beyond theMare Nostrum.[n. 1] InDe re coquinaria, one of the complete Roman cookbooks, four recipes based on snails are mentioned.[14] Shells of the edible speciesCernuella virgata andOtala lactea have been recovered from the Roman-era cityVolubilis, in present-dayMorocco. They are a harbinger of the escargot found in modern souks of the country.[15]
Pope Pius V, who was an avid eater of snails, decided that they had to be considered as fish to continue eating them duringLent, exclaiming:Estote pisces in aeternum! ("you will be fish forever!").[16] In Spain, the custom continued to have continuity as can be seen in the gastronomic literature of that time. In theLibro del arte de cozina [es] by Diego Granado, head chef of the Spanish royal household, a section was dedicated to the snail, explaining its biological characteristics, how to clean it, and various recipes on how to cook it, fry it, etc. This book was published in 1614 inLleida, a city in westernCatalonia famous for its culinary tradition of the snail.[17]
In the stricterOrthodox Church tradition of fasting, snails are still considered fully Lenten, beinginvertebrates, and are historically and presently popular.[18]
Not all land snails are edible since many are too small—not worthwhile to prepare and cook—and the palatability of the flesh varies among species.
From the genusHelix:
From the familyAchatinidae:
From the genusCepaea:
From the genusOtala:
From the genusPomacea:
Others:
| Nutritional value per | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 377 kJ (90 kcal) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sugars | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dietary fibre | -- | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16.1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other constituents | Quantity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water | 79.2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Percentages estimated usingUS recommendations for adults,[19] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from theNational Academies.[20] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Snail meat has several benefits compared to other meats, highlighting its low calorie and fat content.[21] It is a source of protein (between 10 and 19%). Nutritional information can vary depending on the snail species and on who performs the nutritional analysis.[n. 2] Even so, it can be said that snails are rich in inorganic nutrients: 82% water, minerals such asmagnesium andiron (mainly, but also calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium), in addition to a high percentage of niacin (vitamin B3), since for every 100 g of snail meat, up to 55% of theDRI (in women) and 41% DRI (in men).[2] Snails are a good source ofselenium. Of the recommended daily requirement of selenium, the snail provides up to 50% (in women) and 30% (in men).[21]
Snail flesh is a good supply of essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine, and cysteine, which are difficult to get in other sources of protein, according to Adeyeye et al. (2020). Scientists also point out that a variety of vitamins, including vitamins A, E, and B12, are present in snail meat and are crucial for maintaining general health and wellbeing.[22]
Due to high iron content, snails are recommended for consumption by people suffering fromiron-deficiency anemia.[23] The fat content is low, but provides beneficialomega-3 fatty acids.[21]
Before use in the kitchen, snails must be cleaned to remove impurities.[2] The cleaning process (calledpurgado in Spanish) consists of leaving them alive for several days without eating, or only eating flour. The flour method is a homemade resource to clean the animal's digestive tract.[24] Formerly in Spain, snails were hung frommesh bags from which they could not escape. Snail chefMorell i Bitrià (1999) recommends not giving them anything to eat for at least eight days (ideally ten or twelve) and then washing them well. Snails that die during the purging process should be disposed of.[25]
Snail slime should be removed with as many washes of water as possible, in a colander under running water or in a saucepan. Again they are washed, this time with salt water, which helps cut through the slime.[24] After being cleaned and washed several times, they are transferred to a pot with cold water and salt, when they emerge from their shells the heat is raised to the maximum, and they are cooked for approximately a quarter of an hour. After this, they are served in the chosen stew, sauce, or other recipe. This intermediate action is popularly known as "cheating" (engañar) the snail in Spain, as they come out of their shells once the water heats up, and when they're outside the flame is increased further to rapidly heat the water and kill the snails.[26]
In bars where snails are offered as atapa, it is common for them to be served withtoothpicks, as this is the typical rustic utensil for eating snails.[27] A serving commonly ranges between 25 and 30 snails.[5] Inhaute cuisine-style catering, snails are consumed by grasping the shell with apince à escargot and extracting the snail with a fork calledfourchette à escargot.
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On a culinary level, they can be cooked in many ways: stews, baked,a la gormanta,a la brutesque. In the cuisine ofLleida, they are an ingredient in many traditional dishes, in many cases mixed with other meats such as pig's feet, rabbit, chicken, lobsters and prawns, etc.[5]
People inCameroon,Ghana,Nigeria, and other countries in the area are used to eating African varieties of snail, which are larger. Typical ofEquatorial Guinea is a giant sea snail calledbilolá (Persististrombus latus), eaten stewed or sautéed, which inCape Verde is known asbúzio cabra, and is grilled on skewers. It is also known as Igbin amongst theYoruba of western Nigeria.
There is a tradition of consuming snails in Andorra, Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal on the European side and Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia on the African side.Cornu aspersum is the most widespread species in the Mediterranean basin, the Iberian Peninsula, and the French Atlantic coast.
InFrench cuisine, snails are typically purged, killed, shelled, and cooked (usually withgarlic butter,chicken stock orwine), and then placed back into the shells with the butter sauce and additional ingredients, such as garlic, thyme, parsley, or pine nuts. Special tongs for holding the shell and forks for extracting the meat are typically provided. Escargot is served on indented metal trays with places for six or 12 snails.
InCretan cuisine, the snails are first boiled in white wine with bay leaves, celery, and onion and then coated with flour and fried with rosemary and vinegar.
InMaltese cuisine, snails (Maltese:bebbux) of thepetit gris variety aresimmered in red wine or ale withmint,basil andmarjoram. The snails are cooked and served in their shells.
InLebanon, land snails are collected from the mountains and then served alongside atahini-based sauce calledtarator in a dish calledbzeh ma' tarator (Levantine Arabic:بزاق مع طراطور).[28][29]
InPalestine, land snails are gathered similar to Lebanon, and often sold in markets. They are eaten byPalestinian Christians but are less popular among Muslims because most scholars rule out land snails as forbidden to eat underIslamic dietary laws, only permitting sea snails.[30]
InMoroccan cuisine, snails, also calledghlal, are a popular street food. They are cooked in a jar filled with hot water, special spices, and herbs. After cooking, Moroccan snails are served in small bowls with broth and consumed hot. Moroccan snails are mostly enjoyed during winter as they are believed to be beneficial for health, especially when dealing with thecommon cold orrheumatism.[31]
A city known for its snail culture is the town ofLleida, in the north-Spanish region ofCatalonia, where theL'Aplec del Cargol festival has been held since 1980, receiving some 300,000 visitors during a weekend in May.[17]
Snails were eaten periodically inCentral Europe sometimes, as food or medicine. InHungary they were used inBereg,Ormánság, andSzilágyság (in the latter by theRomani people as medicine againstlabor pains).[32][33]
Snails (balitong, bayuko, siput sedut, heong lor, etc.) are consumed in Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
InIndonesia, snails from the rice fields are fried on satay (skewers), a dish known assate kakul, or grilled Tondano'ssate kolombi.
InWest Java, snails from the rice fields are calledtutut and are eaten with various sauces and curries.
Ghonghi is commonly consumed in theTerai region inNepal. Ghongis are served with rice and have been a staple food of the indigenous people of Terai for ages.[34][35]
Snails are eaten inNortheast India in the states ofManipur,Tripura andNagaland. In Nagaland, snails are prepared withaxone and pork meat, especially fats. Locally it is calledhamok.[36] In Manipur, they are calledtharoi.[37]
In North India, they are consumed in the states ofUttar Pradesh andBihar. In Bihar, especially in theMithila region, they are calleddoka. At other places in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, they are calledainthi. They are boiled and the meat is extracted to cook a curry, typically eaten with rice.
InBengal, snails are commonly eaten as a delicacy and are calledgeri gugli. Since they are widely available and low in cost, they are called 'poor man's food'.
