Escargot is not a common dish in the United States, but in many other countries, it is considered a delicacy or a staple. Escargot has nutritional value; however, it is neither suitable, nor safe to go out into the front yard and scoop up a bucket full of snails for dinner. The escargot people eat has been specially raised and prepared.
History
Escargot is widely considered to be a French dish. However, it has been eaten for thousands of years by people from a variety of cultures. Empty shells have been found by the thousands in the prehistoric caves of human inhabitants.
The ancient Greeks and Romans considered snails to be a delicacy. In the Americas and in Australia, escargot is called abalone and is consumed as a main meal. In Africa, particularly in Nigeria and South Africa, a species of land snail called the Giant African Snail is consumed as a traditional food.
Edible vs Poisonous Snails
Snails that have been bred for consumption are safe to eat. Their diets have been monitored. It is important to use caution when collecting wild snails. The flavor of snails can be altered by what they eat and some snails will have an unpleasant taste as a result. Snails that have consumed poisonous plants will in turn be poisonous until they have been purged.
Preparation
Preparing snails for cooking is a lengthy process. Traditionally, the snails are placed in a wooden box for five to six days during what is called a fasting period. They are washed with running water and placed in a large container with a handful of salt between each layer of snails. After the snails have disgorged themselves, which produces a foam, they are washed again.
Farm-raised snails do not require disgorging with salt. Instead, the snails are placed in a box raised above the ground with grating on the bottom to drain moisture for the same five- to six-day fasting period as the traditional method of preparation. They are washed each day with running water for another two or three days. Snails that are fed dill during the washing period will acquire that flavor.
The snails are boiled in water. The meat is then removed from the shells. The digestive tract is often removed, although some people prefer to leave the organ attached. The meat is submerged in brine (cold salt-saturated water), for 15 minutes, then washed again in fresh water. Escargot is commonly baked and served in the shells, which are thoroughly cleaned and sterilized.
Nutritional Value
Snails are high in protein and low in fat, according to the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. Snails are 15 percent protein, 2.4 percent fat and 80 percent water. Escargot is also high in essential fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids. One species in Brazil is estimated to have 75 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids, 15.5 percent monounsaturated fatty acids and 23.25 percent saturated fatty acids.
Legend of the Escargot Maiden
A Chinese legend tells the story of a bachelor who found lifelong happiness with an escargot maiden. The bachelor found a large snail one day when he went to work. He prepared a tank for it in his home. Three years later, he came home from work to find a fully cooked meal prepared for him. Each day after that, he returned home to find a delicious meal. He suspected that a neighbor had cooked the meals, but she denied it.
One day, the bachelor came home early and hid by a window. He saw a beautiful young woman preparing a meal for him. When she was done, she returned to the water tank. The man surprised the young woman one day and locked her in a room in his home. He checked the water tank to find only an empty shell. He hid the shell in the backyard and then let her out of the room.
When the young woman rushed to the water tank, she found that the shell was gone and she began to cry. She explained that she was repaying a debt because the man had saved her life and had taken care of her. The bachelor married the young woman, had a son and a daughter and lived happily ever after.
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