Gastropods, or gastropods, is the scientific term for a class of molluscs of over 1,000 species. The main features of their appearance are familiar to everyone from early childhood: a house on their back, horns-eyes and one leg. The beginning of acquaintance of compatriots with snails goes back centuries, but only the arrival of French cuisine on Russian lands introduced gastronomic nuances in the characteristics of these interesting creatures.
Living in fresh and sea water, crawling through trees, flowers, grasses and land, snails have a wide variety of food preferences. Among them there are cannibals who eat their own kind, there are lovers of eating small insects. Gardeners are fighting with all their might against the invasion of snails, which reduce the yield of the beds. But some of the gastropods, distinguished by their special taste, have become the coveted prey of gastronomes.
The history of the edible snail
The tradition of eating snails was not born in France, as is commonly believed, but in the Roman Empire. Snails (cochleas) were bred in special gardens, fed with flour and “soldered off” with wine. Historical sources say that snails were the main part of the diet of the legionnaires of Guy Julius Caesar during the campaign to Gaul. French cuisine also got a boost from the arrival of Italian chefs at the royal court - they were brought in by the Florentine Catherine de Medici.
There are several types of edible snails. The most famous are Helix and Achatina. The latter are collected on the African continent and in some states of South Asia. Achatina grows very quickly, and the size of their house can reach 25 cm. These inhabitants of the warm belt do not fall into hibernation. Unlike "Africans", Helixes lose precious time due to the peculiarities of the climate, falling asleep for 4 months - from December to March.
There are two types of helix snails. The most famous are grape, or Burgundy, snails (Helix Pomatia). In the Balkan countries (Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece) Helix Lucorum is bred - an equally popular species. The dimensions of the helix shells are much more modest than those of the Achatina - 3-4, 5 cm.
Taste features of edible snails
A distinctive flavor nuance of European snails, especially noted, is the smell of earth, most intense in Burgundy and less pronounced in gastropods from the Balkans. In the wild, the former are harvested in May-June, the latter in earlier spring. The meat of Burgundy snails has a light brown hue, Balkan snails are much darker, the same color differences are typical for shells of both types. On specialized farms, snails are collected after fattening, in the fall. Snail caviar is also on the table.
The taste of African Achatina women, according to some testimonies, resembles russula mushrooms. Soup made from them, according to ancient beliefs, cures tuberculosis, but this information has not been confirmed by anything. Achatina shells, unlike helix, are very fragile.
Before being placed on the table, snails are kept on a starvation diet in order to remove toxins and toxins. The most famous French snail dish is escargot. Fat-free meat of Burgundy snails (the most popular and appreciated in France) has a high protein content and a unique set of amino acids. However, other edible gastropods have the same qualities.
