The type of snails are in hundreds, but in which countries do people eat snails. So many countries see some types of snails as edible.
But are snails really edible for humans.
Humans have consumed land snails for thousands of years. Land snails, freshwater snails, and sea snails are eaten in the following countries:
- Spain
- France
- Italy
- Portugal
- Greece
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Bulgaria
- Morocco
- Algeria
- Nigeria
- Cameroon
- Ghana
- Vietnam
- Laos
- Cambodia
- Philippines
- Indonesia
- Terai of Nepal
- Southwestern China
Snails are used cosmetically in Thailand (specifically, the toxin/serum). In many parts of the United States, it is not a popular delicacy.
Since prehistoric times, people worldwide have consumed various types of animals for survival, including snails.
Eating snails are common in many parts of the ancient world, including the Roman Empire. They farmed snails so that there would be a plentiful supply to meet demand.
Consuming them is becoming more popular as a form of gastronomy. Snails continue to be a massive industry in the restaurant industry.
Land snail dishes are now exclusive in many areas of France, the United Kingdom, West Africa, and a few other countries, where they command high prices and are part of unique recipes.
Offering them is becoming the norm for special receptions and other high-end events.
See what escargots means to the french
Snails – What Is Special About Snails
I know that snails are special in so many ways. In general, a snail is a shelled gastropod. The term is most commonly given to land snails, also known as terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs.
When the term “snail” is used in this broad meaning, it encompasses not just land snails but also several species of sea snails and freshwater snails.
Snails move at a snail’s pace. Garden snails (Helix apersa) may attain speeds of up to 50 yards per hour, or roughly 0.5 inches per second.
They don’t move quickly, but they do move steadily. Snails are among the slowest animals on the planet.
Snails can be found in soil (or dirt), sand, trees, beneath rocks or leaves, and in rivers, lakes, and oceans all around the world.
Because land snails cannot breathe under water, they must emerge when too much water enters their environment to prevent drowning.
Most land snails are annuals; some have been reported to survive for two or three years, while some of the bigger species may live for up to ten years in the wild.
Individuals of the Roman snail Helix pomatia that are 10 years old, for example, are presumably not unusual in wild populations.
See all about the history and facts of Snail
What Is The Scientific Name Of Snail
Gastropoda is the scientific name for snails. The name is a combination of two Greek words that mean “stomach” and “foot.”
The scientific term refers to the foot’s position below the gut. Gastropods are members of the Mollusca phylum.
The snail is one of the most ecologically diverse animals on the planet, moving slowly but always fascinating.
They are the phylum’s most populous class in terms of species count. So far, we have classified approximately 24,000 species, but there may be 85,000 or more gastropod species in the world. These can be divided into a few broad categories:
Land Snails – The most well-known and most likely to interact with humans. The majority of land snails, as well as slugs, are classified as Heterobranchia.
Snails of freshwater – Freshwater species, including apple snails and nerites, live primarily in rivers, lakes, and streams and are represented by thousands of species.
Snails of the sea – Most gastropods are elusive and rarely seen, inhabiting the deep oceans and near coasts, an entire underwater world untouched by humans.
The classifications of seasnails are into several groups, including the Vetigastropoda and Caenogastropoda.
Why Do Some People Like To Eat Snails
Snails, or ‘Escargots’ known in France, are a delectable dish. Aside from taste, they are a good source of protein and are less fatty than most mammal or bird meat.
They are high in protein, iron, and vitamin B12. Snails contain more protein than many fish!
Many European countries consume in large quantities because they are a delicious way to consume garlic butter without the carb overload of eating garlic bread.
As with almost any meat, the critical thing to remember is that it should be cooked thoroughly.
They are technically considered unclean by Orthodox Jews due to a prohibition in the book of Leviticus. For the same reason, some Muslims consider them haram, and a few fundamentalist Christian sects do.
Snails were considered fish for fasting on Fridays and during Lent, an additional incentive for Christians. The Romans farmed them as they still do today, and I believe some monasteries kept them in enclosures.
Snails are delicious. And, if done correctly, they’re great as a snack alongside beer or any cold drink of your choice.
You can go to a seaside cafe and order a plate of snails and a cold beer, then sit and enjoy the sunset while nibbling on your tender, delicious mollusks.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Snails To Humans
Snails are everywhere, and while most gardeners dislike them, snails are a culinary delicacy.
They are rich protein source that is low in fat and cholesterol, except you decide to prepare it in a buttery sauce, lad, and high cholesterol fat.
Snails are a good source of iron, calcium, Vitamin A, and various other minerals and are high in protein and low in fat.
Vitamin A strengthens your eyes and helps your immune system fight disease. It also promotes the growth of cells in your body.
Due to their iodine content or medicinal recipes touted from tribes in northern Africa, they may also have healing properties to help people with digestive ailments or respiratory issues.
You’re much more likely to improve after eating something disgusting if it also tastes good!
Snail meat is one of the very few protein sources very close in comparison to eggs. They contain omega-three fatty acids, which are a great anti-inflammatory source.
People managing health conditions like high cholesterol, diabetes, and other autoimmune deficiencies are encouraged to opt for snails to replace red meat and addition to their protein options.
Snail meat is recommended for pregnant women because it contains folic acid, trace elements, and minerals necessary for proper baby growth and development.
Folic acid aids in the prevention of anemia during pregnancy as well as congenital disabilities such as spinal Bifida in newborns.
I recommend you get dried-freeze Giant African Land snail for healthy snails.
Is Garden Snails Edible
Garden snails aren’t inherently poisonous, so they’re usually safe to handle and eat if you’re a fan of escargot and other snail delicacies.
To avoid contact with parasites on snails, I typically advise people to go for farm-bred snails or packed snails, either freeze-dried, frozen, or canned.
Here’s what you should know. Terrestrial snails are generally safe to consume, which African giant snails, French snails, and your usual garden snails are a part of, while some marine snails are among the most toxic on the planet.
Please make sure that they are harvested from vegetation that has not been treated with herbicides or pesticides.
Contamination of the hands while preparing uncooked snails could also result in parasite ingestion. People who work with snails in the garden should thoroughly wash their hands before eating or preparing food.
People can become infected if they eat raw snails carrying lungworm larvae, like unwashed lettuce or other raw leafy vegetables contaminated by the slime of infected snails.
Remember to keep good hygiene by washing snails with alum, lemon, or lime and if you have to prepare the snails by yourself, always cook your snails for at least 10 minutes before consumption.
Find out If snails are good or bad for consumption
Why Do French Eat Snails
Eating snails began in the VIth century BC with hunter-gatherer tribes living in France, but snails gained fame when Talleyrand wanted to impress Tzar Alexander during his visit to Paris in 1814.
When Talleyrand’s chef was asked to prepare a dish that the Tzar had never tried before, he chose a local (from Burgundy) preparation of snails with garlic, parsley, and butter.
The Tzar was so impressed that he continued to order “Escargots de Bourgogne” regularly after that.
As a result, escargots became a thought-after meal frequently served for special occasions, particularly as a starter at Christmas. After that, any dinner that is a little fancier than usual may include some snails as an entrée.
The French word for snail is escargot, also named after any dish that includes cooked land snails. It is a familiar menu as an hors d’oeuvre in France.
Snails are typically purged, killed, shelled, cooked in garlic butter, chicken stock, or wine, and then placed back into the shells with the butter and sauce for French cuisine.
Escargot is considered gastronomy in many French restaurants and has gained popularity across Europe and America
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How Does A Snail Make Its Shell
Snails and other mollusks produce shells via a process known as biomineralization.
They secrete an organic matrix of proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids through a shell gland, which serves as a foundation for the hard mineral part of the shell. Calcium carbonate is the mineral that makes up the shell.
Snails require a diet high in protein, conchiolin, and calcium to produce a strong shell.
The shell grows additively, adding new calcium carbonate secreted by glands in the snail’s mantle. The new material is applied to the shell aperture’s edge (the opening of the shell).
Snails are born with soft shells that grow larger and stronger as the snail grows in size.
The snail can repair minor shell injuries. Consider the last time one of your fingernails or toenails broke too far down, and your body was able to repair it.
The calcium and proteins required to rebuild the shell are secreted by the snail’s mantle (the tissue surrounding its organs).
Snails can repair minor cracks and holes in their shells. Still, if the break is severe, they will struggle to survive without a shell as snails cannot live outside of their shells.
Because they are permanently attached to their skin, making it difficult to leave. In addition, the shell not only protects them but also keeps them from drying out.
A snail can heal itself. It can repair minor damage to its shell, but it cannot grow it from scratch.
Can A Snail Survive Without Its Shell
Moisture loss would kill them in no time.
Consider this: If snails could survive without their shells (regardless of moisture loss or predator protection), they would have stopped the energy-intensive activity of accumulating and secreting all those hard-won minerals many tens of thousands of years ago.
If you’re wondering why they come out of the shell and carry it around with them, it’s because they need to move around and find food to eat.
However, if you find a shell with no snail in it, that snail has died. The shell is permanently attached to the snail’s body, and while some predators can physically pull the snail out, breaking the attachment, most snail predators crush the shell to get at the snail.
The tiny Dwarf Pufferfish sucks its snail prey right out of their shells, like a noodle, whereas their larger cousins crush the shells and eat the snail meat once the shell.
Other snail predators that leave empty shells include predatory snails and hunting mammals that are agile and strong enough to pluck a snail from its shell while leaving it unbroken.
Final Thought
The importance of snail is massive based on its nutritious and health benefits to humans
These are the health benefits of Edible snails
But we still need to be aware that not all snails are edible and the process of cooking snails well should be adhered to fully.
I recommend you get dried-freeze Giant African Land snail for healthy snails.
