There are various snails in the world, and It is proven that edible snails are the only kind of snail that you can eat
Edible snails are low-fat, rich in protein and a good source of various essential vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, selenium, vitamin E and phosphorus.
Throughout my years as a farmer raising various snails, I must say that most Snails are quite good for your health. However, there are several kinds of snails that you can eat
But do you know that majority of people as of today don’t know the right kind of snails to eat,
In this article, I would like to share the different kinds of snails and what kind of snail you can eat.
Find out the health benefits of Edible snails
What Are The Kinds Of Snails
Table of Contents
ToggleThere are many different kinds of snails. Snails are mollusks that belong to the Gastropoda class.
In nature, snails exist in a broad range of forms and sizes. There are around 3000 species, according to estimates.
Snails are divided into herbivores and predators, both of which are generally referred to as edible snails.
Herbivores are fed plants, whereas predators are fed other members of the same class. Herbivores are becoming more popular in modern cuisine.
Predators, on the other hand, are fed by other members of the same species. The use of herbivores is becoming more prevalent in contemporary cooking.
However, predators are also used for the preparation of interesting and delicious dishes.
Moreover, predators have other important functions. Thus, Helen’s snail is usually kept in aquariums to control the excessive breeding of aquarium inhabitants.
In addition, predators can be found in water and on land.
Herbivorous species are pests that wreak havoc on orchards and vineyards by consuming the crops they consume. For example, the Asian Snail-Tramp, which can grow up to 18 mm in length, is considered a nuisance in the region because of its large size.
However, even though a diverse range of shellfish is accessible, not all are used as food.
Edible snails(predators): these are the best kind of snails that is good for consumption
Edible mollusks were popular in ancient Rome and Greece and included in the diet. Flour, aromatic herbs, and wine were used to enhance the flavor of the meat and make it tastier.
Snails may be prepared in various ways, and many countries have unique culinary techniques for preparing them as well.
Are Snails Healthy To Eat
Yes, snails are delicious and healthy to eat since they contain a lot of nourishment essential for your health’s growth.
Eating raw snails may cause rat lungworm illness in rare situations, according to reports. Fortunately, you may avoid this virus by properly cooking snails before consuming them.
Snails are commonly served in French restaurants, and you may be wondering if this strange meal is a healthy addition to your diet.
Snail meat is not only delicious, but it is also good for you.
Although many people find snails unpleasant, they are eaten worldwide and are a portion of highly healthy food. A snail comprises 80% water, 15% protein, and 2.4 percent fat on average.
Snails are a good source of vitamins E, A, K, and B12 and essential fatty acids, calcium, iron, selenium, and magnesium, among other nutrients.
Snails are high in nutrients, but how they are prepared is as crucial. Eat them as part of a well-balanced diet, and get advice from a nutritionist if you’re unsure of how to include them in your diet.
Can snails help in weight loss?
What Are The Different Kinds Of Snails
However, over 4000 different snails, including land snails, sea snails, and freshwater snails, are living.
Snails are gastropod mollusks with shells, but slugs, on the other hand, are gastropod mollusks that do not have shells?
Giant African Land Snail
The 8-inch-long huge African snail is abundant in Africa. However, except for Antarctica, they may currently be found on every continent. And it is one of the biggest kinds of snails.
They have light to dark brown shells with vertical stripes that are frequently a deeper shade of brown.
A huge African land snail has a lifespan of 5 to 7 years on average.
In addition to a rapid reproductive rate, the giant African snail has an insatiable appetite for crops and other plants in general. Because of these two characteristics, these kinds of snails are considered invasive.
Garden Snail
Garden snails are a tiny kind of snail that may grow to be up to 1.3 inches in length. Snails of this kind have a distinctive shell design that distinguishes them from those of other species.
The shell of a garden snail is yellowish or cream-colored with brown spiral bands on the outside.
It feeds on various fruit trees, vegetable crops, rose bushes, garden flowers, and grains.
White-lipped Snail
The white-lipped snail, sometimes known as the garden-banded snail, is a medium-sized species of air-breathing land snail.
Even though it has a shiny and flawless shell, this snail is available in various colors, with yellow being the most prevalent.
The white ring that surrounds the entrance of its shell is what distinguishes it from other species.
Roman Snail
These snails were originally solely found throughout Europe. However, they can now be found in almost every country in the world.
In nature, this snail has a lovely shell and loves to dwell in temperate forests where the climate is damp with very little rainfall.
Its shell is creamy to light brown, with darker brown stripes running through it. The Roman snail is sometimes known as the burgundy snail or the “edible snail.” It’s the snail that the French utilize to produce escargot.
Mediterranean Green Snail
These land snails are also known as green snails or green garden snails.
It is widespread throughout Europe and Africa, where it is usually found in rainforests.
This species is considered invasive, and it can harm your health, agriculture, the environment, and trade.
These snails eat most green vegetables, cereal crops, grazing grasses, and native plants.
Milk Snail
Otala lactea, sometimes known as the milk snail or the Spanish snail, is a large, edible species of air-breathing land snail that lives in the Mediterranean region.
Its shell is pale or brownish with darker speckled lines. It generally feeds on papaya, lily, anise, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, and yucca plants. This edible snail is popular in the Mediterranean region, where it is commonly eaten.
Apple Snails
Apple snail is a common term for freshwater snails found in pet stores for freshwater aquariums, which may grow up to 6 inches in length.
The mystery snail (Pomacea bridgesii), for example, is an Apple Snail species. They come in a variety of colors, including gold, tiger-striped, blue, and white. I also maintain a few with my guppies.
Mystery Snails
These snails are suitable for keeping with any fish. Because their colorful shells and capacity to clean away trash and extra food differ from most apple snails.
Mystery snails do not consume plants that are in their natural environment. They consume algae and rotting plants instead. They also do not reach a length of more than 3 inches.
Golden Apple Snail
This species is also known as the channeled apple snail. Their shells are made up of 5 to 6 whorls connected by a deep, depressed suture (channels).
Throughout many Southeast Asian nations, the channeled apple snail is a severe pest of rice.
Colombian Ramshorn Apple Snail
These are a popular kind of snail found at local pet stores for use in aquariums, and they are inexpensive.
Ramshorn snails are sometimes referred to as the paradise snail in some circles. Depending on the species,
its shell color can range from light to dark red or brown, or more animated versions of those colors, and is frequently striped.
Even though it possesses gills and a lung, this species is capable of effective underwater respiration even in the presence of low quantities of dissolved oxygen.
Common Periwinkle Snail
The common periwinkle, often known as the winkle, is a kind of tiny edible whelk or sea snail.
Their shell is smooth and brown to brownish-gray in appearance, and it can grow up to 1 inch in length.
Snails such as these can lurk in tidal pools, the gaps between rocks, or under seaweed. Their diet consists primarily of algae, which they scrape from rocks.
Common Whelk
These snails are huge and have waving shells, giving rise to their other name, waved buccinum.
It is believed that this type of whelk feeds on live bivalves, which are in turn preyed upon by a variety of fish (catfish, dogfish, and so on), as well as lobsters and crabs.
People usually eat them. They are known as bulot in French.
Their shells might be extremely light, whitish, yellowish, or reddish in hue.
Can you eat all kinds of snails
One of the major questions I hear from people relates to whether or not it is safe to eat any snail.
Not all kinds of snails are edible, and many are too little to be worth the effort of preparing and cooking them.
However, many different kinds of snails are not suitable to eat since they might harm your health.
Snails in the wild (which are not edible) contain a high concentration of germs. It is important not to eat them too quickly, or you may have acute dizziness and chest constriction.
See what will happen when you eat a snail.
Is It Possible To Eat Typical Garden Snails
My food included the ordinary garden snail, known locally as the petis-gris, and the bigger and more uncommon Roman snail, or escargot de Bourgogne.
Both are delicious and large enough for a creamy mouthful; however, hunting Romans is forbidden in England. Garden snails are a striking blend of dark and light browns.
What Kinds Of Snails Are Edible
The most popular edible snails in the world are the Giant African Land Snail (Helix aspersa), the European Garden Snail (Helix aspersa), the Turkish snail (Helix locurum), and the Roman or Burgundy snail (Helix pomatia), commonly known as the land lobster for its exceptional flavor and texture.
Are There Any Toxic Snails
Garden snails aren’t intrinsically dangerous, so they’re typically safe to handle and eventually eat if you’re a fan of escargot.
The marine cone snail, on the other hand, possesses one of nature’s most potent toxins. It’s intended to paralyze fish nearly immediately.
Is It Possible To Eat Huge Snails
In Nigeria, giant African land snails are consumed as a bar snack. When reared in captivity as pets or food, (snails) are given a diet of lettuce, chicken feed, and commercial snail food.” They can also be prepared, diced, canned, and marketed as escargot.
Is It Safe To Eat Freshwater Snails
Land snails, freshwater snails, and sea snails are all eaten. Although not all snails are edible, some sources estimate that there are 116 edible types. The snail has a regularly egg-laying capacity of between 50 to 75 eggs twice a year. The meat has a light flavor.
Is it possible to eat wild snails
Here’s what you should know. While certain sea snails are among the most dangerous on the planet, terrestrial snails are typically safe to consume.
Make certain that they are harvested from foliage that has not been treated with herbicides or pesticides.
What Are The Most Common Kind Of Edible Snails
It is no secret that many people enjoy eating snails as an appetizer or as a main meal, which is true for both children and adults.
There are a variety of popular recipes available for cooking snails, and many people cook them in their kitchens. These kinds of foods are also common at many high-end restaurants.
It is popular in France, where it is known as “Escargots.”Snails are cooked in their shells after being prepared with garlic and parsley butter, seasoned, and served in their shells.
Because they are considered a delicacy, they are highly expensive.
Garden Snails (Helix aspersa )
The garden snail is a little species that may grow 1.3 inches tall and has a unique shell pattern that sets it apart from other species.
The common garden snail is distinguished by its brown spherical shell and grey body, covered with many little yellowish-brown dots.
It is most commonly seen in gardens or shrubs.
In French, this cultivar is known as “petit-gris” (meaning “little grey.”).
Garden snails may live for 4 to 5 years but can be collected at 7 to 8 months of age.
Although it is small, its meat is very tasty and does not require special initial processing. Prepare it together with the shell without removing the intestines.
France’s most popular garden snail is the Burgundy snail, used in dishes such as “Très Gros” or “escargot de Bourgogne.”
Their shell is drab, speckled yellowish-brown, and their meat is tasty.
Helix pomatia (Roman snail)
The Roman snail’s shell is so beautiful, and It was discovered for the first time in Europe.
But it is now spread all over the world. It lives in temperate forests with humid weather but little rain.
The roman snail, also known as the Burgundy snail or vineyard snail, is a gastropod mollusk that is one of the world’s most well-known and extensively distributed snail species.
They are large snails with shells that are 3 to 5 centimeters broad and 4.5 centimeters high. They have a brown color, 3 to 5 bands or stripes, and 4 to 5 spirals.
Turkish Snail (Helix lucorum)
These snails are commonly found in woodland regions, damp plains or hills, and agricultural areas.
It’s most commonly seen on rocks and tree trunks.
Turkish snails are the biggest of the genus “Helix,” with a broad and virtually circular carapace, 40 to 45 mm diameter, and a white tint.
It’s most frequent in Central Europe and Minor Asia.
Turkish snails have high culinary value due to their high mineral content, including calcium, magnesium, iodine, and vitamin C.
Otala Punctaca Snail
This species shell is thicker and more substantial, with a bigger diameter (up to 4 cm).
Otala Punctacas are brown with little dispersed lighter dots, with a dark brown entrance and white lips.
They are cooked with butter, garlic, and herbs like dill and parsley and served in their shell on a special plate to keep them from sliding on themselves.
Their meat has a little firm texture, and their eggs may be eaten as caviar.
Final thought
Having gone through a lot of experiences, Snails are abundant in nature, like the garden snail and sea snail, but certain species of snails are beneficial to your health
Get your edible dried-freeze Giant African snail here
There are a lot of different kinds of snail, but based on my own opinion, eating an edible kind of snail is the best option if you are considering the kind of snail to add to your diet.
You can see African Giant Snail Recipes for your taste enjoyment.