ESCARGOT encyclopedia topics

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Escargot is a dish of cooked land snails, usually served as an appetizer. Escargot is French for snail; it is related to Occitan escaragol and Catalan cargol, which, in turn, may derive from a pre-Roman word *karakauseli.

Not all species of snail are edible, but many are. Even among the edible species, the palatability of the flesh varies from species to species. In France, two species native to France are normally used for preparing escargots. One of these, the "petit-gris" Helix aspersa, is common in temperate climates worldwide.

Preparation

Typically, the snails are removed from their shells, gutted, cooked (usually with garlic butter or chicken stock) and then poured back into the shells together with the butter and sauce for serving, often on a plate with several shell-sized depressions. Additional ingredients may be added such as garlic, thyme, parsley and pine nuts. Special snail tongs (for holding the shell) and snail forks (for extracting the meat) are also normally provided.

Like most mollusks, Escargot is high in protein and low in fat content if served without butter. It is estimated that escargot is 15% protein, 2.4% fat and about 80% water..

Heliciculture

Because a typical snail diet includes decayed matter, carrion, and a wide variety of leaves, the contents of their stomachs can be toxic to humans. Therefore, before they can be cooked, the snails must first be prepared by purging them of the contents of their digestive system. The process used to accomplish this varies, but generally involves a combination of fasting and purging. The methods most often used can take several days. Farms producing Helix aspersa for sale exist in Europe and in the United States. Farm-raised snails are typically fed a diet of ground cereals.