Snail (Escargot)

 A terrestrial gastropod mollusc characterized by a spiral shell. Some species are highly prized in gastronomy. In France, two native species are most commonly eaten.

 The Burgundy snail, also called vineyard snail or large white, is 40-45 mm (13/4 in) long. It has a slightly mottled or veined body and a tawny-yellow shell streaked with brown; the aperture of the shell is smooth or barely rimmed. It has a slow rate of rowth, taking two to three years to reach maturity. Rearing them is difficult, but wild snails are collected, espedially in Burgundy, Franche-Comte, Savoy, and Champagne.

 The petit-gris is 26-30 mm (1 in), with an unpatterned body and a brownish shell with a spiral of fawn-grey; the aperture has a rimmed edge. It is found mostly in Provence and Languedoc, but also in Charente and Brittany. Its flesh is delicate, fruity, and slightly firm.

Gastronomy

All the regions of France have their own name for the snail; it is called cagouille in Saintonge, lumas in Poitou, caracol in Flanders, carnar in Lorraine, carago or cacalau in Provence, carcaulada in Roussillon, and cantaleu in Nice. In the South, it is usually prepared in wine, with bacon or ham, spices, garlic, and olive oil; it is also included in tarts, pastries, and turnovers, cooked in broths, fricassees, or on skewers, or grilled (broiled) on a wood fire (see cargolade). Butfor the classic entree, snails are stuffed with butter a la bourguignonne (snail butter) and served piping hot in their shells (or in tiny individual pots), six to twelve at a time, on a special grooved dish, the escargotiere; theyare eatien using a pair of tongs and a small two-pronged fork. For Joseph Delteil, the quanta de consommation (i.e. the quantity normally consumed per gourmet) is about a haundred: "No fewer may be swallowed.

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