Escargots are a very tasteful delicacy for most of the people around the globe but mostly in Europe and in South countries. There many ways to eat them and there are plenty of wines to serve them with. We are going to find out why we should eat escargots, how can you prepare them and many other things that they are useful to know in order to have “know how” about them.
- Are they dangerous to eat escargots
You can get poisoned by eating escargots only if they are in motion and cooked right after they’ve been collected. The reason is that in their stomach they had poison substances such as plants, mushrooms, rat poisons, pesticides, insecticides, drags etc.
- How healthy escargots are
They are very healthy as they are water at around 80%, proteins around 14%, fat 0,63% – 1.70%, carbs from 1.90% – 4.38%, salts ~1.80%, Calcium around 58%, Calories 60 – 80 /100 grams of flesh etc. and it depends the kind of escargots.
- Who used to eat them
Ancient Greeks and Romans were expressing their “friendship” to them. Before them, were been find eaten escargots in first people caves after symposiums. Romans used to store them and feed them to cover their needs all year around. Also at Paleolithic years they were found many used escargots eaten in caves in Tunis, Algeria, Maroco, South France, Pyrenees, Dalmatia, Italy, Cyprus and Middle East.
- When they’ve been eaten most
Big quantities were been consumed at the end of last century because the high promotion at that time of the year for their gastronomy privileges. They used to say as a slogan “Enjoy a tasteful and healthy delicacy which you can’t get fat”. At 18th century they disappear as food and they explose at 20th century.
- How do they use to eat them
In the beginning people used to eat escargots alive. Then they discover the fire and start eat them as Bbq. Today the cooking habits were developing a high class art. Greeks use to eat them half cooking and Europeans use to eat them with heavy sauces. Many recipes found by country cookers and the maître of big restaurants in Paris. Very good delicacy for Cretan people with many recipes.
- How do they start to grow escargots by people
With the raise of the consumption and the dilution of popularity of wild escargots because of the plant drags and compost it was not possible the natural production to cover the needs. So they start to grow them by the people.
- How do they grow them now days
In the beginning they used to fence them in lands where the wild snails in order to grow and get fatter. Later start to add in this land “mothers” to birth the “juniors” and after 2 or 3 years they collect them.
Now days technology has going forward and the snails grow them in close places with controlled conditions and the snails where been born they are ready in less than a year.
- How to prepare escargots before eating
Better way to eat them is after you feed them with flour, or spaghetti and herbs (thyme, oregano, basil etc). This must be feed twice or three times in a basket. Mature eaters prefer escargots with a white cover in front of them. Food makes them fatter and herbs, gives them flavor. After 4 – 5 days you take them out of the basket and wash them carefully while taking out the white cover and dirty part. After that, you must add them in cold water with salt and vinegar. This happens twice after strain the water unless they stop to take out saliva. Then strain again and wash very well under clear water. After that you must check if they are dead or alive and with a pin check the snails that didn’t move.
- Best wines for escargots
Wine that is suitable to escort escargots is usually white, dry or pink like wines for fish. High quality wines, such as champagne is suitable too for more flavor. Best criterion for suitable wines is the place, where the cooking and sauces comes from.
- Most suitable cooking for escargots
There 3 ways of cooking escargots. One is with the shell. The other is without shell and the third is filled shell.
In France and in Europe they use to eat them with butter, garlic and parsley in the oven.
Most tasteful way to cook escargots in Crete is called “bourbouristous” which is fried in olive oil with vinegar and rosemary.
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