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Snails: new sell-out food sensation

By Carla Bevan on Tuesday 10 June 2008

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Marie Claire news: Snails becoming more popular as food

Snails are turning into this summer's must-eat delicacy, selling in record numbers in both restaurants and food stores.

Over the past two weeks, countrywide chain Café Rouge has sold more than 30,000 of the French favourite, after launching a special snail menu.

And it's not just in restaurants we're tucking in, snail farmer Andrew Downes, who keeps his critters in Devon, is selling them in record numbers, too.

'Rearing them is an artisan skill,' he tells Metro. 'In theory, you could eat a garden snail but they could have been feeding on pesticides and rubbish.'

So, we get we're not supposed to be harvesting them from the backyard, but why should we be eating them at all?

'Snails are low in fat and high in magnesium and protein,' says Café Rouge's Caroline Revéillon, who suggests cooking them in butter, parsley, shallots and garlic for the very best dish. Yum!

Check out Andrew's website, garlicsnails.co.uk, here

Tuesday 10 June 2008

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I ate 3 on Friday evening, and I'm sure I can feel them crawling up my throat and onto the back of my tongue....
Comment by Julie Rayment on June 10 09:26

As a vegetarian, i completely oppose to the idea of eating any animal, including snails....i have never understood what the french see in it it, and for us brits to start eating them is really rather strange! i have a feeling we might be running out of the usual animals, eg chicken and cow, and are having to resort to some rather aquired tastes becuase not only have snails become a new delicacy apparently emu maybe making an appereance!
Comment by Cat on June 10 13:07

Yuk! I will not be forming an orderly queue!
Comment by ginnette on June 10 14:13

Here here Cat, I am also vegetarian and I don't understand the whole fuss about eating snails!
Comment by Lucy on June 11 09:38

I don't mind trying anything, and have eaten some really unusual things, but I draw the line at snails, it just does not appeal to me
Comment by Tracy on June 11 09:51