{{Short description|Human consumption of snails}} {{Redirect|Escargot|the transcription factor|Escargot (transcription factor)}} [[File:Caracoles-del-restaurante-granero.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Snail dish from Toledo, Spain]]
Snails are eaten by humans in many areas such as Africa, Southeast Asia and Mediterranean Europe, while in other cultures, snails are seen as a taboo food. Borrowed from the French word for 'snail', the term '''escargot''' is what English speakers use to specifically denote edible land snails.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Escargot |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/escargot |access-date=2022-06-22 |website=Cambridge Dictionary}}</ref> Snails as a food date back to ancient times, with numerous cultures worldwide having traditions and practices that attest to their consumption. In the modern era<!-- Specify since when --> snails are farmed, an industry known as heliciculture.
The snails are collected after the rains and are put to "purge" (fasting). In the past, the consumption of snails had a marked seasonality, from April to June.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Fundación Española de la Nutrición |date=2019 |title=Caracol de tierra |trans-title=Land snail |url=https://www.mapa.gob.es/es/ministerio/servicios/informacion/caracol%20tierra_tcm30-102855.pdf |journal=Crustáceos y Moluscos |language=es |publisher=Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación |pages=527–528 |access-date=2022-02-04}}</ref> Now, snail-breeding techniques make them available all year. Heliciculture occurs mainly in Spain, France, and Italy, which are also the countries with the greatest culinary tradition of the snail.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Villegas Becerril |first=Almudena |url= |title=Cocina española e internacional: arte culinario a través de los productos, recetas e Historia |publisher=Ideaspropias |year=2014 |isbn=978-84-9839-470-2 |edition=1 |location=Vigo |pages=45–46 |language=es |oclc=898010848}}</ref> Although throughout history the snail has had little value in the kitchen because it is considered "poverty food", in recent times it can be classified as a delicacy thanks to the appreciation given to it by haute cuisine chefs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barbieri |first=Alberto |date=2018-04-30 |title=Alimentos: Caracoles, una larga historia de amor y odio |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/comer/materia-prima/20180430/443064336738/beneficios-comer-caracoles-historia-cocina.html |access-date=2022-05-28 |website=La Vanguardia |language=es}}</ref>{{sfn|Morell i Bitrià|1999|p=12}}
== Etymology of ''escargot'' == {{Wiktionary|escargot}} ''Escargot'', {{IPA|fr|ɛskaʁɡo|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-Penegal-escargot.wav}}, comes from the French term for snail. Usage of the French word "escargot" dates back to 1892. The French word, first recorded in the 14th century, derives from ''escaragol'' (Provençal) and then ''escargol'' (Old French). It ultimately traces back through Vulgar Latin ''coculium'' and Classical Latin ''conchylium'' to the Ancient Greek ''konchylion (κογχύλιον)'', which meant "edible shellfish, oyster". The ''Online Etymological Dictionary'' note that the form of the word in Provençal and French seems to have been influenced by words related to the scarab.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Escargot |dictionary=Online Etymological Dictionary |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=escargot |access-date=April 9, 2016 |date=2016 |author=Harper, Douglas}}</ref>
== History == Researchers have not been able to pinpoint when humans began consuming snails, although archaeological discoveries point to earlier stages than the invention of hunting. A lot of broken snail shells have been found in the Franchthi Cave, in the Greek Argolis, from the year 10,700 BCE. In ''Historia de gastronomía'' (2004), Fernández-Armesto points out the possible reasons: snails are easy to handle, and their cultivation "seems like a natural extension of harvesting".{{sfn|Fernández-Armesto|2004|p=99}} <blockquote> It is difficult to go beyond the limits of a developmentalist and progressive model of the history of food, according to which it is unthinkable that no food was cultivated in such early times, but snail farming is so simple, requires so little technical effort and is conceptually so close to harvesting methods, that it seems doctrinaire to the point of stubbornness to exclude such a possibility. :– Felipe Fernández-Armesto.{{sfn|Fernández-Armesto|2004|p=99}} </blockquote>Many sites in the Zagros Mountains of Iraq and the Kermanshah region of western Iran are from the late Pleistocene and include snail shells that have been interpreted as food debris.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lubell|first=David|date=2004|title=Prehistoric edible land snails in the circum-Mediterranean: the archaeological evidence|url=http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~dlubell/Antibes.pdf|series=Petits animaux et sociétés humaines. Du complément alimentaire aux ressources utilitaires. XXIVe rencontres internationales d'archéologie et d'histoire d'Antibe|location=Antibes|publisher=Éditions APDCA|website=watarts.uwaterloo.ca (Faculty of Arts, University of Waterloo)|pages=84–85}}</ref> Specifically, these species were mainly ''Helix salomonica'' or ''Levantina'' ''spiriplana''. The deposits with snails from the ancient Capsian culture (present-day Tunisia) are of notable importance, as well as those found in the Cantabrian Mountains, the Pyrenees and the northern Adriatic (present-day Croatia and Slovenia), in addition to many other remains of snails throughout the Mediterranean Basin.<ref>{{Cite book|last=MacKinnon|first=Michael R.|title=The excavations of San Giovanni di Ruoti. Volume 3, The faunal and plant remains|date=2002|publisher=University of Toronto Press|others=Alastair Small, Robert J. Buck |isbn=978-1-4426-8123-1|location=Toronto|oclc=647736476}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Lubell|first=David|date=2004-12-31|year=2004b|title=Are land snail a signature for the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition|url=https://journals.uni-lj.si/DocumentaPraehistorica/article/view/31.1|journal=Documenta Praehistorica|location=University of Ljubljana uni-lj.si|volume=31|pages=1–24|doi=10.4312/dp.31.1|issn=1854-2492|doi-access=free}}</ref> The most convincing evidence for prehistoric land snail consumption is found in the Maghreb, beginning in the Iberomaurusian (20,000 BP) and continuing through the Capsian to at least 6,000 BP.{{Sfn|Lubell|2004|p=4b}} Outside the Mediterranean region, the occurrence of land snails as food debris is less common. According to {{Harvtxt|Lubell|2004b}}, archaeological remains of land snails have been found in the Caribbean, Peru, Texas and other parts of North America, East Africa, Sudan, Nigeria, and the Philippines. Also, archaeological remains of freshwater snails have been found in Yunnan.
A snail sauce is mentioned in the ''Book of Rites'', a Confucian text of ancient China.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZcNBAAAAIAAJ&q=book+of+rites |title=Li Chi: Book of Rites: An Encyclopedia of Ancient Ceremonial Usages, Religious Creeds, and Social Institutions |date=1967 |publisher=University Books |language=en}}</ref><ref>''Book of Rites (禮記)'', "The Pattern of the Family (內則)", [https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=en&id=9924 31]; quote: (食：'''蝸'''醢而菰食，雉羹；……), Legge's translation: "For relishes, '''snail'''-juice and a condiment of the broad-leaved water-squash were used with pheasant soup; [...]"</ref>
=== Ancient Rome === The Romans considered escargots an elite food, as noted in the writings of Pliny the Elder. The Roman breeder Quintus Fulvius Lippinus is considered the "father" of heliciculture, or at least, the first written reference to snail farms. Lippinus established his study center in the Tuscan city of Tarquinia to feasibly domesticate various animals, such as dormouse and wild boar, among many others. However, he was best known for his enormous snails, of which he had several species brought from Illyria to Africa. With a fatty diet he devised to fatten them, he obtained large quantities of snails, which he then marketed in Rome. His snails set the trend among the Roman upper class, and the practice became popular. Lippinus was an innovator who managed a large company that marketed his snails beyond the Mare Nostrum.<ref group="n.">The story of Fulvius Lippinus is documented in the ''Rerum rusticarum'' libri III (chapters XII and XIV) by Marcus Terentius Varro, and a century later in the ''Naturalis Historia'' (books VIII and IX) by Pliny the Elder.</ref> In ''De re coquinaria'', one of the complete Roman cookbooks, four recipes based on snails are mentioned.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Villegas Becerril |first=Almudena |url= |title=Gastronomía romana y dieta mediterránea: el recetario de Apicio |publisher=Palibrio |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-61764-138-1 |location=Bloomington |language=es |oclc=744601447}}</ref> Shells of the edible species ''Cernuella virgata'' and ''Otala lactea'' have been recovered from the Roman-era city Volubilis, in present-day Morocco. They are a harbinger of the escargot found in modern souks of the country.<ref>Hogan, C. Michael. ''Volubilis'', ''The Megalithic Portal'', ed. Andy Burnham (2007) [http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=14906 megalithic.co.uk]</ref>
=== Modern Age === thumb|In the 21st Century, snails could be found in a canned form Pope Pius V, who was an avid eater of snails, decided that they had to be considered as fish to continue eating them during Lent, exclaiming: ''Estote pisces in aeternum!'' ("you will be fish forever!").<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Cattaneo-Vietti |first1=Riccardo |url= |title=Man and Shell Molluscs in the History |last2=Doneddu |first2=Mauro |last3=Trainito |first3=Egidio |date=2016-02-04 |publisher=Bentham Science Publishers |isbn=978-1-68108-225-7 |pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=PMnnDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA48 48] |language=}}</ref> In Spain, the custom continued to have continuity as can be seen in the gastronomic literature of that time. In the ''{{Ill|Libro del arte de cozina|lt=|es}}'' by Diego Granado, head chef of the Spanish royal household, a section was dedicated to the snail, explaining its biological characteristics, how to clean it, and various recipes on how to cook it, fry it, etc. This book was published in 1614 in Lleida, a city in western Catalonia famous for its culinary tradition of the snail.{{sfn|Morell i Bitrià|1999|p=5}}
In the stricter Orthodox Church tradition of fasting, snails are still considered fully Lenten, being invertebrates, and are historically and presently popular.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Oberhelman |first=Steven M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PYpnEAAAQBAJ&dq=Snails+orthodox+Lent&pg=PA345 |title=Healing Manuals from Ottoman and Modern Greece: The Medical Recipes of Gymnasios Lauriōtis in Context |date=2020-07-06 |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |isbn=978-3-11-066443-0 |language=en}}</ref>
== Species == Not all land snails are edible since many are too small—not worthwhile to prepare and cook—and the palatability of the flesh varies among species.
From the genus ''Helix'': * ''Helix lucorum'', European snail * ''Helix pomatia'', Roman snail or Burgundy escargot, is the most consumed species in France * ''Helix salomonica''
From the family Achatinidae: * ''Lissachatina fulica'' (formerly ''Achatina fulica''), giant African snail, is very popular.
From the genus ''Cepaea'': * ''Cepaea nemoralis'', grove snail, known as ''rayado'' ('striped' snail) in Spain * ''Cepaea hortensis'', white-lipped snail
From the genus ''Otala'': * ''Otala punctata'', known as ''cabrilla'' in Spain, are bigger * ''Otala lactea'', Spanish snail
From the genus ''Pomacea'': * ''Pomacea canaliculata'', apple snail, although native to South America, is widely consumed in Asia and is considered a highly invasive species * ''Pomacea urceus'', in Colombia and Venezuela, where it originates, is known as ''guarura''
Others: * ''Buccinum undatum'', common whelk * ''Cantareus apertus'' (formerly ''Helix aperta''), garden snail * ''Cornu aspersum'' (formerly ''Helix aspersa''), common or garden snail, known as ''petit-gris'' in France * ''Elona quimperiana'', known as ''Escargot de Quimper'' in France and ''caracol moteado'' in the north of Spain * ''Littorina littorea'', common periwinkle * ''Pachychilus'' spp. are consumed as food amongst the Maya * ''Ryssota ovum'', endemic to the Philippines and known locally as ''buko'' or ''bayuko'' * ''Thetystrombus latus'', known as ''bilolá'' in Fang, ''kolobwidjo'' in Yoruba and ''búzio cabra'' in Cape Verdean Portuguese
== Nutrition == {{Infobox nutritional value | name = | image = <!-- Filename is enough --> | image_size = <!-- Defaults to 235px --> | image_alt = | caption = | serving_size = | kJ = 377 | carbs = 2 | starch = | sugars = 0 | lactose = | fibre = -- | fat = 1.4 | satfat = | transfat = | monofat = | polyfat = | omega3fat = | omega6fat = | protein = 16.1 | tryptophan = | threonine = | isoleucine = | leucine = | lysine = | methionine = | cystine = | phenylalanine = | tyrosine = | valine = | arginine = | histidine = | alanine = | aspartic acid = | glutamic acid = | glycine = | proline = | serine = | hydroxyproline = | water = 79.2 | cholesterol = | alcohol = | caffeine = | vitA_ug = 100 | vitA_iu = | betacarotene_ug = | lutein_ug = | thiamin_mg = 0.01 | riboflavin_mg = 0.12 | niacin_mg = 1.4 | pantothenic_mg = | vitB6_mg = 0.13 | folate_ug = | vitB12_ug = 0.5 | choline_mg = | vitC_mg = 0 | vitD_ug = | vitD_iu = 0 | vitE_mg = 5 | vitK_ug = 0.1 | calcium_mg = 10 | copper_mg = 0.4 | iron_mg = 3.5 | magnesium_mg = 250 | manganese_mg = | phosphorus_mg = 272 | potassium_mg = 382 | selenium_ug = 27.4 | sodium_mg = 70 | zinc_mg = 1 | opt1n = | opt1v = | opt2n = | opt2v = | opt3n = | opt3v = | opt4n = | opt4v = | note = | source = | source_usda = 167744 | noRDA = | float = }} Snail meat has several benefits compared to other meats, highlighting its low calorie and fat content.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2017-06-27 |title=Valor nutricional de caracoles |trans-title=nutritional value of snails |url=https://snailbreeding.es/valor_nutricional_de_caracoles/ |access-date=2022-02-04 |website=Touchstone Snails, Helicicultura Comercial |language=es}}</ref> It is a source of protein (between 10 and 19%). Nutritional information can vary depending on the snail species and on who performs the nutritional analysis.<ref group="n.">The nutritional information from the USDA database is shown in the nutritional table (it does not indicate which species of snail). Compare to [https://www.fatsecret.cl/calor%C3%ADas-nutrici%C3%B3n/gen%C3%A9rico/caracoles?portionid=50864&portionamount=100,000 "Calories in Snails (100 g) and Nutrition Facts"]. ''FatSecret''. (species not indicated). A second USDA study, with different data and without indicating the species, can be consulted here: [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/1099169/nutrients «Snails, cooked, NS as to cooking method»]. ''USDA''. And as a reference for this article, the Spanish Ministry of Food data is taken, see {{Harvtxt|Fundación Española de la Nutrición|2019}}.</ref> Even so, it can be said that snails are rich in inorganic nutrients: 82% water, minerals such as magnesium and iron (mainly, but also calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium), in addition to a high percentage of niacin (vitamin B3), since for every 100 g of snail meat, up to 55% of the DRI (in women) and 41% DRI (in men).<ref name=":0" /> Snails are a good source of selenium. Of the recommended daily requirement of selenium, the snail provides up to 50% (in women) and 30% (in men).<ref name=":1" />
Snail flesh is a good supply of essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine, and cysteine, which are difficult to get in other sources of protein, according to Adeyeye et al. (2020). Scientists also point out that a variety of vitamins, including vitamins A, E, and B12, are present in snail meat and are crucial for maintaining general health and wellbeing.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Adeyeye |first1=Samuel Ayofemi Olalekan |last2=Bolaji |first2=Olusola Timothy |last3=Abegunde |first3=Titilope Adebusola |last4=Adesina |first4=Taofeek Olawale |date=2020-01-01 |title=Processing and utilization of snail meat in alleviating protein malnutrition in Africa: a review |url=https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-08-2019-0261 |journal=Nutrition & Food Science |volume=50 |issue=6 |pages=1085–1097 |doi=10.1108/NFS-08-2019-0261 |s2cid=213550199 |issn=0034-6659|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
Due to high iron content, snails are recommended for consumption by people suffering from iron-deficiency anemia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-04-27 |title=Caracoles |url=https://alimentos.org.es/caracoles |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=Alimentos |language=es-ES}}</ref> The fat content is low, but provides beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.<ref name=":1" />
== Culinary use == === Cleaning === Before use in the kitchen, snails must be cleaned to remove impurities.<ref name=":0" /> The cleaning process (called ''purgado'' in Spanish) consists of leaving them alive for several days without eating, or only eating flour. The flour method is a homemade resource to clean the animal's digestive tract.{{sfn|Sánchez|2017}} Formerly in Spain, snails were hung from mesh bags from which they could not escape. Snail chef {{Harvard citation text|Morell i Bitrià|1999}} recommends not giving them anything to eat for at least eight days (ideally ten or twelve) and then washing them well. Snails that die during the purging process should be disposed of.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cano |first=Julio César |url= |title=La cocina charnega |publisher=Grup 62 |year=2004 |isbn=84-8307-619-5 |edition=1 |location=Barcelona |pages=60 |language=es |chapter=Los caracoles. Ingredientes para hacer una buena caracolada |oclc=55844574}}</ref>
=== Preparation === thumb|Eating escargots (snails) in France, a classic French delicacy Snail slime should be removed with as many washes of water as possible, in a colander under running water or in a saucepan. Again they are washed, this time with salt water, which helps cut through the slime.{{sfn|Sánchez|2017}} After being cleaned and washed several times, they are transferred to a pot with cold water and salt, when they emerge from their shells the heat is raised to the maximum, and they are cooked for approximately a quarter of an hour. After this, they are served in the chosen stew, sauce, or other recipe. This intermediate action is popularly known as "cheating" (''engañar'') the snail in Spain, as they come out of their shells once the water heats up, and when they're outside the flame is increased further to rapidly heat the water and kill the snails.{{sfn|Cano|2004|p=61}}
=== Consumption === [[File:Escargots 3.jpg|thumb|In ''haute cuisine'', it is customary to serve snails with pince à escargot and ''fourchette à escargot''.]] In bars where snails are offered as a tapa, it is common for them to be served with toothpicks, as this is the typical rustic utensil for eating snails.<ref>{{Cite web |last=García |first=Mario Corral |date=2019-08-25 |title=A caracoles |url=https://www.eldiario.es/cantabria/muruza/caracoles_132_1384303.html |access-date=2022-05-28 |website=ElDiario.es|language=es}}</ref> A serving commonly ranges between 25 and 30 snails.{{sfn|Morell i Bitrià|1999|p=12}} In ''haute cuisine''-style catering, snails are consumed by grasping the shell with a ''pince à escargot'' and extracting the snail with a fork called ''fourchette à escargot''. [[File:Algerian Food (15).jpg|thumb|Escargot food from Algeria]]
On a culinary level, they can be cooked in many ways: stews, baked, ''a la gormanta'', ''a la brutesque''. In the cuisine of Lleida, they are an ingredient in many traditional dishes, in many cases mixed with other meats such as pig's feet, rabbit, chicken, lobsters and prawns, etc.{{sfn|Morell i Bitrià|1999|p=12}}
== By region == === Africa === [[File:Nigeria snails2.jpg|thumb|Seller of snails in Nigeria]] People in Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, and other countries in the area are used to eating African varieties of snail, which are larger. Typical of Equatorial Guinea is a giant sea snail called ''bilolá'' (''Thetystrombus latus''), eaten stewed or sautéed, which in Cape Verde is known as ''búzio cabra'', and is grilled on skewers. It is also known as ''ìgbín'' amongst the Yoruba of western Nigeria. thumb|Ghana snail
=== Mediterranean Basin === thumb|Live snails for sale in a market in France There is a tradition of consuming snails in Andorra, Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal on the European side and Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia on the African side. ''Cornu aspersum'' is the most widespread species in the Mediterranean basin, the Iberian Peninsula, and the French Atlantic coast.
thumb|right|French-style escargot with herb butter along with grilled sourdough bread In French cuisine, snails are typically purged, killed, shelled, and cooked (usually with garlic butter, chicken stock or wine), and then placed back into the shells with the butter sauce and additional ingredients, such as garlic, thyme, parsley, or pine nuts. Special tongs for holding the shell and forks for extracting the meat are typically provided. Escargot is served on indented metal trays with places for six or 12 snails.
In Cretan cuisine, the snails are first boiled in white wine with bay leaves, celery, and onion and then coated with flour and fried with rosemary and vinegar.
In Maltese cuisine, snails (Maltese: ''bebbux'') of the ''petit gris'' variety are simmered in red wine or ale with mint, basil and marjoram. The snails are cooked and served in their shells.
In Lebanon, land snails are collected from the mountains and then served alongside a tahini-based sauce called tarator in a dish called ''bzeh ma' tarator'' ({{langx|apc|بزاق مع طراطور}}).<ref name="MEMO">{{cite news |title=Snails and tahini: Lebanon's best kept culinary secret |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/features/snails-and-tahini-lebanons-best-kept-culinary-secret |access-date=12 August 2025 |work=Middle East Eye |date=6 Apr 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="lorient">{{cite news |title=In rural Lebanon, autumn’s first rains summon an annual delicacy |url=https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1316053/in-rural-lebanon-autumns-first-rains-summon-an-annual-delicacy.html |access-date=12 August 2025 |work=L'Orient Today |date=28 October 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
In Palestine, land snails are gathered similar to Lebanon, and often sold in markets. They are eaten by Palestinian Christians but are less popular among Muslims because most scholars rule out land snails as forbidden to eat under Islamic dietary laws, only permitting sea snails.<ref name="almonitor">{{cite news |title=Palestinians rediscover vast appetite for snails - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012 |url=https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2020/03/snails-a-traditional-dish-in-some-palestinian-villages.html |access-date=14 August 2025 |work=Al Monitor |date=10 Mar 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Under Jewish dietary law, both land and sea snails are forbidden and are therefore not popular among Jewish or Palestinian citizens in Israel.
In Moroccan cuisine, snails, also called ''ghlal'', are a popular street food. They are cooked in a jar filled with hot water, special spices, and herbs. After cooking, Moroccan snails are served in small bowls with broth and consumed hot. Moroccan snails are mostly enjoyed during winter as they are believed to be beneficial for health, especially when dealing with the common cold or rheumatism.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-09-03 |title=Top 10 Best Moroccan Street Food You Must Try - MoroccanZest |language=en-US |work=Moroccan Zest |url=https://moroccanzest.com/moroccan-street-food/ |access-date=2018-09-29}}</ref>
A city known for its snail culture is the town of Lleida, in the north-Spanish region of Catalonia, where the ''L'Aplec del Cargol'' festival has been held since 1980, receiving some 300,000 visitors during a weekend in May.{{Sfn|Morell i Bitrià|1999|p=5}}
Snails were eaten periodically in Central Europe sometimes, as food or medicine. In Hungary they were used in Bereg, Ormánság, and Szilágyság (in the latter by the Romani people as medicine against labour pains).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02115/html/1-1305.html | title=Magyar Néprajzi Lexikon / }}</ref><ref>Ortutay Gyula: Magyar Néprajzi Lexikon. Budapest : Akadémiai K., 1977-1982 ISBN 963 05 1285 8 https://mek.oszk.hu/02100/02115/html/index.htm (2024.07.19. 9: 24) </ref>
=== Southeast Asia === Snails (balitong, bayuko, siput sedut, heong lor, etc.) are consumed in Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In Indonesia, snails from the rice fields are fried on satay (skewers), a dish known as ''sate kakul'', or grilled Tondano's ''sate kolombi''.
In West Java, snails from the rice fields are called ''tutut'' and are eaten with various sauces and curries.
=== South Asia === [[File:Ghogi.jpg|alt=Ghonghi, fresh water snails popularly made in Tharu community|thumb|Ghonghi, fresh water snails by Tharu community of Nepal]] ''Ghonghi'' is commonly consumed in the Terai region in Nepal. Ghongis are served with rice and have been a staple food of the indigenous people of Terai for ages.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-04-10 |title=8 popular ethnic food items in Nepal |url=https://english.onlinekhabar.com/popular-ethnic-food-items-in-nepal.html |access-date=2022-12-29 |website=OnlineKhabar |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ghonghi, delicacy of snail – Boss Nepal |url=http://bossnepal.com/ghonghi-delicacy-snail/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |language=en-US}}</ref>
Snails are eaten in Northeast India in the states of Manipur, Tripura and Nagaland. In Nagaland, snails are prepared with axone and pork meat, especially fats. Locally, it is called ''hamok''.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=extrovert |first1=kesangunuoAn |last2=Foodie |first2=a |last3=girl! |first3=a lover of books My friends describe me as a fun loving |date=2017-07-02 |title=Recipe of Snail Dish – Naga Style - Roots and Leisure |url=https://rootsandleisure.com/recipe-snail-dish/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=rootsandleisure.com |language=en-US}}</ref> In Manipuri cuisine, they are called ''Tharoi thongba''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-23 |title=Tharoi Thongba |url=https://www.lukthel.com/recipe/22/tharoi-thongba |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228142129/https://www.lukthel.com/recipe/22/tharoi-thongba |url-status=usurped |archive-date=February 28, 2024 |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Lukthel}}</ref>
In North India, they are consumed in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In Bihar, especially in the Mithila region, they are called ''doka''. At other places in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, they are called ''ainthi''. They are boiled and the meat is extracted to cook a curry, typically eaten with rice.
In Bengal, snails are commonly eaten as a delicacy and are called ''geri gugli''. Since they are widely available and low in cost, they are called 'poor man's food'.
=== Other regions === * A growing demand in South America, in particular, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-10-25 |title=El caracol en la gastronomía |url=https://www.cocinayvino.com/otros/el-caracol-en-la-gastronomia/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204180404/https://www.cocinayvino.com/otros/el-caracol-en-la-gastronomia/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=February 4, 2022 |access-date=2022-06-21 |website=Cocina y Vino |language=es-ES}}</ref> * Snails are consumed by the Romani people in Europe.<ref>{{cite book|title= We are the Romani People|page=80}}</ref> Snail soup is a Romani delicacy.<ref>{{cite book|title=Taste of Romani (Gypsy) Cuisine|author=Goce Nikolovski}}</ref>
== See also == * Jellyfish as food * Snail caviar
== Notes == {{reflist|group=n.}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
=== Bibliography === * {{Cite book |last=Morell i Bitrià |first=Josep Mª. |url= |title=Cuinar caragols |publisher=Pagès Editors |year=1999 |isbn=84-7935-574-3 |location=Lleida |language=ca |oclc=807889324}} * {{Cite web |last=Sánchez |first=Enrique |date=2017-09-14 |title=Cómo limpiar los caracoles |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=masJhIg4JYE |access-date=2022-02-03 |website=YouTube |publisher=Canal Andalucía Cocina (1:55 min)}}
==External links== {{Commons|escargot}} {{commons category|Snail-based food}} *[http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/protein/snail-escargot.php Daily Fiber Food: Escargot Nutritional Value] *[http://www.allrecipes.com/search/results/?wt=escargot&sort=re Allrecipes.com: Escargot Recipes]
{{Edible molluscs}} {{French cuisine}}
Category:Gastropods and humans Category:Food ingredients Category:Snail dishes Category:Molluscs as food Category:Romani cuisine Category:Types of food Category:French cuisine Category:Spanish cuisine Category:Italian cuisine Category:Roman cuisine Category:Portuguese cuisine Category:Manipuri cuisine