Eps 14: Introduction to the history and practice of French snails
— 小白
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Sophia Fletcher
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The process of breeding these molluscs for human consumption was originally practiced in an area located in what is now Italy. Although snails are commonly identified with France, the earliest known consumption of snails occurred in Spain, about 10,000 years before France and other neighboring countries.
Man has used snails for food since prehistoric times, and some archaeological finds from that time in Spain and France show that snails were carefully bred and selected in France . The consumption of snails dates back to human origins, as evidenced by the presence of shells in prehistoric inhabited caves. Some might think the snail-eating culture came to Vietnam when the French colonized the country in the late 1800s, but archaeological evidence tells us otherwise. In fact, some historians believe that the Romans brought the consumption of snails to France when Julius Caesar invaded in 58 BC. .
Fried snail shells, including those of our friend Helix aspersa, have been found in prehistoric archaeological sites over 10,000 years old in the Mediterranean Sea. These first remains most likely arose from the search for these tasty shellfish rather than from systematic farming.
More recently, about 2,000 years ago, the Romans were known to delicately maintain "snail gardens" where various species of snails were fattened and selectively grown for flavor. Snails aren't just caught in the garden; they are grown on special farms. Snails can also eat materials such as cardboard ; they can eat cardboard boxes and escape.
In France, you can buy canned snails with a box of empty shells on it, and you can even serve them on a plate. French snails are particularly popular at Christmas, and about two-thirds of French snails are eaten. Well, French snails are usually made from land snails, or from freshwater or sea snails. In France, snails are usually accompanied by shells, so in France you need special tableware.
This is a very simple, very traditional way in Vietnam, and you will cook it and let all the flavors come in and be embodied in snails. How, again, it's like ... I mean, people in the United States are going to boil seafood or lobsters, like, the very idea of eating fresh fish with your hands, like, it's going to be one thing. most people, even if they are snails, not shrimps.
All these establishments offer delicious traditional cuisine and snails. To avoid scenes like Julia Roberts eating snails in Pretty Woman, it might be worth a little practice at home or in casual places before ordering snails at a fancy restaurant.
Traditional French cuisine uses cheese, wine, sauces and bread as a base. Contemporary French cuisine draws inspiration from the many culinary concepts that French chefs have developed and represented over the centuries. French cuisine is incredibly complex and based on years of history.
Another cornerstone of French cuisine is the culinary experience, which requires thoughtful presentation, elegance, and community while eating. These dishes have been meticulously presented to impress guests, and the importance of presentation continues in French cuisine today.
Over the years, the culture around the world has changed and transformed, and in France the cuisine has also changed. The cuisine that had existed throughout the Middle Ages began to clear up, and dishes in France began to take shape in a cuisine that we know more easily today. French cuisine continues to evolve and a new cuisine was born in 1900. Today, French cuisine has influenced and inspired several cuisines of the world.
Whether you are of French origin or want to visit France, French cuisine offers a unique way to understand French language and culture. Le Viandier takes you straight to the fountain where you will find French food that your ancestors might have liked.
Students at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts practice cooking with fresh local French ingredients in our Farm To Table® experience. In France, antipasto is most often used to describe first courses or appetizers.
Their flavor varies by species and preparation method, and preferences can vary by culture. Besides France, countries such as China, Italy and Nigeria have a vibrant tradition of eating snails.
According to tradition, French gold prospectors brought brown snails to California in the 1850s to meet their dietary needs. According to some sources, the French exported brown garden snails to California in the 1850s and raised them as delicious snails. In the Middle Ages, the monastery took advantage of the popularity of snail-eating in France and monopolized the cultivation of snails or snail farms .
Laigu was not the only person who was uncomfortable with eating snails, and around this time the popularity of snails began to decline until snails disappeared from the menu altogether. However, it is likely that they were still consumed in various parts of France, including the Champagne and Lorraine regions in northeastern France.
Later, French cuisine spread outside of France, and chefs from all over the world have studied these guides. François Pierre La Varennes published the first French cookbook in 1651 called Le Cuisinier Francois.
In 1892, the word "snail" in the meaning of "edible snail" was first recorded in English. However, the term "snail" usually refers to edible snails and is also the name of dishes made from edible snails.
In tropical climates, snails are usually raised from African snails. African snails do not belong to the spiral family biologically, so they cannot be called snails. Since prehistoric times, humans have been eating terrestrial snails, long before conch farming was practiced. Viticulture or snail farming actually has a very old connection with human history.
Perhaps the most famous edible land snail in the Western world is Helix pomatia, commonly known as Roman snail or Burgundy snail. The snails sold in France are not exactly Burgundy snails ; there are classic snails and small grey snails . Helix aspersa is one of two popular snail species in France , but it also eats many other snail species.
This famous dish is often associated with France, mainly because the French are the world's largest snail eaters, and the Portuguese are lagging behind. But the popularity of the imported delicacy has sparked the ire of French snail farmers, who are keen to get consumers to eat locally grown but less popular snails.