Héliciculture
The héliciculture is the breeding edible Escargot S. The term derives from Helix , name scientific of a kind of Gastéropode S.
History
The Archéologie showed that the snails were consumed in Europe by the prehistoric men as of the Mesolithic , around 10.000 years front J.C.In the Antiquity, the Greek and the Romains was very fond of delicacies. According to Pline Old the, the Romains gourmets liked to taste some snails roasted with wine glass.
In " the Natural history " , Pline brings back the following facts: " A little before the war between César and Pumped, Fulvius Hirpinius establishes near Tarquinies parkings for snails. It distinguished them by classes, separately putting the white which are born in the territory from Réati, those of It which are largest, those of Africa which are most fertile, those of Solite to which one gives preeminence. He even imagined to fatten them with Vin cooked, Farine and other food, so that the fattened snails offered themselves a pleasure moreover to greediness. "
The Escargotière S Romans were vast enclosures, closed by low walls of Cendre or sawdust which the snails could not cross. In these parks, called cochlearia , the snails, raised per thousands, waited to have reached a sufficient size to be consumed. The Romans established cochlearia in all the conquered provinces, ensuring the diffusion of edible snails.
List edible snails
The two edible snail species most common are the " small-gris" ( Helix aspersa aspersa ) and the snail of Burgundy ( Helix pomatia ), but there exist about it many different cooked in various ways. The African giant snail ( Achatina fulica ), for example, consumes itself smoked in sections.Helix lucorum , " the snail turc" , resembles snail of Burgundy. He is appreciated less but easier to raise in héliciculture.
Evolution of consumption
Between the years 1910 and 1952, the snail consumption (confused Helix pomatia and Helix aspersa) on the scale of the France was multiplied by ten is the equivalent of 4.000 tons Snails of Burgundy in 1952.
Preparation of snails
The snail has the effect of being mets particularly long and ungrateful to prepare. The preparation and more specifically cleaning correspond to a succession of operations which are carried out over one period of several days even several weeks. It generally begin with a phase from Jeûne of which the duration oscillates between 15 days and three weeks. This setting with the Diète is however not systematic. It is not rare, indeed, that one gives them to consume aromatic Plantes to scent the flesh (Romarin, Serpolet, Menthe, Persil, Thym) or to support the elimination of the substances present in the Intestin. Others manage grass for the " to them; to purge " or Farine nourish them, even of Lait, in order to fatten them. The flour of its is recommended to eliminate the " harmfulness " digestive tract.The animals are then put to discharge into salt or Vinaigre in order to eliminate the Mucus or the " dribble ". They are washed abundantly, then brushed, before being scalded 3 to 4 minutes in order to facilitate the décoquillage. The snails are extracted one by one from their shell by means of a small fork and amputees of the part considered to be nonedible, the hépato- Pancréas. Follows then an intensive and repeated washing to vinaigrée water and salt. Parallel to the cleaning of the flesh, the shells, they are also, carefully washed to accommodate the snails cooked beforehand in a court-bouillon, and the joke.
The snail consumed in the shell, accompanied by a winged and spotted butter (known as " with Burgundian the "), is the most current way to serve this mets.