do escargots have teeth?

Question

do escargots have teeth?

because my brother says when he ate one once, he said he was chewing sand but says its the escargots' teeth. so let's get to the truth!

Answer 1

I have done my research looking over several sites and found that snails do, in fact have teeth.

Here is what i found at http://invertebrates.si.edu/gastropods.htm
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Snails can have hundreds to thousands teeth. Most mollusk groups, including snails (gastropods), have a set of teeth that is shaped like a wavy ribbon called a radula ribbon. Bivalves such as clams, scallops, oysters are the exception and do not have this structure. There can be hundreds of rows of teeth and several different tooth types in one snail or very few rows with a single tooth in each. As the teeth get worn they are continuously replaced by developing teeth, much in the same way that a shark's teeth are. These teeth can be used for scraping food such as algae, however, there are snails that have evolved teeth that serve as harpoons which are hollow and used to inject venom when catching prey such as fish. The characteristics of the teeth help scientist distinguish between different species and how they are related to other snail groups.

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I also found that one of the most preferred snails or escargot for eating is the Helix Pomatia. Also known as Burgundy Snail or Roman Snail

Although your brother may be correct about the escargot having teeth, it is more likely to have been sand that he was crunching, when you consider how small the teeth would be.

Hope this helped.

Answer 2

I am a former chef and have cooked my share of escargots, first they have not teeth, and second they are not mollusks, they are a land creature, also known as hydropods, they are also asexual, have both organs and can reproduce with out anyone else.

Now a days they are no longer harvested in the wild by plucking them off the old grape vines, today like other products they are farmed in plexi-glass terraiums and fed like chickens and pigs.

Most still come either from Taiwan or Europe, and the best are still the French type, I have seen super collosal the size of a quail egg, but most times they are sold as large or extra large, most like them with garlic butter and seasonings, I have always been partial to adding mushroom caps as they have a similar texture and help keep the snails from overcooking in the special ceramic dishes, I once had some of the old shells and first made them back in the 1970's at home, my mother was not impressed, she was not use to fresh garlic, her only spices were salt, pepper and water???

Answer 3

No. Escargot are snails, which are members of the mollusk family. Mollusks do not have teeth.

Ask your bro if he ever ate a clam and munched down on clam teeth. :P

Sand is found in almost all mollusks, so that's probably what it was. They use a "jet propulsion" method, by bringing water into their shells and pushing it out, to move around and sand usually gets caught up inside of it.

I'm guessing escargot crawl though... or "snail" along, so they'd be dragging the sand along with themselves.

I know for mussels, you can soak them in water with cornmeal to help get rid of the sand. I'm not sure if that would work for escargot though. Never worked with them.

Answer 4

Snails are mollusks, so no.

Most mollusks have a "radula" (sort of like a tongue with teeth-like ridges) <<< Danielle Owen below me apparently did not do her "research" if she did not read this.


EDIT:

For David H below...I looked up escargots all over the web and they are listed as mollusks. I am not a former chef, however I did study snails in biology class.

For example:

"ehs-kahr-GOH] the French word for Snail. In culinary terms the little mollusk is traditionally served baked in the shell with a sauce of garlic, shallots, parsley and butter. The best snails are considered to be the Helix Pomatia Linne variety -- a specialty of Burgundy, France. The snails can be purchased fresh, frozen, or canned."

Answer 5

Snails don't have teeth. Occasionally a bit of sand may be found in the shell with the critter. That's true of any shellfish. But please, don't go inviting me to supper at your house if you plan on serving snails. That's one of the few things that the very thought of eating makes me nauseous. I don't care if you call 'em escargot or not - I ain't eatin' that slimy stuff!

Answer 6

I cook my snails in their shells or in the ceramic dishes, depending on the occasion (some people don't know how to handle the pincers and forks at the same time!).
Real butter, garlic and some "secret additives" are mandatory". Always in the oven.
Maybe your brother is from the South and ate the shells with the snails.
Does he have a 12 gauge on the back of his truck and knows the best local producers of moonshine?

Answer 7

Stop Infections Heal Teeth - http://DentalBook.uzaev.com/?hxIH

Answer 8

I think your brother is doing what brothers do, as we say in New England, "busting your chops". IE: Harassing you!
That or HE doesn't know what he's talking about.....Smile and enjoy them.