Have you eaten snails?

Question

A relative's French mother in law came to stay. She collected snails from the garden and fed them for a few days, and sautéed them in garlic butter.

Have you ever tried them, and what do they taste like? What is the texture like?

Answer 1

your up late tonight lee lol yes escargot once , a few years ago i worked in a french restaurant and we had to try the grub absolutely revolting , i don't know about garden snails they just annoy the feck out of me i wouldn't want to eat one GROSS lol

Answer 2

They have a similar texture to sauteed whole mushrooms. Similar flavor, but with and added essence of the sea, like a whiff of sea air, they take on the flavors of butter and garlic well, just like mushrooms do-but have a distinct flavor all their own.Any time they're on a menu I order them. Had them in Paris several years ago. They were so tiny, they were served in the shell with a tiny tool that looked like a hat pin to pull it out with. Fabulous! Once when my son was about 6, we were out to dinner with a group of fellow chef's and he ordered escargot. The waiter gently whispered to him "Do you know what that is?" He answered, "yes". The waiter then quietly said, "son, they're snails". To which my son loudly said, "of course they're snails, what else would they be?" At that point, the whole table just roared. He's now grown, a chef himself, and still loves them.

Answer 3

many times....they're delicious.....I prepare them in a hot tomato sauce (made with a lot of garlic) and eat them with french bread.......

The traditional method of purging snails begins with a fasting period of 5 or 6 days, during which they are kept in a wooden box. They are then washed with running water. After this, they are put in a big container, with a handful of salt between each layer of snails (the salt causes them to disgorge themselves, producing a foam). Finally they are carefully washed again.

Answer 4

I love snails. They have a similar texture to a mussel and taste a bit like one too, only covered in garlic sauce and less salty.

Answer 5

Yes, I had them when I visited Paris. They are OK once you get past when you are eating. They are a bit rubbery and taste - well, I can't really describe it (but it doesn't tast like chicken!) The garlic tends to cover up a lot of the taste. I'd eat them again....

Answer 6

yuk I ate them one time on a visit to France. They taste ok with butter etc but of course the thought of them being in the garden etc is not palatable and i never had them again or would i have frogs legs,rabbit, snake, all these so called delicacys are peasant food originally farm food and i consider my palate too sophisticated besides i prefer veges

Answer 7

yes I've had them. Prepared right they are like delicate meat. Prepared badly they are rubbery. They don't have a strong taste and really are a good vehicle for the garlic butter.

Answer 8

like eating chewy snot...fecking gross.

ive worked out why they do it with garlic butter

1) the garlic covers the taste of eating a slug (take the shell of and they are)
2) the butter helps it slip down your throat and stops you gagging

yucky yuck yucky....

Answer 9

I have.
Many many moons ago.
Seemed OK to me.
But I am not a very picky eater.

I heard they put they snails in cornmeal.
Snails eat cornmeal.
runs through them...cleans them out or something.

Texture....
like I said...been awhile....
but snails a mollusk

Probably something like squid or octopus...

Answer 10

No, I have never eaten them nor do I have the desire to. I had a slug crawl up my leg one night - scared the crap out of me. Couldn't imagine eating anything in that family!!