Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-12
SNAILS AS TIDBITS,
Frenchmen In New York Eat and Enioy
Them.
From the N. Y. Mail and Express
ss2nnilc0 L. =.


Them.
From the N. Y. Mail and Express
'Snails? How'll you have 'em, sir?"
Roasted"
This short dialogue occurred in Blocker
street French restaurant, and ten minutes
after the guest had uttered the word
roasted the snails were set before him.
They looked like marbles in a sea of brown
gravy, for the snails were still i'm their shells
The guest. an adept in snail eating, picked up
shell, gently placed it to his lips, drained it
OF the rich brown dressing, seized q long silver
plated skewer, deity snaked the snail from its
shell and ate the little animal with satisfaction.
Snail eating Is unusual in New York. save in
the French quarter. As prepared in Blocker
street, the snail is a sweet and highly favored
morsel whose abundantly seasoned Dress
ing tckles the palate to an unusual
degree. The taste for snails in the
French quarter is an importation and an
inheritance. In France something like 50, 900
pounds Of snails are sent up daily to the
Paris markets from the gardens of Poitou,
burgundy, Champagne and Provence, where
they are specially reared for this purpose,
the natural delicate flavor of their flesh be-
ing improved by feeding them on beds of
aromatic herbs. 1t is not merely, however.
as deiicacy that snails are so generally
appreciated in France. They also take
from the time of the ancient Romans down
ward have been regarded as excellent in con-
sumption and weakness of the chest. Ac-
cording to Payen they contain 20 per cent Of
water, Is per cent of nitrogen, / per
cent of fat, 2 per cent of salts
The following analysis of the edible snail is
even more favOrable:
Nitroeenous matter: a3a
Fatty substatance lbs
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 6379
Saits 2,I16
DIR. Ebrard, a French authority who has
made the snail his special study. declares
that the weight of meat represented by the
snaiis sold amounts to that found on cutting
up whole flock of calves and young heifers
He estimates the monthly consumption of
snails in Paris at half million. The market
price OF the great vineyard snais is from
francs so centimes to francs so confines per
hundred, while those from the hedges, woods,
and forests bring only francs to francs SO CEN
times. The proprietor of one snailery in
the vicinity of Dion is said to net
over 1000 francs annually. The snail
Is reared and fattened with great
care in some cantons Of Switzerland as an
article OF luxury, and is exported in picked
state. 1t is also eaten as a relish and nutri-
hous article of food in Austria. Spain. Italy,
and in some sections of the United States.
The Ashantees and other African tribes smoke
them and eat them as daily food all the year
round.
In Algeria in the market large heaps of
snails are sold by the bushel and the
hundred as an article of food. Vendors hawk
them in the street of Cairo. In modrn
Rome freshly gathered snails are hawked
by women from door to door, and housewives
serve them either boiled in their shells or
stewed or fried in oil. 1t is a common sight
to see in an Italian city the people gathered
around a number of baskets filled with snails.
waiting for them to be thrown into large iron
pot suspended over a fire made between four
stones Herbs and love apples (tomatoes) are
added. and when done the broth is retailed to
the expectant bystanders. As the cook ladies
out the savory connection she or he gives utter
anee to trade cries.