Escargot, Traditional and Classy Dish from France
- U-Report
VIVA – Recently, Escargot or snail meat has become popular. Escargot is a traditional France appetizer that has a high selling price and can be classified as a classy dish.
As quoted from the It Food Tastic page, escargot initially served as food for the mass population and even became a savior for the poor people.
In ancient times, hunting in the master's forest was forbidden and the meat was only available to the upper classes of society, commoners began to cook the meat of snails and frogs.
Unlike today, escargot is allowed to be consumed as long as it is able to take it. Not even a little, processing snails to be preserved and canned for hiking.
Escargot also has a taste with aromatic spices, because of the meat that has a special taste and aroma.
Why does Escargot have a high price and is considered a classy food? Because, the high demand from consumers that exceeds supply.
Even France, who make escargot popular, don't have enough snails and have to import escargot from Eastern European countries, from the Balkans, and Greece and Turkey.
It is known that in the mid-20th century, the natural population of edible snails in civilized European countries was so reduced that industrial capture of the animal was eventually banned.
The price is quite expensive. A pound of shelled escargot (100 snails) costs $80 or Rp1,8 million.
If you order escargot at a restaurant, 6 to 12 escargots will cost you between US$15-$50 or Rp223 thousand to Rp744 thousand, depending on the type of restaurant and location.
In fact, food stalls don't hesitate to ask customers to pay $5-$10 for one gram of escargot caviar, or around Rp150 thousand.
Escargot's high selling value also comes from the excellent nutrition of the animal's meat. The snail meat is almost fat-free, carbohydrate-free, and sugar-free. According to the United States Department of Agriculture Nutrition Database, a 3-ounce serving of snails contains about 76 calories.
Snails are also rich in iron, vitamin E, and can provide a mood boost because they contain tryptophan. This tryptophan helps the brain in producing serotonin.
The main key of this classy food is the correct way of making it.