SNAILS RAGOUT

Snails ragout is a typical Italian condiment. It is made like the classic meat sauce, but the meat is replaced by snails to create a special sauce.

Although snails are often associated with other countries such as France, Greece, Spain or Portugal, they are a traditional food of Italian cuisine.

The tradition of using these small animals goes back thousands of years, as early humans in the Stone Age consumed them for their nutritional value and pleasant taste.

They continued to be successful in Ancient Greece, where they were prized for their aphrodisiac power. The Romans, fascinated by their exquisite taste, started breeding them to have them available as a speciality at their luxurious banquets.

A legend about snails was born during the Roman Empire. It tells how these small animals were the cause of the Roman victory over Carthage. It is said that during the siege of the African city, a Roman soldier who was chasing snails on which he was fond, found the secret underground passage that allowed the Roman troops to penetrate the city walls.

Later, in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, snails were downgraded to a poor food, a lean meat, a nutritious substitute for traditional meat.

This idea remained until the nineteenth century, when they were rehabilitated by the French when the prince even had them served at a banquet in honour of Tsar Alexander I of Russia.

Nowadays, in our culinary tradition, these small gastropods, which can be both bred and collected freely, are used in various preparations, from the simplest to the most complex and elaborate dish, including the Italian classic pasta sauce.

Snails are typically used in place of the beef in meat sauces as they go very well with tomato sauce and traditional sautéed vegetables, necessary ingredients for the preparation of this Italian dish.