Snail is a common name that is applied most often to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name "snail" is also applied to most of the members of the molluscan class
Gastropoda that have a coiled shell
that is large enough for the animal to retract completely into. When
the word "snail" is used in this most general sense, it includes not
just land snails but also thousands of species of sea snails and freshwater snails.
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| Archatina Archatina |
The practice of rearing snails for food is known as
heliciculture.
For purposes of cultivation, the snails are kept in a dark place in a
wired cage with dry straw or dry wood. Coppiced wine-grape vines are
often used for this purpose. During the rainy period the snails come out
of hibernation and release most of their mucus onto the dry wood/straw.
The snails are then prepared for cooking. Their texture when cooked is
slightly chewy.
As well as being relished as gourmet food, several species of land
snails provide an easily harvested source of protein to many people in
poor communities around the world. Many land snails are valuable because
they can feed on a wide range of agricultural wastes, such as shed
leaves in banana plantations. In some countries, giant African land
snails are produced commercially for food.
