History Cookbook: Milk-fed Snails

Healthiness : (87 votes)

Difficulty:  
Comments: You will need patience and a strong stomach.
Preparation Time: 2 days
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Number of servings: Depends on number of snails


In Roman times snails were considered a delicacy. However it is not the snails themselves you may wish to avoid but the preparation.

In Roman times the snails were kept on land surrounded by water to prevent escape. They were fed on milk, wine must and spelt wheat. For the final fattening they were kept in jars with air holes with a milk and salt mixture. Slaves would regularly clean away the snail excrement.

When they became too fat to get back in their shells they were fried in oil and served with liquamen (a fish sauce) mixed with wine.

• 6 edible snails per person
• 2 pints of milk
• salt
• 1 teaspoon of liquamen (similar to Thai fish sauce)
• 1 tablespoon of wine vinegar

• Bowl
• Frying pan
• Spatula.

Always wash your hands before preparing food.

1. Clean the snails and remove the membranes
2. Put in a vessel with half the milk and salt for one day
3. Transfer to a fresh vessel containig the remaining milk for one more day, cleaning away the excrement every hour
4. When the snails are fattened, so they can no longer return to their shells, fry them in oil
5. Serve with a dressing made from liquamen (similar to Thai fish sauce) and wine

There are 16 comments for this recipe.
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Name: Heidiastop	12th January 2017
Hello. magnificent job. I did not expect this. This is a fantastic story. Thanks!

Name: Mandab	2nd July 2015
Actually snails are delicious. Wouldn't have thought it until I tried them at a French restaurant (in my city) my French club went to.

Name: George English	10th November 2014
Sounds scrumptious I have got to try it

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