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9th September 2010
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French Snail FarmHow snails are bred in France. Snails are such a French-associated speciality, and are often ordered from menus by tourists due to the novelty factor. The French eat them because they can be very tasty and satisfying, but where do they actually come from? Well, snails that are eaten in France are not all gathered from the wild, although a lot are...in Greece. Some are bred on one of France’s 200 snail farms. I visited snail breeders, Béatrice and Pierre Fouquet, to find out how their snails come to be. We rung the bell and looked around while we waited. Hiding in the undergrowth, everywhere we looked, were models and sculptures of snails in different sizes and styles. A smiling Béatrice came over to us, and started to show us around. Firstly, she took us to the breeding room. It was fascinating! We learned that although snails are hermaphrodites, they need to mate - for around 12 hours! - in order to breed. Their sexual organs are where you might expect their ears to be, and 3 weeks after mating, they stick their head into a pot of earth, and spend a further 12 hours laying their 100 or so eggs. Another 3 weeks on and the eggs, rather than hatching, actually turn into snails.
The ‘breed’ of snail is the Gros Gris, which originates in North Africa, and we were surprised at how large they are - their bodies around 3 inches long. Their cousins, the Petit Gris or garden snail, are the wild, native snails which are gathered and eaten in France and Britain.
I asked how and why the Fouquets started their snail farm;
Do you still enjoy it? “Oh yes! Everyday is different. And we sometimes forget our mistakes and make them again, which keeps things interesting! We have regular customers, we do chambres d’hôtes, and we don’t answer to anyone. We wouldn’t want to change our lives or work.” The Fouquet’s customers come from all over France and some order their snail goodies through the post. Others are regular customers at the farm shop or the markets in Thiviers (every Saturday morning) and Brantôme (each Tuesday between 15th June and 15th September). The farm also offers visits and tastings throughout the summer. It is a fantastic place to take children - and grown-ups! We took home a tin of the Sauté d’Escargot’s aux Pleurottes, snails with garlic and parsley butter, in pastry shells, and a snail terrine.
© Gemma Driver 2005 L’Escargot du Périgord Pierre & Béatrice Fouquet Tel: +33 (0)5 53 62 06 39 Web: www.escargotduperigord.com Email: escargot.perigord@wanadoo.fr Snail mail: Les Guézoux 24800 Vaunac France Le Gastrozone Home Page 
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