Snail caviar

A dish topped with snail caviar
A close-up view of snail caviar

Snail caviar (caviar d'escargots, sometimes referred to as escargot pearls)[1][2] is a food, a type of caviar that consists of fresh or processed eggs of land snails.

In their natural state, the eggs are colorless.[3] After processing, the caviar may be cream-colored, pinkish-white, or white, with the eggs generally 3–4 mm in diameter.[4] Some snail eggs may measure at 3–6 mm in diameter.[2] Some commercial snail farms that produce escargot include the production of snail caviar as a part of their operations.[2] In September 2014, the retail value of one brand of snail caviar was over €150 for a 50 gram jar.

Characteristics

The raw snail eggs have a slick shell that is delicate and breakable.[4] They are sometimes pasteurized to preserve them.[4] However, the pasteurization of snail eggs has been described as having a tarnishing effect upon their flavor.[4] Some preserved versions are processed and jarred without the use of pasteurization, using brine as a preservative.[4] Some producers use a flavored brine to add flavor to the product.[3]

The flavor of snail caviar has been described in some instances as being reminiscent of "baked asparagus", and in other instances as being like "baked mushroom".[5] It has also been described as having a "subtle" flavor with "woody notes",[4] as having a "strong earthy" flavor, and as being crunchier than fish egg caviar.[6] It may be served as other caviars are, with toast points, sour cream and champagne.[4] It may also be served in soups,[4] and in other ways.

Snail farms

Snail farming is referred to as heliciculture, and includes the process of farming or raising land snails specifically for human consumption. Some commercial snail farms collect and process snail caviar, which is then jarred and marketed to consumers.[4][6] Sometimes the snails are raised and kept in temperature, lighting and climate controlled conditions to encourage maximal reproduction, which produces the eggs.[4][6] Since snails are hermaphroditic (having both male and female sexual organs), all can produce eggs.[4][6] Snails typically bury their eggs in soil after they are laid.[2] One method of harvesting the eggs involves placing the snails in boxes that have soil and sand in them, whereupon the eggs are gathered.[6] Snail egg output is meager when compared to fish roe production such as that from sturgeon. As a comparison, one snail typically lays approximately four grams of eggs annually, whereas one sturgeon may have up to 40 pounds of eggs.[3]

Market

In August 1987 in the United States, the Brut d'Escargot brand of snail caviar was reported as having a retail market value of $40 USD per ounce.[3] At that time, the retail price was similar to that of Beluga caviar.[3] In December 2007, a 50 gram jar of De Jaeger brand snail caviar, produced at a snail farm in Soissons, France, retailed for €80.[4] In September 2014, a 50 gram jar of Viennese Snails brand snail caviar, produced at a farm near Vienna, Austria, retailed for more than €150.[6] A fifty gram jar equates to approximately two tablespoons of product.[3] Some snail farms sell snail caviar directly to restaurants.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Fletcher, Nichola (2010). Caviar: A Global History. Reaktion Books. p. 118. ISBN 1861897316.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Winter, Katy (October 9, 2013). "Snail farms on the rise in Britain as snail meat - and their 'earthy, salty' eggs - become latest low fat food trend". Daily Mail. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Britton, Charles (August 20, 1987). "Snail Caviar Slowly Catching On : Eggs From Garden-Variety Mollusks Fetch $40 an Ounce". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Bertrand, Jordane (December 15, 2007). "Snail caviar! The new gourmet frontier". Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  5. ↑ Tepper, Rachel (November 7, 2014). "What the Heck Is Snail Caviar?". Yahoo! Food.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Soteriou, Helen (September 2, 2014). "Austria's only snail farmer". BBC News. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
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