The snail is a mollusk, whose soft body is protected with a spirally-coiled shell. Snails usually hide out in a dark and damp place during the day, and emerge at night to search for food. The snail is known as lu lo (dewey snail) in the Amoy dialect.
The snail uses its muscular foot to inch forward in a wavelike motion. As it crawls, the snail exudes a sticky mucus. During dry weather, it seals itself inside its shell with a "door" of dried mucus and waits for the next rain.
There are more than 22,000 kinds of snails found all over the world, with the largest concentration in wet temperate and tropical zones. Among them, only the apple snail (helix pomatia), garden snail (helix aspersa), and agate snail (achatina fulica) are edible.
Taiwan's climate is ideal for snails. They are especially active in the rainy spring and summer seasons. Among the 200-odd varieties of snails found on the island, the agate or giant African snail has the highest commercial value. As the name implies, the snail was imported from Madagascar in 1933, and was once widely raised by local people to meet the needs of markets at home and abroad. Later, however, snail culture was abandoned in the face of competition from French suppliers.
During World War Ⅱ, however, food shortages brought snails back on to the table in Taiwan. After the island was returned to the Republic of China, agriculture developed rapidly, and snails were again consigned to the wilderness. As they became serious pests through their destruction of plant life, farmers used to gather them to feed to livestock.
It was not until 1961 that the snails once more found favor among local gourmets. Chefs prepared escargots by breaking the shells, washing the mucus away with alum solution, boiling them and then frying them with a mixture of Chinese parsley, garlic, ginger and hot pepper for a few seconds. The dish is said to be even more delicious when served with wine.
Escargots are particularly famous in French cooking. Chefs like to prepare the dish by boiling the cleaned snails with spices, onion shreds and salt. After draining them, and covering the flesh with a layer of butter, mased garlic, salt and pepper, the chef inserts the spicy escargots inside the shells again and bakes them for a few minutes. The dish is garnished with parsley before serving.
Since the dish became popular in the U.S. and Canada, international demand for snails has grown rapidly. Local food factories invited foreign specialists to give seminars on escargot processing techniques. In 1975, the first batch of canned escargots were received well on overseas markets, and ever since, the price has been soaring, earning hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars for the country.
At present, the main export markets are the United States, Canada, Holland, West Germany, France, Belgium and Britain. In the United States, escargots from Taiwan are even more popular than those from France.
Snails are either canned or frozen for export. They are first placed in brine so they will withdraw into their shells, and then boiled for 10 minutes to kill parasites. The snail flesh is removed from the shell and its internal organs cleaned out. Special attention is paid to eliminating snails which were dead before boiling, as shown by black color and lack of mucus. As well as canned or frozen snails, dried escargots are also popular on foreign markets.
As orders pour in from all over the world, the systematic raising of snails has become a popular new sideline for local farmers. Chang Wen-chung, head of the department of cultivation and reproduction at the Taiwan Provincial Pingtung Junior College of Agriculture is a specialist in the field. In cooperation with local factories, Chang has worked out a production and sales plan for snail products. In addition to providing spawn and advice on cultivation techniques, Chang offers high prices for mature snails to be used in food processing factories.
He said the traditional way of raising snails is to put them in an open pen surrounded by nylon net, and planted with sweet potatoes to provide food and shelter. The disadvantage of this method is that the snails are exposed to their enemies including ants, beetles and mice, and can easily escape. To improve this system, Chang has installed a transformer at both ends of a copper wire, enmeshed with the nylon net. The weak electric current is harmless to man and animals, but discourages the snails from trying to escape.
Other farmers raise snails in covered chicken and hog pens. This method improves productivity and makes management easier. Once again, an electrified copper wire is used to prevent escapes. Even city residents can enter the sideline by raising the snails in an enclosed box. Whatever method is used, the snails must always be kept in a damp environment.
Rich in protein, snails have high economic value as a food and tonic. With increasing demand on the international market, the cultivation and processing of snails will continue to be a profit-making enterprise in the Republic of China.
[Picture Caption]
Chang Wen-chung inspecting the growth of the snails.
1-3. Snail shells can be made into small utensils and ashtrays. 4. City residents can enter the sideline by raising the snails in an enclosed box. 5. The snails must always be kept in a damp environment.
The flesh of escargots is categorized into five degrees by machine (left), and canned (above). Right: Canned escargots made in the Republic of China.
Chang Wen-chung inspecting the growth of the snails.
Snail shells can be made into small utensils and ashtrays.
Snail shells can be made into small utensils and ashtrays.
Snail shells can be made into small utensils and ashtrays.
City residents can enter the sideline by raising the snails in an enclosed box.
The snails must always be kept in a damp environment.
The flesh of escargots is categorized into five degrees by machine （left）
and canned （above.
Canned escargots made in the Republic of China.
