Snails, quite possibly one of the last French delicacies Chinese want to accept. I have to say that snails as the national dish of France, the impact is still quite large, after all, for most Chinese, snails more often appear in the garden after rain, leaving a long line of mucus on the flower bed.
But the French do like to eat snails, there are statistics, the French eat about 60,000 tons of snails a year, that is to say, the average French person can eat more than 1,000 snails per year. In order to provide sufficient supplies for the market, the French also deliberately breed snails, and even invented a lot of tools to eat snails.
The French love to eat snails, and the first reason why Chinese don't eat snails is that the local weather is very suitable for snails. In the Burgundian region, for example, the land in this place is very moist, especially suitable for the growth of snails, and the snails that grow are larger and have more meat.
In the Middle Ages, the bottom farmers in Europe lacked food, and the local area was not a land for crops, but mostly cultivated grapes and other fruits. It is precisely these fruit crops that make the snails grow rapidly, and people begin to catch slow-moving snails, which are less meat but a good source of protein, so they make snails into a dish.
The French love to eat snails, and the second reason why Chinese don't eat snails is the ritual sense of snails. The French are romantic by nature, and eating snails was originally a matter for the bottom farmers, but over time it rose to become a national dish, and the way to eat it was different. Specialized "snail tongs" and knives and forks work together to maintain elegance when eating, and finally take a sip of red wine.
For Chinese, which are more convenient and fast, snails are obviously more troublesome. Not only is it not suitable for Chinese's eating habits, but this advanced way of eating is just an experience for most Chinese, not three meals a day, and there are still many people in China who can't fill their stomachs.
The French love to eat snails, and the third reason why Chinese do not eat snails is the cost performance of snails. Although Chinese does not eat snails, there is a type of food similar to snails, that is, snails, whether field snails or snails, snails are more common and more grounded on the Chinese table.
Hunan people eat snails, mainly snails, a plate of heavy flavored snails with a cup of cold beer, happy like a fairy, this is a way to eat Hunan gluttony. Guangxi people eat snails, they boil snails into soup, snail meat is less, eat umami, soup umami is delicious, the same brilliant.
In front of snails, snails are more popular with Chinese, because it is cheap and rustic, you don't have to worry about the image when eating, grab your hand, suck your tongue, and the snail meat enters the mouth and eats happily. Not as good as the French snail, the price is still so high.
Let me tell you a little knowledge, the French not only like to eat snails, but also like to eat snail eggs. Snail eggs look white and tender, a bit like caviar, and a bit like pearls, so they are nicknamed "white pearls on the table". In France, eating snail eggs dates back to the eighties of the last century and is a niche and high-class ingredient.
Why are there so many snails and snail eggs sold so expensive? Because snail eggs are so rare, snails generally lay eggs twice a year, ranging from 10 to 100 at a time, and the weight is only a few grams, which is simply not enough for people to eat. Moreover, the eggs produced by snails should be carefully selected, and only more than 60% of high-quality snail eggs can become ingredients.
Therefore, even for the French who love food, or those noble nobles, eating snail eggs has become a matter of order. It costs around 50g/150 euros per 50g, and is usually served with toast and champagne, and can only be found in high-end French restaurants.