Before I ate the escargot, I was honestly kind of scared. I kept thinking about slimy garden snails crawling around outside after it rains, and I wondered if it would taste gross. My friends were laughing and saying they would never try it, which made me even more nervous. But I also felt curious because people in France love escargot, so I thought there had to be something special about it. When I finally tasted it, it was not slimy at all! It was buttery, garlicky, and chewy. I was surprised that I actually liked it. Afterward, I felt proud of myself for being brave enough to try something different.
The escargot was cooked with lots of garlic, olive oil, butter, parsley and salt. The snails were placed back into their shells and baked until they were hot and flavorful. The garlic smell filled the whole table and made the dish smell amazing. To eat them, I had to use special tiny tongs to hold the shell and a little fork to pull the snail out. It felt fancy and funny at the same time! The buttery sauce was so tasty that my friends and I even dipped bread into it after eating the snails. The steak frites was cooked separately, with grilled steak and crispy fries served on the side.
Yes! Escargot is very connected to French history and the local environment. Snails have lived in the region for thousands of years, even before modern farms existed. Long ago, people collected snails from nature because they were easy to find and could be cooked and eaten. The Romans, whose empire once spanned much of Europe, also loved eating snails.
