L'escargot
At Romanzini, we work exclusively with wild snails, picked by hand.
Wild snails are collected in the spring. Collecting lasts an average of 3 weeks, from April to May, and is carried out by the inhabitants of the snail-producing countries, where it is regulated: the snails are harvested in accordance with their growth cycle, and the smallest ones are not collected.
Snails prefer meadows and woods, and thrive in thickets of dense vegetation. They are very sensitive to pollution, and can only be found in regions where nature has been preserved. What's more, the weather is crucial during these 3 weeks of harvesting: if it's too dry or too cold, the harvest will not be abundant.
Today, all processing professionals feel that the industry is weakening year on year, due to the lack of renewal of the workforce dedicated to collecting wild snails and the closure of collection centres.
These links are essential to the organisation of the harvest.
The different species
There are three main species entitled to the name ‘escargot’ in France:
the Burgundy snail, the Lucorum snail and the Grey snail.
There are other species that are not eaten in France.
The Burgundy Snail
Hélix Pomatia
It takes its name from the Burgundy region, where it used to be collected, and from which it has practically disappeared as a result of modern farming techniques.
No longer harvested in an organised way in the countryside, and unsuitable for farming, this species is collected in Central Europe, where it is still found in the wild.
Its name remains the same, governed not by a geographical appellation linked to Burgundy but by its species.
The Lucorum Snail
Hélix Lucorum
Also known as the "Turkish" or "white" snail, its range extends across the north-eastern Mediterranean basin. It is particularly abundant in Turkey, Macedonia and Serbia, where it originated. It is also found in the southern part of France, where it is no longer collected.
Like its cousin, the Burgundy snail, it cannot be farmed.
Its shell is darker, with distinct striations.
The Grey Snail
Hélix Aspersa
The "Grey" or "Little Grey" (Petit Gris) snail lives in Mediterranean and oceanic regions.
It is the only species that tolerates farming, but it is also the least eaten variety, accounting for just 5% of snail consumption.
The "Gros Gris" variety (Aspersa Maxima) responds favourably to farming conditions and can reach the size of the Burgundy snail.
The sizes
The snail's size is determined by its age: the older it is, the bigger it is. A Burgundy snail can live up to 8 to 10 years.
It takes between 3 and 4 years for a snail to be considered a Large snail.
There are strict regulations governing the size of snails: the size of a shell depends on its diameter and the size of the meat depends on its weight.
In nature, there is great disparity between molluscs, some shells are "deformed", they can be cone-shaped or flattened, and there are also mix between varieties.
Shells
Diameter
in mm
Understanding
the sizes
Medium
Large
Very
Large
Between
27 and 31
Between
31 and 34
Between
34 and 39
Snail Meat
Weight
in g
Between
1,8 and 4
Age
years
2 to 3 y/o
Between
2,5 and 5,4
3 to 4 y/o
Between
4 and 7,3
4 to 5 y/o
Extra
Large
> 38
> 5
> 5 y/o
The snail's size is determined by its age: the older it is, the bigger it is. A Burgundy snail can live up to 8 to 10 years.
It takes between 3 and 4 years for a snail to be considered a Large snail.
There are strict regulations governing the size of snails: the size of a shell depends on its diameter and the size of the meat depends on its weight.
In nature, there is great disparity between molluscs, some shells are "deformed", they can be cone-shaped or flattened, and there are also mix between varieties.