Why Escargot Is Considered Seafood

Some cuisines feature delicacies that are intricately aged or particularly seasoned, but the French prefer one in particular to sludge along their soil. Though escargots, a classic French dish, are land-dwelling snails and harvested from the ground, they are technically classified as seafood because they are a type of mollusk. Species that fall under the mollusk title lack a spinal cord and have a soft living body inside of a hard exterior. Because escargots fit this description, they are mollusks — and because all edible mollusks (clams, oysters, cockles, and octopi, to name a few) are referred to as seafood, escargots are, in turn, seafood. To make snail categorization even more vague, there is no specific species of escargots. Any edible snail found on land can be given the French name. No wonder escargot is one of the most elusive French dishes.

Similar to their wine, the French differentiate different kinds of escargots by their terroir, a term that delineates how the region from which a product comes contributes to its taste and flavor. Some of the world's most celebrated escargots come from the eastern regions of France, many of which are harvested directly from the regions' vineyards.

Though escargots are most known for their presence in and significance to French cuisine, they are harvested and enjoyed throughout the world, especially in Europe, North Africa, India, and in Southeast Asia. Each culture has a particular way they like to serve them. For instance, in Morocco you can find them nestled in an aromatic broth, while in India they're often deep fried in a dish called sate kakul.

The start of winter is primetime for eating escargots, as the snails hibernate once the cold weather arrives, which begins a season-long fast. The snails are best and easiest to eat at the beginning of their hibernation because they don't have any processed food in their digestive tract. At other points in the year, this needs to be cleaned out prior to consumption. Snails harvested outside of the winter window are still edible, but they require extra time to pass waste. Because of the ease of winter-season escargots, the snails are a traditional dish in many French holiday feasts.

To prepare the snails, French chefs boil them in their shells, remove the soft interior, cook the meat in a mixture of wine, garlic, and French herbs, and return the bodies back to their shells. If you order a plate of escargots for the first time and are unsure about how to dig in, try using both the snail tongs and fork.