Today, May 24, 2014, is National Escargot Day. Escargot (French for snail) is a dish of cooked land snails, usually served as an appetizer in France and in French restaurants. Not all species of land snail are edible, and many are too small to make it worthwhile to prepare and cook them. Even among the edible species, the palatability of the flesh varies from species to species. Snail shells have been found in archaeological excavations, indicating snails have been eaten since prehistoric times. When I visited France, I ate escargot in the restaurant in the Eiffle Tower.
