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"Helix
Promatia", more commonly known in
its vernacular form "Burgundy snail",
has been found fossilised in rocks, sculpted
onto stones adorning the capitals of our
celebrated Romanesque masterpieces, printed
onto restaurant tablecloths and even used
for a chocolate dessert treat.
The snail is indeed endowed
with history… It is known that the Romans
did not include snails in their diet and
that the first indications of human snail
consumption date back to the 3rd century
A.D. Archaeological digs led by two abbots
on the site of a small house on the grounds
of the extensive Saint-Sauveur seminary
in the city of Sens have made it possible
to discover a large number of shells,
a long needle and a plate.
During the Middle Ages,
monasteries and convents had already set
up snail breeding enclosures, with local
production being either consumed or sold.
In
modern times, the vine snail (the most
popular type) had become almost extinct
as the practice of heliculture (snail
breeding) was first getting developed.
Snail hunting is still an activity in
some parts, although the availability
of prepared foods and precooked dishes
produced on the farm has now become widespread.
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