The escargot that got up and went

[Jenise]

We were talking here somewhere about recent booze heists. Well, here's one for the food side of things. Begs the question: who can fence 1000 lbs of snails??

Producers at L’Escargot des Grands Crus in the Champagne region woke up to a shock — roughly 450 kg (about 990 lb) of snails, destined for top-tier Christmas menus, were stolen overnight.

The haul — valued at over US $100,000 — represented the farm’s entire annual output. For many fine-dining kitchens, it was meant to fill holiday orders at establishments like Domaine les Crayères.

Owner Jean‑Mathieu Dauvergne called the theft “a real blow,” especially with Christmas demand approaching. Some chefs say they’d rather drop escargot from the menu than serve anything from another source — underlining how badly the crime hit the French gourmet snail supply chain.

I read about that in the NYT, seems pretty brutal. And somewhat of an 'inside' job in the sense that it came strategically right before the big sales season. Presumably someone should be able to track the 'extra' supply that comes onto the market? Although maybe they will not stay in France and be more difficult to trace.

According to NYT, the French eat 37 million pounds of snails a year. If accurate 990 pounds is not going to be noticeable. But if "generic" they won't be able to demand the premium that a prestige farm demands.

[David M. Bueker]

According to NYT, the French eat 37 million pounds of snails a year. If accurate 990 pounds is not going to be noticeable. But if "generic" they won't be able to demand the premium that a prestige farm demands.

Grand Cru Snails?

I saw wild escargot in Beaune on a trip to Burgundy. They were huddled under a park bench, hiding from the sun.

-Paul W.

I saw wild escargot in Beaune on a trip to Burgundy. They were huddled under a park bench, hiding from the sun.

Growing up in the SF Bay Area, wild escargot were everywhere. An enterprising Frenchman in 19th C SF brought them over from France to have proper escargot and, like the rabbits in Australia, the rest is history.

[Jenise]

What exactly is the difference between 'wild escargot' and garden snails?

Nothing, I suppose, if you are in France. The main French snail used for escargot is Helix pomatia. It is way larger than the wild snails we get on the US East Coast. Apparently it was introduced to the SF Bay area and is now very common there.

-Paul W.

What exactly is the difference between 'wild escargot' and garden snails?

If your garden snails are Helix aspersa, they are one in the same, Jenise.

[Jenise]

We have them here, but it's a rare sight in my yard, probably because I don't have the kind of botanicals that would attract them. But where I grew up in So Cal, with yards full of ivy? They were intense.