The French are particularly famous for consuming snails, but eating snails also has a long tradition in the Mediterranean and Central Europe. The roots of snail consumption can be traced back to ancient times.
In the past, snails were primarily collected freely from nature, but nowadays, their artificial farming is more common. In recent years, the Czech Republic has become a significant exporter of this delicacy. Snails are typically served by the dozen or half-dozen on special plates, either in their shells or out of their shells. If they are served in their shells, special tongs for gripping the shell and a thin fork for extracting the meat are usually provided.
The most common preparation is „Escargots de Bourgogne“ (Burgundy Snails), which are whole snails braised in wine for several hours, served in melted butter with garlic or herbs, most often tarragon. They can be served in their shells or removed. In the Czech Republic, they are also known for the Prague-style preparation, which involves breading and frying the snails.
Snails in Restaurants for Christmas
Snails are considered a festive dish, which is why they appear on menus during Christmas Eve and Easter. In Prague, there are several restaurants where you can enjoy this delicacy, especially during the holidays. Snail meat is healthy, containing no fat or cholesterol, and has a unique flavor that almost everyone falls in love with after the first taste.
We recommend heading out with friends or family for lunch on Christmas Eve, enjoying a dozen snails and a glass of wine in good company to set a pleasant mood for the festive evening. Anyone unfamiliar with this treat might initially look at it with fear, but after the first taste, they will surely adore it!
Phone: 222 315 022
At Les Moules restaurant, they serve popular snails gratinée in garlic-almond butter year-round. Additionally, during Christmas, you can taste Christmas beer from Belgium.
Phone: 257 311 562
The Café Savoy restaurant and café, part of the Ambiente restaurant group, offers Burgundy snails year-round.
| Restaurant La Gare Prague 1, V Celnici 3 Phone: 222 313 712 The French brasserie La Gare offers snails Bourguignon year-round. |
| Restaurant Red Pif Prague 5, Nádražní 23 Phone: 257 941 669 The French restaurant Red Pif in Smíchov offers snails prepared in the traditional Bourguignon style with garlic and herb butter year-round on its menu. |
| Restaurant Bílá Kráva Prague 2, Rubešova 10 Phone: 603 397 367 The French restaurant Bílá Kráva offers snails prepared in the Bourguignon style year-round, and typically throughout December, they also serve a Christmas dish called Kuba with snails. |
| Restaurant Paloma Průhonice, 6. 12. – 24. 12. 2024 Průhonice, Květnové nám. 53 Phone: 220 188 610 As part of the Christmas menu, you can enjoy four variations of snails at the Paloma Průhonice restaurant: in truffle butter, Bordelaise in puff pastry, in parsley-garlic butter, or with Morbier cheese and yellow wine from Jura. |
Snails are also used to make other products, such as snail caviar or snail liver. Snail meat can be prepared as a pâté or served chopped into small pieces and baked with eggs or cheese. Germans make soup from snails, while Spaniards grill them or add them to paella. Greeks bake them with rosemary and oil, and in Italy, they enjoy them stewed with polenta in a garlic and tomato sauce.