Snails

Certainly chowing down on the little brown gastropods is not to everybody’s liking, though across Spain they can easily be found on restaurant and café menus and there are even a number of well-patronized snail fiestas. The molluscan delicacies are either farmed or gathered – hunted? – from the wild: the latter are usually collected in autumn after a good downpour, purged on grit for two to three weeks and then gorged on herbs before finally being cooked in a caldo (stock) – anything from garlic, ham off-cuts and herbs to simple tomato sauce. It’s not fast food for sure, but it’s not unusual to see the odd snail sandwich being handed to the kids.