Snails

Athenaeus frequently mentions snails being eaten by the ancient Greeks at symposia. Snails were sometimes preferred to mussels and were called “dinner delayers,” probably because they were eaten as appetizers. They are also mentioned—along with bulbs, crayfish, and eggs—as aphrodisiacs for men.

After the first rains of September, village people go out in the fields to gather snails. There was a time not long ago when snails played quite an important role in poor people’s diet. In the ouzeries all over Crete, where snails are still very popular, the forks each have one of their tines bent inward, so customers can pick the snails out of the shells. Snails as prepared in the ouzeries are usually grilled in their shells over a charcoal fire, then served sprinkled with vinegar and chopped garlic.