Snail season is upon
us and almost every bar and restaurant has them on offer and they match wonderfully with Fino or light Amontillado. Popular since palaeolithic times,
snails are full of protein. Of the 125 species which can be found in Andalucía,
49 can be found in Cádiz.
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| As available in markets or on the street |
Both their popularity and the human population have
grown to the extent that there are worries for their survival. Already some are
imported from Morocco. Snails are fussy about the microclimate and are most
easily found between April and July when the weather has improved and there is
plenty of the vegetation they like to feed on. They are generally nocturnal but
can often be found attached to wild olive branches, thistles or stakes which
support vine trellising. They have many predators, but the most deadly are
humans. Pesticides are a problem too, not only killing snails but potentially poisoning
consumers, and there needs to be some sort of control over collection which is
often done by the unemployed.
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