The extreme heat and drought this summer are already leaving their mark not only on nature and agriculture, but also on gastronomy. It turns out that one of the most recognizable French delicacies - snails - is among those threatened by climate change.
France experienced its hottest summer since records began in 1900 and its second driest. Nearly 40% less rainfall than usual and an unprecedented drought were recorded. And among the most vulnerable is a small inhabitant that has a vital need for moisture - the snail. the snail.
Usually, when we talk about it, we almost automatically associate it with France and, in particular, Burgundy because of the famous Burgundy snails - an undisputed symbol of French gastronomy. However, it turns out that over 90% of the snails consumed there come from abroad.
Burgundy - a land of great wines, famous cuisine and a small inhabitant whose popularity travels the world. “The Burgundy snail is the name of a species that is found throughout the European continent. It is wild - that is, it is not grown on farms, but is collected in nature“, says Hervé Meneleau, who owns a snail farm in France.
However, its fame is undeniably French because of the way it is prepared - with butter, garlic and parsley. “There is a story about a Burgundian chef who prepared snails for a Russian Tsar who was in France“, says Hervé.
But over the years, the famous Burgundian snail has become increasingly rare in the French countryside. Intensive harvesting, changes in agriculture and the use of pesticides have reduced its populations to such an extent that France introduced restrictions on its collection in 1979. Today, French producers grow other types of snails on their farms - easier to breed and more resistant to hot summers.
“When the periods are hot and dry, the snail stays in its shell. We try to protect them with boards and shade nets, but when temperatures reach 40 degrees, as has been the case this summer, we lose much more than usual,” says Hervé.
He will only take a real assessment in October, when he collects the snails from the parks, but even now his forecast is grim: “For now, I estimate the loss at around 50%. I hope it won’t be more.”
And those that survive also pay the price of the drought. “When it doesn’t rain for weeks, and sometimes the drought lasts for months, the snails develop much more slowly. They stay smaller, and for us that’s a real problem – "They have to reach a certain size so that we can then prepare them and offer them on the market," says Hervé.
Slow by nature, snails will have to adapt quickly to the changing climate. So that the land of snails does not one day remain... without French snails.