October chit-chat

[agate]

I'm going to have to find out more about cockles, winkles and whelks.

I've vaguely heard of cockles but only in a song called "Cockles and Mussels."

[Prot]

I'm going to have to find out more about cockles, winkles and whelks.

I've vaguely heard of cockles but only in a song called "Cockles and Mussels."

We sang that quite a lot at the prep school I went to.

[Virginia]

I don't know what cockles, winkles and whelks are. Are you sure you are not pulling our leg Tim?

[agate]

I turned to Google and learned that cockles are a lot like clams but not exactly, and whelks and winkles are edible snails. I checked out some menus for a well-known Seattle seafood chain and didn't find any of them on it. Maybe they're found only in certain parts of the world?

[Prot]

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[Prot]

Winkles are the complete opposite to fast food . It can take time to extract enough to go on a piece of bread and butter.

[agate]

But worth the effort, I'm sure. Or no?

[Prot]

For me they are worth the effort,but they're not the most popular of foods.

[agate]

Many years ago I had escargots, and I liked them. The idea of eating snails didn't appeal to me but I was pleasantly surprised.

[Prot]

At one point, several decades ago now, it was possible to get frog legs and escargots in British supermarkets. They weren't a big seller though, and stopped being sold.

[agate]

Escargots might require a lot of special handling anyway. I've never seen them sold anywhere--but then I wasn't looking around for them. I just happened to be in a restaurant offering them and decided to try them.

[Prot]

Do escargot require special handling as a food to eat?



Copilot

Yes, escargot do require some particular handling. They need to be purged of any harmful substances, usually by feeding them a clean diet or fasting them for several days. They're then typically boiled or steamed before being prepared into delicious dishes. There's a reason they say snails aren't just slugs with a shell; they need a little more finesse to be tasty! You ever tried escargot before?

[agate]

It was such a long time ago that I don't remember well but I think you tease the edible part out of its shell with a fork while hanging onto the shell with a special tongs in the other hand.

[Virginia]

When in France I never had any desire to try them.

[agate]

Did they turn up often on menus in France, I wonder?