SNAILS

[TomUK]

Don't know if I've just not been observant enough in past years, but everywhere I go this visit I seem to see snails advertised on menus and available at produce markets by the bucket load throughout the Algrave.

Has this always been the case or are edible snails a fairly new attraction?

[EMM]

THey are a seasonal delicacy .
We have seen groups of old ladies and children collecting snails whcih congregate on a particular plant at this time of year.

Most supermarkets , large or local seem to have them at the moment.

[maccasa]

3 weeks ago we saw waht looked like mud had been slashed on our one white wall - when I looked closely it was snails - there were hundreds of them - The lady next door saw me looking and asked if she could have them! They are very popular and I have since seen many dishes in cookery books using them - one particular one seems to be a sort of paella usng snails and rabbit.

The size of therm is so small I cant see the effort is worth while - they aren't in the "escargot a la borguinone" league

[TomUK]

They seemed to have two different grades at the Quarteira produce market. There were some quite large ones which of course were priced higher than the standard ones. Didn't see anyone queuing up to buy them!

What I did see was a down at heel guy roll up on a bike with an old fishing rod tied to the crossbar and a white plastic bucket on the handlebars. He found himself an empty carton and tipped the contents of the bucket out on to it. A dozen or so wriggling sardines which he had presumably just caught in the harbour. He had sold the lot in a couple of minutes as the old Portuguese ladies crowded round and cleared his stock. Now that's what I call enterprise