Giant Snails at the Makola Market, Accra
On my way to lunch one day I had to make a double turn to be sure of what I saw. It was a bucket full of jumbo-sized snails. I’ve also seen them in the market. A colleague claimed that snail biscuits are favourite amongst kids. My only experience with snails are one or all of the following: crushing them with a rock, throwing salt on them, flinging them with a stick to the side and placing snail/slug poison on the ground. In all instances, the snails die a painful death. Telling Ghanaians and possibly even French people how we treat what’s such a delicacy in their nations, their jaws drop and they’re in disbelief.
My friends here cannot believe I do not eat snails. If only they know what our snails eat and how they destroy our crops they too might wanna crush them 🙂
A snail in Ghana costs more than beef. I saw a snail in the yard that resembled the African Snails back home but was told that those aren’t eaten because they’re not sweet enough. Poor untasty things.
I’ve always said with a cringed face I’ll give snail meat a try. Out one night with friends and a snail kebab was ordered. Here was my opportunity!
Snail Kebab, first on Right
The verdict? Snail tastes like chicken liver 🙂 Apparently the best thing is to have it in a traditional soup which I’ll soon have. Other interesting animals are eaten here based on your tribe (grass cutter/giant rodent, dogs, cats). Not very different from us who eat frog, iguana, agouti/’manekou’ According to my colleague, cat is tastier than chicken. I won’t be able to eat a cat however, the same way I can’t eat horse-meat.
Snail Kebab almost finished!
Give snails a try, they’re packed in protein and vitamin B. It’s like eating shrimp or muscles. I will more than likely continue my snail crushing rampage back home. If the economy, however, gets worst I’ll start rearing them for soups!
Bon appétit.