LITTLE GRAY FARMS

Why snails? For hundreds of thousands of years, snails have been a tasty source of protein. Early Romans began raising snails in elaborate escargotière, gorging them on milk and grain to fatten them. In the 18th century, escargots came to symbolize a cultural elite. This portrayal, however, is inaccurate as the role of escargots (which simply means “snails” in French) is truly a food of the common people as they were a seasonal delicacy that was gathered from the wild by the peasantry. The goal of little gray farms is to once again “democratize” snails as a food for everyone to enjoy by raising them locally and in tune with nature’ s rhythm and to incorporate them into the mainstream diet in dishes that are visually appealing and a culinary delight.