OUSTING THE OYSTER

Hokitika Guardian, 26 March 1926, Page 1

OUSTING THE OYSTER

TIIM VOGUE OF THE SNAIL. The oyster is stirring uneasily in its shell. The snail is after it, ever so slowly, hut according to snail gourmet experts, very surely. Snails, the proprietor of a well-known restaurant in Soho told a 1 Daily Chronicle ' representative, are being eaten and bought by customers as a cheap substitute lor oysters. “ They cost at this restaurant,” he said, “only 2s ikl a dozen with a meal, and 2s a dozen il taken away. Gflod oysters, of course, cost at least twice as much. The demand for snails by people in this country has increased very much. Ninety per cent, of my customers are English, and many of them are confirmed snaileaters. The other day a woman ate four dozen straight olf for dinner. Many of my English customers bought snails from me to have with their Christmas dinners. I attribute the increasing demand over here partly to curiosity and partly to the acquaintance with snail dishes in France made by English people as the result of their growing habit of spending holidays on the Continent.”

The Soho snails are imported from Bergumly, being reared upon wine leaves in the vineyards. They are served in their shells, one of the favourite .snail dishes living escargots bordelaisc—snails cooked in led wine. As both come from the vineyard, wine is considered by experts to be the natural accompaniment of tho snail at lunch or dinner, and a. white bergundy is recommended.