The giant snail that saves the hunger of the African people, everyone is afraid to look at the size

Snails bigger than a hand, even weighing nearly 1kg, scare everyone but are an indispensable dish in Africa.

Referring to snail dish, the French also have a famous snail dish famous around the world. Europeans love this animal, because it is rich in nutrients and delicious in taste.

French snail dish.

It is known that snail meat is a food rich in protein, low in fat, almost zero cholesterol, and contains many other nutrients necessary for the human body. Since ancient times, the Chinese have known to use snails as a medicine. Therefore, the consumption and processing of snails is no longer strange to many people.

However, in contrast to the small snail species found in many countries, the African snail is much larger in size.

Snails in Africa.

Normal snails are small in size, farmed snails are about 1.6cm, wild snails are about 3cm, but on average, African snails can reach 7-8cm when mature, even with children up to 20cm.

The largest giant snail in Africa was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records with a length of 39cm and a weight of 900g.

Although giant snails look scary, they are common in African countries. It is often served in bars as an appetizer. In restaurants, snails are processed into a variety of dishes.

Snails are considered a source of protein for the poor in Africa. They are usually caught in the wild, then chopped and eaten raw or cooked as a stock. Africans eat thousands of these snails every year. To meet the demand, artificial snail breeding is also carried out. Currently, this giant snail is reaching the whole world.

African snails lay eggs 4 times / year, each time up to hundreds of children, ie laying at least 1,000 eggs / year, life expectancy can be up to 10 years. The next generation can reproduce again within 5-6 months.

Being able to reproduce so quickly also proves that African snails have extremely good adaptability. When facing unfavorable conditions, they huddle into their shells and secrete mucus that seals the shells and moves through the harsh environment of Africa.

There is no denying the benefits and value of this giant snail to Africans, but it itself grows in the wild, containing many pathogens and parasites. There are several types of parasites that can cause meningitis.

If this type of snail is raised artificially, it can reduce the number of parasites and ensure safety for human consumption. Especially in the processing stage, there must be careful and many processes to ensure the safety for people to eat.