A little reason to celebrate
National Escargot Day
Food ยท May 24
A day for escargot, the cooked land snails served in French cooking, often baked in their shells with garlic and herb butter.
National Escargot Day falls on Monday, May 24, 2027. That is 209 days away.
Escargot are cooked land snails, a dish most associated with French cuisine. The classic version is baked in the shell with butter, garlic and parsley, then served hot in a dimpled dish that holds each shell upright.
The texture surprises people who expect something slippery. Well-cooked escargot are tender and a little chewy, somewhere near a mushroom or a clam, and the flavor is mild and earthy. Most of the taste comes from the butter, which is the real reason a basket of bread always arrives alongside.
Eating them involves a bit of equipment. Restaurants often bring small tongs to grip the shell and a narrow two-pronged fork to draw the snail out. At home, a toothpick works, and so does a cocktail fork. Some cooks skip the shells entirely and bake the snails in mushroom caps or small ceramic cups.
For anyone curious but cautious, a shared plate at a French bistro is an easy first try. Snails for cooking are usually sold already prepared, canned or frozen, so making them at home is mostly a matter of mixing a good garlic butter.
The butter left in the dish afterward is not an accident. Mopping it up with bread is considered part of the meal.
Ways to celebrate
- Try escargot at a local French bistro, maybe as a shared appetizer.
- Make garlic, parsley and butter sauce and bake canned snails at home.
- Save some bread to soak up the leftover garlic butter.
- Bake escargot in mushroom caps if you have no shells.
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, May 24 |
| 2027 | Monday, May 24 |
| 2028 | Wednesday, May 24 |
| 2029 | Thursday, May 24 |
| 2030 | Friday, May 24 |
Also on May 24
Categories: Food days