{"id":7208,"date":"2022-10-23T18:44:12","date_gmt":"2022-10-23T16:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/?p=7208"},"modified":"2025-08-14T19:38:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T17:38:57","slug":"melc-melc-codobelc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/2022\/10\/melc-melc-codobelc\/","title":{"rendered":"Snails \u2013 from a childhood song to a plate\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I have never been a fan of snails on\na plate. I grew up with other eatable creatures&#8230; The first time I ate snails\nwas in France, &#8220;so that I don&#8217;t die stupid&#8221; not having this\nexperience, then again in France, with friends, so that they don&#8217;t die stupid\neither, and that&#8217;s how I got to taste, from time to time, the snails of the\nFrench, eating like at home half a baguette with the delicious green sauce! (My\nmouth is watering right now&#8230;)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You must go eat snails!&#8221; \u2013\nwe received a piece of advice when we jumped the fence to the neighboring Bulgarians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a place specializing in snails,\nso we said we shouldn&#8217;t miss it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/terasa.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/terasa-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/terasa-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/terasa-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/terasa-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/terasa-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/terasa.jpg 1417w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Nothing but snails on the menu,\nexcept for the dessert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only a few dishes, but all with\nsnails. Taking advantage of the fact that there are 5 of us at the table, we\norder everything, so that we get to taste them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the order made, I start to look\naround at the place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ferma-melci_2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ferma-melci_2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ferma-melci_2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ferma-melci_2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ferma-melci_2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ferma-melci_2-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ferma-melci_2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We are, in fact, in a snail farm.\nThe restaurant terrace is surrounded by a landscaped area to offer the snails a\nhappy and healthy life. That is until they are eaten&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I get up and start walking next to a\nkind of a fence, where the hair stands on ends: the area has electricity, which\nprobably prevents the snails from leaving the perimeter. You can hear that\nelectric shock sound all the time, so I stay away, I really don&#8217;t want to get a\nperm now. I feel sorry for the poor snails who live, practically, in a maximum\nsecurity prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I look for them through the\novergrown grass, among their &#8220;houses&#8221;, but I hardly see any.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_E6795.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_E6795-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_E6795-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_E6795-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_E6795-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_E6795-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/IMG_E6795.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, I discover the\n&#8220;kindergarten&#8221;, where the snails have a real playground!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the walls of the restaurant\nterrace you have all kinds of information. I look at what&#8217;s written and realize\nthat I don&#8217;t know anything about snails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since ancient times, snail meat has\nbeen eaten, because it has beneficial properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The high content of zinc, iron,\nmagnesium, calcium, sodium and protein have turned this delicacy into one of\nthe most valuable and sought-after foods in the world. I really did not know\nthis!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Due to the rich calcium content,\nsnails are recommended for pregnant women and for children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, bleah, snail eggs compete with\nanother delicacy \u2013 sturgeon caviar. They are rich in protein and calories, but\nnot in fat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Snails are known as a Roman\naphrodisiac. Well, I&#8217;m only now finding out what our ancestors discovered long\nago\u2026 Really?! J<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The food is brought, so I run to the\nbathroom to wash my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, full of snail objects. Boxes,\ntrinkets, toys. How cute! I&#8217;m already starting to get attached&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164516.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164516-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164516-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164516-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164516-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164516-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164516.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the yard, all kinds of cute statues, representing happy and well-developed snails, smile at you. I realize that I like it in the Land of Snails, but I&#8217;m starting to feel guilty: I feel like an alien who not only invaded their world, but who is also eating them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164625.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164625-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164625-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164625-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164625-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164625-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_164625.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Several large pots are filled with\nsnail shells. I look to the right \u2013 snails playing around (well, at their own\npace). I look to the left, pots with snail shells. It gives me chills&#8230; That short\nis the distance from Heaven to Hell?&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the wall in front of me there is\na poster that tells the story of the snail coming out of hibernation, its\ngrowth, its reproduction and look how it lays eggs, wow, how cute. You almost\nend up wanting to meet its &#8220;children&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160129.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160129-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160129-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160129-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160129-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160129-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160129.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160741-1024x768.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160741-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"7216\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/?attachment_id=7216\" class=\"wp-image-7216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160741-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160741-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160741-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160741-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_160741.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_161610-1024x768.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_161610-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"7217\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/?attachment_id=7217\" class=\"wp-image-7217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_161610-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_161610-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_161610-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_161610-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_161610.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_165957.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"436\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_165957-1024x436.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"7218\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_165957.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/?attachment_id=7218\" class=\"wp-image-7218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_165957-1024x436.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_165957-300x128.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_165957-768x327.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_165957-1180x502.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_165957.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A young boy who acts as a waiter\nfills our table with everything we asked for. Snail with I don&#8217;t know what,\nthen snail with something else, we also have some snail with cheese sauce and something\nelse, plus snail in the oven with something, I don&#8217;t know what.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, do I still feel like eating?\nSeriously now. The big eyes of the snail statue in the yard follow me, I hear\nthe electrocution on the fence near the table and it seems to me that something\nis moving in the plate&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_172458.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_172458-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_172458-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_172458-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_172458-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_172458-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/20220917_172458.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We eat \u2013 some more carefree, others\nlike in a famous Romanian poem: &#8220;I eat and cry, I eat&#8230;&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We pay \u2013 leaving the money in a\nwooden box decorated with\u2026 of course\u2026 a snail shell and we leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bottom line? It&#8217;s not good to eat any living thing in its natural environment&#8230; Better locked in the house, better in a restaurant. I can imagine how could the beef steak go down in a restaurant-terrace where some nice cows would walk among the tables, stopping for you to caress their rumps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That being said, I&#8217;m going to get&#8230; a pork steak J. From the supermarket, not from the farm!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I have never been a fan of snails on a plate. I grew up with other eatable creatures&#8230; The first time I ate snails was in France, &#8220;so that I don&#8217;t die stupid&#8221; not having this experience, then again in France, with friends, so that they don&#8217;t die stupid either, and that&#8217;s how I got to taste, from time to time, the snails of the French, eating like at home half a baguette with the delicious green sauce! (My mouth is watering right now&#8230;) &#8220;You must go eat snails!&#8221; \u2013 we received a piece of advice when we jumped the fence to the neighboring Bulgarians. It&#8217;s a place specializing in snails, so we said we shouldn&#8217;t miss it. Nothing but snails on the menu, except for the dessert. Only a few dishes, but all with snails. Taking advantage of the fact that there are 5 of us at the table, we order everything, so that we get to taste them all. Once the order made, I start to look around at the place. We are, in fact, in a snail farm. The restaurant terrace is surrounded by a landscaped area to offer the snails a happy and healthy life. That is until they are eaten&#8230; I get up and start walking next to a kind of a fence, where the hair stands on ends: the area has electricity, which probably prevents the snails from leaving the perimeter. You can hear that electric shock sound all the time, so I stay away, I really don&#8217;t want to get a perm now. I feel sorry for the poor snails who live, practically, in a maximum security prison. I look for them through the overgrown grass, among their &#8220;houses&#8221;, but I hardly see any. Instead, I discover the &#8220;kindergarten&#8221;, where the snails have a real playground! On the walls of the restaurant terrace you have all kinds of information. I look at what&#8217;s written and realize that I don&#8217;t know anything about snails. Since ancient times, snail meat has been eaten, because it has beneficial properties. The high content of zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium and protein have turned this delicacy into one of the most valuable and sought-after foods in the world. I really did not know this! Due to the rich calcium content, snails are recommended for pregnant women and for children. And, bleah, snail eggs compete with another delicacy \u2013 sturgeon caviar. They are rich in protein and calories, but not in fat. Snails are known as a Roman aphrodisiac. Well, I&#8217;m only now finding out what our ancestors discovered long ago\u2026 Really?! J The food is brought, so I run to the bathroom to wash my hands. Here, full of snail objects. Boxes, trinkets, toys. How cute! I&#8217;m already starting to get attached&#8230; In the yard, all kinds of cute statues, representing happy and well-developed snails, smile at you. I realize that I like it in the Land of Snails, but I&#8217;m starting to feel guilty: I feel like an alien who not only invaded their world, but who is also eating them! Several large pots are filled with snail shells. I look to the right \u2013 snails playing around (well, at their own pace). I look to the left, pots with snail shells. It gives me chills&#8230; That short is the distance from Heaven to Hell?&#8230; On the wall in front of me there is a poster that tells the story of the snail coming out of hibernation, its growth, its reproduction and look how it lays eggs, wow, how cute. You almost end up wanting to meet its &#8220;children&#8221;. A young boy who acts as a waiter fills our table with everything we asked for. Snail with I don&#8217;t know what, then snail with something else, we also have some snail with cheese sauce and something else, plus snail in the oven with something, I don&#8217;t know what. Well, do I still feel like eating? Seriously now. The big eyes of the snail statue in the yard follow me, I hear the electrocution on the fence near the table and it seems to me that something is moving in the plate&#8230; We eat \u2013 some more carefree, others like in a famous Romanian poem: &#8220;I eat and cry, I eat&#8230;&#8221;. We pay \u2013 leaving the money in a wooden box decorated with\u2026 of course\u2026 a snail shell and we leave. The bottom line? It&#8217;s not good to eat any living thing in its natural environment&#8230; Better locked in the house, better in a restaurant. I can imagine how could the beef steak go down in a restaurant-terrace where some nice cows would walk among the tables, stopping for you to caress their rumps. That being said, I&#8217;m going to get&#8230; a pork steak J. From the supermarket, not from the farm!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7209,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1463,1473,1474,1189,1471,1469,1470,1472,1475],"class_list":["post-7208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-calatorii","tag-bulgaria","tag-ferma","tag-ferma-de-melci","tag-food","tag-mancare-de-melci","tag-melc","tag-melci","tag-snail","tag-snail-farm","main-post"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"2.12.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ro","en"],"languages":{"ro":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7208"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7208"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7229,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7208\/revisions\/7229"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danamladin.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}