【原】英漢雙語閱讀36：全球有40000多種蝸牛，哪些是可食用的？

【往期回顧】

英漢雙語閱讀35：話劇都有哪些主要元素？

【本期內(nèi)容】

Snails: How are They Farmed, Cooked, Eaten, and More

蝸牛：如何養(yǎng)殖、烹飪、食用等

What are snails?

蝸牛是什么？

Snails are featured heavily as part of the local cuisine in France (where they’re called escargot) and India. They are also part of the typical cuisines of Greece, Cyprus, Malta, and some North African countries.

蝸牛是法國（在那里它們被稱為escargot）和印度當?shù)孛朗车闹匾M成部分。它們也是希臘、塞浦路斯、馬耳他和一些北非國家典型美食的一部分。

Snails are usually featured as a luxurious appetizer or entree in these countries and are an iconic dish in French cuisine. Large land snails—such as helix snails—are usually the type used in escargot dishes. 

在這些國家，蝸牛通常是豪華的開胃菜或主菜，也是法國美食中的標志性菜肴。大型陸地蝸牛——如螺旋蝸牛——通常是蝸牛菜肴中使用的類型。

You can buy snails fresh from the seafood counter, buy them canned, or find snails in the frozen food section of your local grocery store.

你可以從海鮮柜臺購買新鮮的蝸牛，也可以買罐頭蝸牛，或者在當?shù)仉s貨店的冷凍食品區(qū)找到蝸牛。

Where do snails originate from?

蝸牛是從哪里來的？

Humans have used many species of snail as food since prehistoric times, evidenced by the roasted shells of land snails found in multiple archeological excavations in the Middle East and Europe. Edible snails were considered a delicacy and an elite food by the ancient Romans.

自史前時代以來，人類就使用了許多種類的蝸牛作為食物，中東和歐洲的多次考古發(fā)掘中發(fā)現(xiàn)的烤蝸牛殼就是明證。食用蝸牛被古羅馬人認為是一種美味佳肴。

Snails came to the U.S. in the 1850s through immigrants who were from France and trying to reproduce their native dish. Soon, snails became a featured item in luxury dining, and by the 1980s, edible snails were a $300 million business in the U.S.

19世紀50年代，蝸牛通過來自法國的移民來到美國，他們試圖復(fù)制自己的本土菜肴。很快，蝸牛就成了高檔飲食中的特色菜品，到20世紀80年代，食用蝸牛在美國已經(jīng)成為一項價值3億美元的生意。

How are snails harvested?

蝸牛是如何收獲的？

Outside of the snail farming industry, helix aspersa, helix locurum, and helix pomatia snails are all found naturally in Europe and can be wild-caught. Whether wild-caught or farm-raised, snail production is very labor-intensive which is reflected in the high price tag of this delicacy.

在蝸牛養(yǎng)殖業(yè)之外，螺旋紋蝸牛、螺旋紋室蝸牛和螺旋紋波馬蒂亞蝸牛都是在歐洲自然發(fā)現(xiàn)的，可以野生捕獲。無論是野生捕獲還是農(nóng)場養(yǎng)殖，蝸牛的生產(chǎn)都是非常費勞力的，這一點反映在這種美食的高昂價格上已經(jīng)有所反映。

How are wild-caught edible snails harvested?

野生的可食用蝸牛是如何收獲的？

During the autumn and early winter seasons, in the wilderness of Eastern France, snails are collected by escargot harvesters usually after heavy rains, which is when these little creatures are more active. Each snail from this region is wild-caught, put into baskets, and taken to processing plants.

在秋季和初冬季節(jié)，在法國東部的荒野中，蝸牛通常在大雨后被蝸牛收割機采集，而這正是這些小生物更活躍的時候。這一地區(qū)的每只蝸牛都是野生捕捉后，放入籃子，然后送往加工廠。

At the processing plants, the snails are species separated, then starved and refrigerated until they fall into hibernation. They are then inspected, washed, scalded, and pulled out of their shells, and the meat is flash-boiled. 

在加工廠，蝸牛被分為不同的物種，然后被餓著并冷藏，直到它們進入冬眠狀態(tài)。之后對它們進行檢查、清洗、焯水，并將其從殼中取出，然后將肉快速煮熟。

The snails are then sized according to which escargot products they will be used for. Some snails go into patés, hors d’oeuvre or preserves. The large and extra-large snail meats are cooked and canned in broth, and the smaller snail meats are re-shelled usually with a garlic butter paste.

然后根據(jù)蝸牛將用于哪種蝸牛產(chǎn)品對蝸牛進行大小分類。一些蝸牛會被放入餡餅、開胃菜或蜜餞中。大的和特大的蝸牛肉都是在肉湯中烹飪并罐裝的，較小的蝸牛肉通常用大蒜黃油醬處理后重新裝入殼里。

How are farmed edible snails harvested?

養(yǎng)殖食用蝸牛是如何收獲的？

Snail farms grow and raise their snails in artificial ecosystems. A snail farmer needs enough space to keep 20 snails per square inch. They need to be fed well, have calcium added to their feed, and kept in a moist and humid environment. The right equipment is also needed to regulate feed and water, control the climate, and measure temperature and humidity.

蝸牛養(yǎng)殖場在人工生態(tài)系統(tǒng)中養(yǎng)殖蝸牛。蝸牛養(yǎng)殖戶需要足夠的空間來飼養(yǎng)每平方英寸20只蝸牛。它們需要得到良好的喂養(yǎng)，在飼料中添加鈣，并保持在潮濕的環(huán)境中。還需要合適的設(shè)備來調(diào)節(jié)飼料和水，控制氣候，測量溫度和濕度。

Growth is measured by shell size since a snail’s weight fluctuates a lot. Snail farmers then pick out and keep the largest snails that mature the fastest for their breeding stock. 

由于蝸牛的體重波動很大，所以其生長過程是通過外殼大小來衡量的。蝸牛養(yǎng)殖戶然后挑選并保存成熟最快且最大的蝸牛作為繁殖種群。

Before preparing snails for eating, farmers feed them to clear out grit, then starve them, so their digestive systems are empty - this is known as purging. Then they are removed from their shells and cooked in either broth, wine, or garlic butter. 

在準備吃蝸牛之前，農(nóng)民們先喂它們以清除砂礫，然后讓它們餓著，使它們的消化系統(tǒng)排空——這就是所謂的清腸。之后將它們從殼中取出，放入肉湯、葡萄酒或大蒜黃油中烹飪。

The snails are then either placed back in the shells with the butter paste or placed in special, indented snail bowls for individual snail servings. 

接著，將蝸牛與黃油醬一起放回殼中，或者放在特殊的鋸齒狀蝸牛碗中，以供單獨食用。

What are the different varieties of snails?

蝸牛有哪些不同的品種？

There are over 40,000 different species of land, sea, and freshwater snails categorized. Of these, only a few are actually eaten.

陸地、海洋和淡水蝸牛共有40000多種。在這些品種中，只有少數(shù)被食用。

The most popular snail is the Burgundy snail (Helix pomatia) which is often known as “the land lobster” for its superior flavor and texture. It is also the most commonly used edible snail.

最受歡迎的蝸牛是勃艮第蝸牛（波馬蒂亞螺紋蝸牛，即羅馬蝸牛），它因其卓越的風(fēng)味和質(zhì)地而被稱為“陸地龍蝦”。它也是最常用的食用蝸牛。

There are 3 main species of helix snails that are edible or used in most snail dishes and products:

螺旋蝸牛主要有三種，可供食用或用于大多數(shù)蝸牛菜肴和產(chǎn)品：

lRoman or Burgandy snail (Helix pomatia) 羅馬或勃艮第蝸牛

lGarden snail (Helix aspersa) 花園蝸牛

lEuropean snail (Helix lucorum) 歐洲蝸牛

How are fresh snails served or eaten?

新鮮蝸牛是如何烹飪或食用的？

Snails feature widely in European cuisine and are especially common in France. They are usually an entree or served as an appetizer, and your best chance of finding somewhere that serves snails is trying a high-end or specialty French restaurant. 

蝸牛在歐洲美食中較為普及，在法國尤為常見。它們通常是主菜或開胃菜，你找到供應(yīng)蝸牛的地方的最佳機會是去高檔或特色法國餐廳。

Traditionally, snails cooked French-style, will be baked in the shell and cooked in parsley and garlic butter. The taste and texture of snails are similar to eating mussels but chewier. The snails will also take on the flavor of whatever they’re cooked in, which is why fresh snails in garlic butter are such a highly regarded cuisine amongst foodies. 

傳統(tǒng)上，蝸牛是法式烹飪的，會在殼里烤，然后用歐芹和大蒜黃油烹飪。蝸牛的味道和質(zhì)地與吃貽貝相似，但更耐嚼。蝸牛也會吸收任何烹飪調(diào)料的風(fēng)味，這就是為什么新鮮的大蒜黃油蝸牛在美食家中備受推崇的原因。

Other snail products include snail broth or snail soup and dried snail crackers or noodles.

其他蝸牛產(chǎn)品包括蝸牛肉燉湯或蝸牛湯以及干蝸牛脆餅或面條。

Outside of Europe, other cuisines have their own way of serving this delicious mollusk as a dish:

在歐洲以外，其他美食也有自己的方式將這種美味的軟體動物作為菜肴：

lIn Indonesia, snails are fried as satay, which is a dish known as “satay kakul”.

在印度尼西亞，蝸牛被炒成沙爹，這是一道被稱為“沙爹kakul”的菜。

lIn Greece, when cooking Cretan cuisine, snails are boiled in white wine with bay leaves, celery, and shallots. Then the snails are coated with flour and fried in rosemary and vinegar.

在希臘，烹飪克里特島美食時，蝸牛是在白葡萄酒中與月桂葉、芹菜和小蔥一起煮的。然后把蝸牛裹上面粉，放入迷迭香和醋中油炸。

lIn Nagaland, India, freshwater snails are prepared with axone (soybean) and pork meat, then cooked in broth with herbs. Locally this dish is called “hamok.”

在印度那加蘭，淡水蝸牛是用軸突（大豆）和豬肉制成的，然后在肉湯中用香草烹飪。在當?shù)兀@道菜被稱為“hamok”。

lIn Moroccan cuisine, snails are cooked in hot water in a jar together with spices and herbs. This dish is a popular street food called “Ghlal”.

在摩洛哥菜中，蝸牛與香料和香草一起在罐子里的熱水中烹飪。這道菜是一種很受歡迎的街頭美食，叫做“Ghlal”。

What should I look for when buying snails at the grocery store?

在雜貨店買蝸牛時，我應(yīng)該找什么？

You’ll find fresh snails in the seafood section of your grocery store. 

你會在雜貨店的海鮮區(qū)找到新鮮的蝸牛。

When shopping for fresh snails, ask at your fresh seafood counter for snails that have already been cultivated for sale, i.e. snails that are at least a week from the water. 

在購買新鮮蝸牛時，請在您的新鮮海鮮柜臺詢問已經(jīng)培養(yǎng)待售的蝸牛，即離水至少一周的蝸牛。

Snails can also be bought pre-cooked and canned for convenience, or you can also buy them frozen.

為了方便，蝸牛也可以買預(yù)制的和罐裝的，或者你也可以買冷凍的。

How to store snails

如何儲存蝸牛

Once you have bought them, keep fresh snails refrigerated between 2°C to 6°C for around 2 days. Generally, it is recommended to use fresh snails as soon as you can. As snails can carry parasites and other pathogens, it is best to keep snails separate from other food items. 

購買后，將新鮮蝸牛冷藏在2°C至6°C之間約2天。一般來說，建議盡快使用新鮮的蝸牛。由于蝸牛會攜帶寄生蟲和其他病原體，最好將蝸牛與其他食物分開。

Although snails can be frozen, freezing any kind of shelled fish or mollusk can lead to a deterioration in flavor.

雖然蝸牛可以冷凍，但冷凍任何一種有殼的魚或軟體動物都會導(dǎo)致味道變差。

Canned, pre-cooked snails are sold in a preserve or broth, so it is best to follow the manufacturer’s storage instructions. 

預(yù)先煮熟的蝸牛罐頭裝在保鮮膜或肉湯中出售，因此最好遵循制造商的儲存說明。

【Source】www.instacart.com

【Translated by】Spark Liao (廖懷寶)

【Illustration】From Bing