You've nibbled on a lamb's tongue at a local Lebanese restaurant; you've braved kangaroo steaks and gone ‘ooh la la' for frog legs.
If you thought you had been there and done that when it comes to the weird and wonderful of global cuisine, think again.
The last word in food extravagance is the French delicacy, snail caviar — yup, snail's eggs — and Unwind has the UAE exclusive.
Great accompaniment
Being tried and tested by some of the city's top chefs, snail caviar will soon be on a menu near you.
It's described by Rachel Rouba, executive sales director of De Jaeger, the company that farms snails, as having a “woody, fresh, forest-and-mushroom taste''.
If you're feeling particularly extravagant, it apparently makes an excellent accompaniment to truffles.
And as with any rarity in the UAE, snail caviar carries a hefty price tag. Chefs can expect to pay about Dh10,000 for a kilogram of this particular delicacy.
“We have 250,000 snails, each producing just four kilograms of caviar every year,'' Rouba says.
“The caviar looks like small, white pearls, which have to be picked up one by one with tweezers. It takes one hour per kilogram.''
To ensure the best crop of caviar, the snails — which Rouba refers to as “the babies'' — are treated to year-round wet weather conditions such as that in the forest.
Snails are romantic creatures, explains Rouba, so mood lighting and classical music helps with the reproduction process. “Classical music makes the snails happy,'' she says.
Around the world
Whatever the secret of snail caviar, it's creating a buzz. Already a huge hit in France and Japan, and stocked on the shelves of London's Harvey Nichols, De Jaeger's pride and joy is now hitting the UAE.
If you're still not convinced about the joys of snail caviar, Rouba has one final word of advice that may have you reaching for a spoonful before you can say slime trail.
“Snail caviar is very healthy,'' she says. “About 100 grams contain just 19 calories and it's an excellent source of protein too.''
We sense the country's next superfood sensation — just remember you heard it here first.
Visit www.caviar-escargot.com for more information.
