I’m shocked at how many people don’t like snails or won’t even try them, but maybe I shouldn’t be. There are things I would never ever try so I understand that people can have such prejudices. While I’m not to trying to convert anyone into a snail lover (I secretly am, shhh..), I’d love to expose the unique way snails are enjoyed in Morocco.
Escargots (halazoun or boubbouche in Arabic) are mainly a street food where I come from. No one I know makes them at home. When I lived in Rabat, there was a stall that always had a crowd of 20 to 30 customers around it, more when the weather was cold and rainy. I could not pinpoint the exact recipe, but its smell screamed herbs of every kind. Every time I passed by, I got a whiff of sage, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary. The escargots were served in a bowl, swimming in a very dark, strong scenting broth with a toothpick to extract the snail from the shell. I loved stopping by to get a bowl every now and then. The escargots were excellent. I usually finished every single one. Most people around me drank the rich broth when they were finished. I usually passed. My taste wasn’t mature enough to appreciate it.
