One of the beautiful downtown Catemaco, Veracruz best known delicacies are slimy fresh water snails (tegogolos) forcibly removed from their shells, washed in pure Laguna Catemaco waters, and cooked to the texture of shoe leather.
Mexican and international connoisseurs travel thousands of miles to gobble these small gastropods usually served in what passes for shrimp cocktail sauce in Mexico, (chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro and ketchup).
Allegedly tegogolos are an aphrodisiac. That is hard to believe, especially after seeing a naked snail without its shell in person. Nevertheless the fable persists and may be the reason for the dozens of cantinas in Catemaco equipped with “slut” machines.
Of course, the French made snails edible just like other uneatables. The famous “escargot” is a cousin of these Catemaco snails who prefer to live in water instead of on land as their French relatives do.
Most escargot are served cooked in garlic butter with a little parsley, a miniature fork if served in the shell, and a loaf of French bread for dipping the delectable garlic snail sauce, and a pricetag of US 15.95 for a serving of 6.
Look for my next business venture in beautiful downtown Catemaco, serving cheap “Escargot a la catemaco”. And! you will get to take the polished snail shells home.
