French Breweries’ Iconic Dish Hides Sketchy Origins, Loved During Holidays

What do a Charentais melon, Paris mushrooms, Burgundy snails, and Dijon mustard have in common? Sure, the clever ones might say they’re all edible… But there’s a more intriguing similarity: each is named after a specific place in France, be it a city, a department, or a region. However, here’s the catch: as unexpected as it might seem, the Charentais melon can still be sold under this name even if it wasn’t grown under the sunny skies of Charente-Maritime. Why? Well, because this variety isn’t protected by a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), its name merely serves as a commercial label. In this instance, it refers to the region where this variety was historically cultivated extensively.

While Dijon mustard is produced about 90% in Burgundy according to official statistics, it’s not surprising to find Charentais melons from Spain or Morocco at markets. Similarly, most Paris mushrooms are actually cultivated in Poland, all perfectly legal. Perhaps you were already aware of these examples… But did you know that a particular French specialty, reputed worldwide, is actually largely imported? Indeed, the famous Burgundy snails (Helix pomatia species) are not gathered one by one on snail farms nestled among vineyards. The only snails still farmed there belong to a different species, the “gros gris” (Helix aspersa maxima).

As explained by a snail farmer from Saône-et-Loire in a report aired on December 9, 2025, on TF1, the Burgundy snail is an endangered species. Hence, it has been illegal to collect them in France since 1979. The farmer in Saône-et-Loire, therefore, raises gros gris snails, which she markets under the name “Burgundy recipe snails.” But then, how do we account for the rows of frozen Burgundy snails found in supermarkets? In reality, this species continues to be extensively farmed… in Eastern Europe! Burgundy snails thrive in the wild in Polish or Ukrainian forests, where they are handpicked by locals. Sold to industrialists, they are then exported to France.

As the director of a leading Polish company in the sale of Burgundy snails states, “100% of our production is exported to France”. On its website, Warmex explains that the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection regulates the production of snails (the season, the tonnage, etc.). Now you know, all Burgundy snails are actually Hungarian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, or Polish.