On February 24, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The price for the right to harvest the Roman snail in Chashniki district increased fivefold in fifteen minutes. The first auction in the Vitebsk region for the provision of the right to harvest and purchase Roman snails has successfully concluded, as reported to BELTA correspondent by the district executive committee. Two buyers participated in the bidding, who, in a fierce competition, raised the price of the lot from Br1.4 million to Br7.5 million. The winner was a Belarusian private enterprise engaged in the collection, processing, including Roman snails, and their sale to foreign markets. In accordance with the conclusion provided by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the commercial stock of Roman snails in the district is 27 tons, with the maximum permissible extraction volume estimated at 13.5 tons. As noted by the district executive committee, the snail harvesting will be carried out by the contest winner under the supervision of ecologists. According to the Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Chashniki district is currently the only one in the region that has decided to sell the right to harvest Roman snails at auction, although the commercial stocks of these land mollusks are sufficient in at least five districts of the region. Belarusian Roman snails are typically exported to Europe. Those who have managed to try them claim that this delicacy tastes like greens. However, the process of preparing escargots, as the French call this exquisite dish, requires considerable patience from the cook, as before boiling the snail in white wine and serving it with sauce, its intestines must be cleansed, which takes up to two weeks. Moreover, the snail must be washed in running water every day. Roman snail meat contains one-third more protein than chicken eggs and is cholesterol-free. Roman snails are also a raw material for the pharmaceutical industry, used to make diabetes medications, but they are more renowned as an aphrodisiac and are recommended for men to enhance potency. -0-

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