How did that snail get in your plate?

(Triggered by TioJimeno, who recommends them, and first published on JimenaPulse in May 2007) We have to admit that caracoles  (snails in general, not necessarily escargots) are creatures we’d prefer not to find in the garden – let alone on our plate. However, we must also admit that even among some foreign residents they are a Mediterranean delicacy, with whole websites devoted to their preparation and recipes galore (Google alone has 112,000 pages!). In the interests of improving international relations, and given that their season is upon us, we have some tips on their preparation that include ‘tricking’ them, cleaning them and even cooking them. But when is their best season? A Spanish saying goes : los caracoles de abril, para mí; los de mayo para mi amo, y los de junio para ninguno (April snails are for me, the ones in May for my boss and those in June for no-one - you guess).>