Found in various parts of Europe and north Africa the best of these edible snails comes from the wine regions in France where their diet consists of the vine leaves in the vineyard. 

In the mollusk family these snails are not considered shell fish but terrestrial gastropods.

The tasty snails, called "Escargots de Bourgogne" in French, have been eaten by man since prehistoric times. For this reason, these snails have become very rare in Europe. In nature they are put under protection, but especially the Roman snail and the garden snail which are now cultivated on snail farms (Hélicicultures).

In the fall the escargot seal themselves in their shell before the first frost, this is when they are at their prime.  Snail farms are used in Europe to keep the snails captured in the summer until they are at their prime then they are harvested and mostly canned.