By Kudra Maliro
The business of snails is booming and their popularity is increasing in the Democratic Republic of Congo giving residents of communities near forests a source of income and providing vital protein to people.
Over the years, farmers usually have a field day during the rainy season not only because their crops get sufficient rains, but also because more snails come out from damp forests during this period.
The rural farmers catch the slow-moving creatures easily and then sell them in urban centers - either alive or smoked.
Collecting snails is an age-old practice passed on from one generation to another in the tropical and equatorial regions of Africa.
In the DRC, it is directly associated with the pygmies, an indigenous people, considered the first to live in the present-day DRC.
Snails supporting families
It is a big business in towns and cities in the DRC with a group of three or four molluscs costing up to 2000 Congolese francs (about $1) from retailers who usually buy from the farmers at the cost of roughly 1500 francs (about $0.75).
The snail business has been beneficial to many families in the DRC. Celestine has been a snail trader for more than a decade and says she is happy with the gains.
"With only this business, I am able send my children and grandchildren to school, feed my family and currently building a house," Celestine, a snail seller tells TRT Afrika.
Delicious protein
The snails are a delicacy in many communities around the world including in Sub-Saharan Africa.
They are particularly sought after for being a source of protein. Not everyone eats snails.
Some people look at them with disgust, though nutritionally, they are superb according to experts.
''Rich in protein, white boneless snail can be cooked or grilled with or without oil,’’ says Botende Baelongani, a diabetes specialist at the General Reference Hospital, Makiso in the city of Kisangani.
‘’It is low in fat and contains vitamins B, D, and E. Its flesh contains acids useful for proper functioning of the cardiovascular system,’’ he tells TRT Afrika.
‘’Snail meat is eaten with rice, bananas, cassava (Foufou), and other foods according to taste and preference," Baelongani adds.
Cosmetics
But it’s not just their nutritional value that makes snails popular. These slow-moving shelly creatures are used in the preparation of local traditional medicines and in cultural rituals in places like the DRC.
Snails are also used in the manufacturing of some modern medicines and cosmetics among others – especially their shells.
There are thousands of snails’ species around the world but not all of them are beneficial.
Experts say some are poisonous especially those with red blood cells in their flesh called cones.
There are about 600 species of the dangerous ones – most of them living in water. Therefore being able to identify the edible species in one’s community is crucial before considering it in the menu.
