Sharing everyday life moments of Tang Thanh Ha is like a habit. Every land she sets foot in is recorded in detailed footage.
This time, Tang Thanh Ha set foot in France. In addition to visiting a coffee shop imbued with Vietnamese identity, the "pearl girl" of cinema did not forget to enjoy the famous cuisine of this land.
Few people know that before becoming a high-end dish appearing in the menus of Michelin-starred restaurants, snails used to be a food source to fight hunger for poor farmers from ancient Roman times.
The historic turning point took place in 1814, when the head of French diplomacy requested to prepare an emergency dinner to welcome Russian Tsar Alexander the I.
Due to not having time to prepare high-quality ingredients, the royal chef improvised by processing garden snails with butter, garlic and parsley, unintentionally creating a dish that completely conquered the aristocracy at that time.
To make this dish meet commercial standards, the French do not use wild snails but raise them in endemic farms with a strict diet of cereals and herbs.
After a process of cleaning and removing toxins lasting many days, the snail meat is taken out to be processed with fatty butter, minced garlic, white wine and herbs before being stuffed back into the shell to bake in the oven.
The special point that makes up Escargot's class is not only in its rich flavor but also in the art of enjoyment that requires accuracy and sophistication from diners.
When the snail dish is served, the eater is required to use a specialized set of tools including a metal clamp to fix the hot snail shell and a small two-tooth fork to remove the meat.
The standard French banquet rules also recognize that diners use baguette slices to dip the garlic butter sauce left on the plate to fully enjoy the flavor.
At the same time, a proper Escargot party is always served with a glass of chilled Burgundy white wine, where the sour taste of the wine plays a balanced role in the fatty structure of the dish, completing a heritage culinary experience.
