You know those little shells you pick up on the beach, in tide pools? I ate some. Not the shells, that is, but the periwinkles. The unsung heroes festival at Blue Water Cafe & Raw Bar was created to “avoid species that are over-fished, or fished in ways that damage ocean beds or cause unnecessary by-catch, by introducing diners to new experiences and flavours using species found in abundance.” That I have had everything else on the menu before probably says something about my eating habits, but the sea snails and aioli caught my eye and I was determined to try them.
Let me just say that these guys are probably safe from extinction from over-fishing. Not because they don’t taste good (what doesn’t taste good smothered in aioli?) but because they’re so darn hard to eat. You have to pry the meat out of each tiny shell with a little toothpick. I was bored before I got full. Glad I tried them though, and the rest of the Unsung Heroes menu is pretty tasty (and easier to eat) if you get a chance to go next year.
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Blue Water Cafe & Raw Bar
1095 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
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these are not suppose to be hard to eat … and its quite the opposite if cooked properly. I love these and it’s actually really common in Asia (read: Hong Kong ,Taiwan … ). I do have to agree that’s it a chore to pick them out with a toothpick though.
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Ooo! I first tried these in Portugal! They were called “caracois”. In Portugal, every meal is a 2-hour event, so eating an appetizer like this, accompanied by a delicious glass of vinho verde, makes life worth living.
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