Winkles--a negative calorie food

If you’re hungry in a seaport town of Normandy (St. Malo for example), don’t order winkles as your main meal. The common periwinkle is an edible sea snail of the mollusc family littorina littorea (to be geek factoid about it). With the typical size of dime when rolled up, you won’t win an eating contest unless given 2-3 days to consume a pound or so.

These Normandy varieties are harvested locally and are also found commonly in Ireland and Britain. Listed on the menu as Bigorneaux, ours came simply on a bed of ice.

Check out mon mari with his main meal of winkles, his winkle capturing and his taste test look. In addition to burning calories to eat (1 hour to consume a cup of winkles) each one is about 80% water and 15% protein—practically a negative calorie food.

If you're anxious to start cooking these diet tidbits, next time you’re near winkle territory check out http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/action=ingredientshow&id=65&lg=enaction=ingredient_show&id=65&lg=enaction=ingredient_show&id=65&lg=en.