Escargot, meaning "edible snail." The snails are cooked in a sauce of white wine, garlic, butter, and parsley served in their shells. It is said to have a similar consistency to mussels or clams, though some find them to be pretty rubbery. Perhaps best to try in a decent, reasonably priced restaurant rather than the street version from a street food vendor in Hong Kong.
The snails are first prepared by purging them of the likely undesirable contents of their digestive system. The process used to accomplish this varies, but generally involves a combination of fasting and purging or simply feeding them on a wholesome basis. The methods most often used can take several days. On the nutritious side like most mollusks, escargots are high in protein and low in fat content (if cooked without butter). Escargots are estimated to contain 15% protein, 2.4% fat, and about 80% water.