Escargot is the French word for edible land snail and the name of the iconic dish in which the cooked snails are served — most famously escargots à la bourguignonne, the snails set back into their shells and baked bubbling in garlic, parsley and butter. The meat is dense, chewy and mild, earthy and faintly mushroomy, and works largely as a firm, savoury vehicle for the herb-and-garlic butter it is cooked in.