Whelk

Introduction:

Whelks, ulken, wullox, wulloks, willox, caracollen and in French: bulots or buccin. Using 'caracoles' as a name is not desirable because of the confusion of speech with crumpets. The term 'escargots' is also best not used because they are, by definition, vineyard snails. From whelks you eat only the muscular foot. These sea snails do not become sexually mature until they are between five and seven years old and 49 mm ( males) or 52 mm (females) in size. They can live up to ten years. Their slow growth makes them highly susceptible to overfishing. Furthermore, they are easily subjected to environmental pollution and therefore cannot reproduce.

Dutch or French - the scientific name is the same for both crackers: Buccinum undatum, meaning - with some imagination, of course: 'twisted trumpet/horn'. So it is the same species. The son of Poseidon, Triton used to blow on a related shell in order to stir up or calm the sea: the whooping horn (see image).

The fishing areas are mainly the North Sea and the English Channel and mainly on sandy grounds. In France, whelks are fished sustainably. Much of it is done by special vessels of 12 meters or less that do not or only sporadically catch other species. This is done by placing bait, usually half crabs and coarse pieces of (dog) shark, in a kind of inverted basket (casier) that acts as a trap and lowering it onto the sea floor via a line. This lures the whelks who literally trap themselves. Once in, they cannot get out. French whelk fisheries are closely monitored by the various professional organizations and are certified by the MSC label. Shells must have a minimum size of 4.5 cm, the maximum number of pots per boat is 720 and one can land a maximum of 900 kgr per boat per day. Fishing is done only from Monday to Friday. In principle, you can catch whelks all year round, but in France the fishery is closed during the month of January.

The French whelks can be recognized by their specific beige/yellow-gray/greenish color and, unlike the Belgian ones, they tend to be smaller (thus more desirable) and have a somewhat more tender flesh. Of course, this labor- and capital-intensive method of fishing comes at a price! This fact is reinforced by the well-known French chauvinism. There the bulots are a target species, for our fishermen it is "just" bycatch. Ours are often larger on average and contain more sand. Because of their age and size, the flesh is also a bit stiffer. Because of the type of fishing in Brittany and Normandy and the frequent rinsing (including in a special rinsing drum) they contain virtually no sand and you can put them cooked with shell and all on a seafood dish. The Belgian ones lend themselves more to being boiled, taken out, washed, rinsed and reheated in a (spicy) broth. Onion, celery, sea salt, cayenne pepper and also lovage can add an extra touch.

At Ostend's fish ladder, at forts, fairs and evening markets, this is a commonly eaten delicacy.

And don't forget the capital of the whelk: Brussels. Delicious, a terrace, a cup full of whelk meat in the suds and a fresh Rodenbach.

For more information: https://www.zeevruchtengids.org/nl/wulk