A Zoological “Delicacy” – Engadin Rock Snails

The Engadiner Nusstorte? This local specialty – a shortcrust pastry with a nut filling – is well-known across Switzerland. But what about the Engadin Rock Snail? Another culinary treat?

Not quite. While snails have been served as food items in Graubünden for centuries, the Engadin Rock Snail is not so much a delicacy as a zoological species – not least because it is very rare. As its name suggests, this snail is primarily found in the Engadin region, occurring only in the area between Landeck and St. Moritz, as well as in Val Poschiavo and the Valtellina.

What sets it apart? Specimens of Chilostoma achates rhaeticum, as they are scientifically known, are difficult to distinguish from other rock snails. True to its name, it thrives in rocky or gravelly habitats. Naturally, the collection of the Bündner Naturmuseum (Graubünden’s Natural History Museum) in Chur includes shells of this zoological “Engadin specialty.”