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The pesky and, let’s face it, kind of gross snails in gardens across Orange County are, like many of us, not natives of the area. The snail was brought to the United States from Europe.

Why would someone take a creature like that traveling? For food. Snails were cultivated in cages in dooryards, basements and even people’s houses. Sort of like tiny ranches.

It might help to think of them as abalone, which is basically a sea snail in the same class as garden snails. Your snails, however, are free. They’re also low in calories, high in protein and rich in minerals, according to “Snails as Food,” an informative brochure from the University of California.

Besides telling you the history of snails, it tells you how to collect them, purge them of toxins and prepare them for cooking. Then it gives you several snail recipes.

Get leaflet 2222 on snails by sending $1.50 (no tax or shipping fees) to Publications, Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, 6701 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, CA 94608-1239.