By Emily L Smith, CNN

Zut alors! May 24 is National Escargot Day.

Perhaps it’s better to think of these guys in their French form as opposed to the English translation — snails. Land snails to be exact.

This culinary delicacy is traditionally served with a garlic, cream and white wine sauce, sometimes in the shell. The slippery little suckers are then accompanied by special tongs and a fork used to pry the flesh from their shells.

Don’t worry, they’re not the snails you used to play with as a kid. They’re mostly farm raised and fed a special diet. Should you find yourself inspired to prepare a batch of the meaty morsels, don’t run into the backyard looking for your dinner just yet — not all snails are edible. Best leave this dish to the pros, French ones if you can find them.