So you’ve tried alligator, scorpions, and even those crunchy seahorses that are frozen in time, deep-fried, and then skewered on a stick for your consumption? But have you tried Russian river rats? No? Sad news for you, friend: You’re now behind the curve — because river rats prepared in every way imaginable are about to become the next international taste sensation.
River rat burgers! River rat dumplings! River rat sausage! This is happening!
If your immediate reaction to hearing that rats are now being offered as food fit for humans is revulsion, we get it. But the man who’s bringing the river rat revolution to the world thinks that your compunctions are misinformed. According to Takhir Kholikberdiev, the chef and restaurateur who’ll be adding the menu item to Moscow’s Krasnodar Bistro, the rats — otherwise known as coypu or nutria — are clean, herbivores, and also practice good hygiene. Plus, rats are high in Omega-3 acids (essential for your health).
Kholikberdiev says that doctors recommend eating the rodent, and while support isn’t yet overwhelming, a 1997 article from The New York Times suggests that the only reason we’re not eating Nutria is their perception as nothing more than roadkill. And who wants to eat roadkill?
The NYT’s expert on the subject — a professor who is all for eating Nutria and has even started an event called Nutriafest — also has some good points about why we shouldn’t be turning our noses up at these 20-lb river monsters:
“…this is a very clean meat, far cleaner than, say, crawfish, which shred dead stuff and feed off microbial protein,” Dr. Thomas said. ”Think about that at your next crawfish boil. The problem is the image.
”Maybe we should change the name. I like ‘ragondin’,” he said, pronouncing it RAH-goh-DANH. ”I think that’s French for nutria.”
Need a recipe? The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (there’s a huge nutria problem in LA) has plenty to keep you sated. And if you’re wondering what the meat that comes from these R.O.U.S.s tastes like, according to Boing Boing, it’s not too bad [our food editor raves about clay pot river rat he had in southern Vietnam]. In fact, if you turn the nutria into sausage or jerky, you’ll enjoy a nice smoky flavor that’s reminiscent of pepperoni.
Look how good they good in a burger:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMTrItBjsvl
And even dumplings:
Just one question: Would you?
(Via Mashable)
