Famous Death Row Last Meals
Food Fights: The Biggest Culinary Scandals Of 2011
If you think about it, there are a lot of things that when described with different words or to anyone who isn't familiar with them, are kind of unappetizing. Raw fish? Fish eggs? Near-raw bird livers? What about Bambi? Bugs Bunny? Sushi, caviar, foie gras, venison, and rabbit. They don't sound all that unappetizing to me, except the caviar and foie gras, of course.What about "rodents?" Apparently, in a region of Venezuela, rodents are a true delicacy. In other South American countries, capybara, the world's largest rodent (does this make anyone else think of The Princess Bride?) is hunted for its hide. In Venezuela, the meat of the capybara can get prices that are almost double that of beef. Part of that price is how difficult it is to hunt the capybara, and part of it is the flavor, which is "more like rabbit than chicken, though when dried with sea salt in Venezuela it acquires a fishy flavor."
Hey, as long as we don't start making sewer rats a delicacy here in the US, fine by me.
More on, uh, rodents:
Peruvian Cuy to debut in a store near you
Nutria, the other white swamp rat
Cooking with groundhogs
Jennifer Lopez, Tori Spelling And More: The 15 Worst-Dressed Celebrities Of The Week
Family Faces Eviction Over Toddler's Noise
Komen Foundation Makes Stunning Reversal
Karen Perry Loses Three Kids, Ex-Husband and Now Home?
Who's Buying Your Next President? Sheldon Adelson Makes His Bid
31 Of Isla Fisher's Cute And Chic Outfits
Courtney Love, Pet Killer? Frances Bean Says Hoarding, Drugs Led to Animal Deaths
6 Ways The Job Search Has Changed Post-Recession
The Craziest Super Bowl Food Concoctions
Why the U.S. Should Get Rid of the $1 Bill
Which Ford Mustang is most popular with thieves? [w/video]
Susan G. Komen Top Officials Resign As Backlash Gains Steam
Amy Winehouse Coroner Resigns: 'Unqualified' Autopsy May Be Ruled Illegal
Open Houses of the Week: Super Bowl Weekend
California Police Identify Cold Case Victim But Forget To Tell Family
7 Startling Numbers We Now Know About Facebook
I-75 Crash Survivor Won't Be Deported
11 Signs You're Doing Laundry Wrong
Nick, Aaron Carter's Sister Dead At 25
Polo-playing Mogul Adopts His Girlfriend As His Daughter
Suzanne Somers, Joyce Dewitt Bury Rivalry, Stage 'Three's Company' Reunion
The Biggest Risk To Facebook's Success: Mark Zuckerberg?
30 YEARS: Letterman's Best Moments
What A Wreck! Sunken Treasure Found
What I.Q. Study Reveals About Racists
10 Things That Mean Less Than A Trump Endorsement
WHAT A LOSER: Entire Town Wins $950-Million Jackpot Except One Man
Smallest Woman Has Big Political Dreams
Two-Faced Kitten Born In Florida
The 19 Most Fun-Loving Colleges
Photos: Adorable Cats Sleeping
The Most Awkward 'Romantic' Photos - Ever (PICTURES)
3-23-2007 @3:16PM alice radley said... The Catholic church hasa classified capybara and beaver as "fish", so they can be eaten on Fridays. Apparently, they are "fish" because they hang out in water. Weird!
Reply
3-23-2007 @5:32PM Rhea said... I have been aware of the capybara since I was a kid and I have always found it grotesque. No way would I eat it.
Reply
3-23-2007 @9:44PM Adriane said... Alice-
Hahaha- You're kidding me, right? That just defies all logic!
Reply
3-23-2007 @4:19PM cmonkey said... Reminds me of this:
http://www.slashfood.com/2006/06/24/nutria-the-other-white-swamp-rat/
Reply
3-23-2007 @4:32PM MRT said... Don't eat Speak!
Eating Capybaras is just plain wrong!
Reply
3-23-2007 @6:26PM Dmnkly said... Guinea pigs are regularly eaten in Peru, and there are plenty of Peruvian restaurants in the States that prepare them.
Or were they just banned?
Reply
3-23-2007 @5:46PM Dmnkly said... Guinea pigs are regularly eaten in Peru, and there are plenty of Peruvian restaurants in the States that prepare them.
Or were they just banned?
/snark
Reply
3-23-2007 @8:24PM Allison said... I've eaten nutria (swamp rat) in both Louisiana -- spicy -- and in Uruguay -- barbequed. Only remember it tasting basically like meat as I recall. However, now that I eat only organic, pasture-fed beef, pork and poultry, my taste buds remember again what each specific meat tastes like. Every mouthful is a treat and condiments have disappeared from my counter since it's a shame to mess with the flavor. Probably will have to try nutria since they too are herbivores.
Allison
Reply
3-23-2007 @6:12PM Allison said... I've eaten nutria (swamp rat) in both Louisiana -- spicy -- and in Uruguay -- barbequed. Only remember it tasting basically like meat as I recall. However, now that I eat only organic, pasture-fed beef, pork and poultry, my taste buds remember again what each specific meat tastes like. Every mouthful is a treat and condiments have disappeared from my counter since it's a shame to mess with the flavor. Probably will have to try nutria since they too are herbivores.
Allison
Reply
3-23-2007 @8:01PM alice radley said... The popularity of capybara meat in Venezuela is attributed to a 16th century theological decision by the Roman Catholic Church responding to queries by Venezuelan Catholics, that capybara meat is equivalent to fish meat for the purposes of Lent, and thus allowed its consumption during that time. The decision may have been taken on the basis of incomplete or inaccurate descriptions of the capybara available to the Church authorities in Rome. But this decision was never reversed, and to this day the capybara is the only warm-blooded animal with this status.
In the 17th century, based on a question raised by the Bishop of Quebec, the Roman Catholic Church ruled that the beaver was a fish for purposes of dietary law. Therefore, the general prohibition on the consumption of meat on Fridays during Lent does not apply to beaver meat. The legal basis for the decision probably rests with the Summa Theologica of Thomas Aquinas, which bases animal classification as much on habit as anatomy
Reply
3-23-2007 @8:01PM evan said... I can't imagine why not. We've got the pet and pest notions in the back of our mind, but if other people regularly eat it, I'll try it.
Rabbit = Capybara = Nutria
Reply
3-23-2007 @11:07PM Cristina said... "That just defies all logic!"
Welcome to Catholic Dogma.
Or cabybara-ma...?
Reply
3-23-2007 @11:43PM MJ said... No!!! Me no eat that meat..........Oh my. Are we in desperate times and starving?? Then.....no!!
Reply
3-29-2007 @6:49PM olesma said... I lived in souther Brazil for a while and they eat it there as well. I've had it and it tasted pretty darned good. Nice and lean with a tender texture.
Seriously, if someone didn't tell you what it was and you tried it you'd love it.
Reply
3-24-2007 @3:43PM Dr. Electro said... Never eaten capy but I've had some tasty rat, snake and mokney-on-a-stick in Viet Nam. Food's food when your belly is really empty.
Let's set the record straight on one thing. The rabbit is NOT a rodent. The rabbit's closest relative is the horse!! That's why all horses have harelip.
Reply
3-25-2007 @7:35PM Joe D. said... Would and have. Specifically guinea pig or cuy as they call it in Peru. Sadly the beast was almost devoid of flavor. All they did to prepare it was drop the butterflied critter in a fat fryer. The other day I dreamed of eating spit-roasted cuy in a local park where some Ecuadorian folks serve it. I can't wait until the weather warms up so I can sample some.
Reply
3-26-2007 @12:24PM richardt said... I've eaten some Musk Rat when I was younger; not bad, as far as I remember!
Reply
3-26-2007 @1:04PM Colin said... Rodents of Unusual Size? I don't believe they exist...
Reply
3-30-2007 @8:07AM STAN said... How about squirrel. They are a rodent and they are eaten all over the U.S. and the world. I have served it to people and they enjoyed it. Although some did change their minds after I told them what it was.
Reply
3-30-2007 @8:21AM JEFF said... I WOULD SAY NAAASTY, BUT I WOULD NEVER SAY NEVER. I MAY HAVE ALREADY EATIN ONE OR ALL OF THE ABOVE. THESE DAYS YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU ARE EATING WHEN DINING OUT. JEFF
Reply