Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Rat Meat

Here’s a market that’s picking up. 

Thai fast food sellers are enjoying a boom in rat sales, as people learn to love the taste of the rodent.

While rat has long been eaten in Thailand’s poorer northern regions, a growing number of the country’s roadside vendors are now serving it up.

The rats are drowned and sold uncooked or ready to eat, with happy customers purchasing rat meat for as much as 150 baht ($4.82; £2.30) a kilogram.

And here’s something I didn’t know.

One rat seller, Sala Prompim, said that the hip and liver were the best cuts.

“It’s tastier than other meats - nothing can compete with rat,” he added.

(10) Comments
Posted by Owen at 2024 hrs
Off-Duty

  1. Maybe Hormel can start exporting cans of SPAT to Thailand.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 06, 2008 at 2210 hrs


  2. Some people do eat rat. I’ve been told they taste like chicken. The Thais must have mastered the art of rat meat; now they can identify which parts are the best cuts.

    Posted by Natashiya on February 06, 2008 at 2320 hrs


  3. Rat as a part of the diet is mentioned at various places in the Patrick O’Brian series of novels about the British Navy of the Napoleonic era—-the Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin novels.

    And of course, we regularly eat rabbit and (when available) squirrel—-even more delicious than rabbit.

    Posted by Leisureguy on February 06, 2008 at 2348 hrs


  4. Rat meat more expensive than hamburger or some steaks?
    Pretty soon, you can have a rat hunting season in New York or Chicago.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 06, 2008 at 2352 hrs


  5. They’re probably cooking rat to bring more luck in time for the Chinese New Year. Haha. How much meat could they get from small farm rats? I wonder how they taste.

    Posted by Eliana on February 07, 2008 at 0109 hrs


  6. “Great burger” - Sylvester Stallone as John Spartan in Demolition Man.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 07, 2008 at 0506 hrs


  7. This is another option in the market. But, I wonder how they taste it. Isn’t taste like a chicken?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 07, 2008 at 0547 hrs


  8. Lots of folks in Louisiana eat nutria, which is nothing more than a giant rat about the size of a big housecat.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 07, 2008 at 0941 hrs


  9. It’s the year of the rat.  I had some Capibara while I was in Brazil…  It’s the World’s largest rodent.  It’s wasn’t too bad.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 07, 2008 at 1115 hrs


  10. Rat is not Kosher.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 07, 2008 at 1948 hrs


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