Raccoon Meat Making a Comeback - The Recession Cookbook
I've run across all sorts of stories this year about exotic eco-meats, from camel steaks to rat sandwiches. But that was all in a distant land called the non-US. Now, it looks like the trend has made it to North America. Cheap, carbon-friendly, and relatively safe -- raccoon meat is reportedly working its way back to the table in some American homes. Some call it the other dark meat, others call it disgusting, people are apparently warming up to the idea of eating the pervasive varmints. Why are people all of the sudden opening their minds to the previously taboo source of protein? Your guess is as good as mine. Though I'm sure that the low price tag doesn't hurt. Raccoon meat generally costs $3 to $7 -- per animal. And as I mentioned, it's pretty green as well. Still, others swear that they eat Rocky Raccoon for his delicious flavor. Maybe this quote from Missouri Department of Conservation biologist Jeff Beringer can help put it in perspecitve:
"During grad school, my roommate and I ate 32 coons one winter. It was all free, and it was really good. If you think about being green and eating organically, raccoon meat is the ultimate organic food."Personally, I prefer animals that don't eat out of my trashcan.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-14-2009 @ 11:58AM
ronEbear said...
Personally, I prefer food that does not have a mother.
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1-14-2009 @ 12:37PM
rlanei said...
Actually, all food has a mother. The main question is: does your food's mother care that you're eating her offspring?
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1-14-2009 @ 4:14PM
ronEbear said...
I boldly disagree with your statement. You are also taking my comment out of context at that.
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1-14-2009 @ 6:27PM
Sara said...
If you want to fully eco-friendly make-over your dinner plate - get the animals off there all together! Factory farming, over-fishing, etc is a major source of detriment to our environment (pollution, water consumption, allocation of land, etc)..not to mention the processing of pharmaceuticals for all those animal-food associated illnesses like cardiovascular disease and the scientific waste created by testing on animals for those drugs, to name a few.
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1-16-2009 @ 9:51AM
Karsten said...
Some people don't like to eat food that has a face. They don't explain what constitutes a "face". Now some don't eat food that has (or had?) a mother. Please define "mother" in this context, otherwise your argument can be stretched far and seems to be cute rather than good. Do caterpillars or bugs have mothers? Can you avoid eating insects even if you try to only eat vegetables? When you grow food for survival you compete against other living beings who want the same food. Someone will die in the process.
Eating wild animals, especially if they are around in numbers too high for an eco-system AND if they are killed fast, seems reasonable. Most human hunters kill faster and less cruel than Mother Nature. Stay away from industrially produced animal products though. Other than pleasing your taste buds and allowing you to keep a bad, destructive habit going, there is nothing "good" about it.
Enjoy being picky about what you eat. Most people on this planet do not have this luxury and it may not last long where you live either.
Karsten
http://www.polluteless.com
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