Why can we eat some animals and not others?

[Mandrew968]

Non-ordinary (American) meat I have eaten

deer

frog legs

eel

lamb

fish eyes

fertilized chicken eggs, duck eggs

all sort of mollusks

duck

squab

quail

krill

Eaten all except eel, fish eyes & krill. - Except giant Krill (Lobster!)

Buffalo (Bison) is delicious! Antelope is OK, kinda dry. Goat is good, especially curried. Rabbit is pretty good too.

Elk is good, Pheasant is great, Bear is greasy , Turtle is OK, Rattle Snake is not too bad.

In some South Florida neighborhoods, Sopa de Gato is a staple food.

Ron, you have never had BBQ eel at your local sushi restaurant??? One of my favorites.

[BigFrond]

Oh yeah, I have eaten wild boar and buffalo. Eel is just fish.

Moose have eaten antelope, deer, and elk. I wonder if he have eaten any moose.

[Jason Baker Portugal]

I think that meat is meat and it is absurd to eat a pig or a cow and then turn around and forbid eating any other animal. I don't like eating animals and I try not to, even fish. Meat-eaters eat meat. That's how it is. cheers and bom apetite. Jason

[paulgila]

eel is pretty tasty, but to me only the freshwater variety.

i am a big fan of uni(sea urchin roe),which alot of people seem to find "challenging"

[Funkthulhu]

Growing up in a family of hunters, I've often toyed with writing a book simply entitled: "Animals I Have Eaten".

I'd have to have a section at least for each major animal group; reptiles, birds, fish, amphibians, and Mammals...

[amazondk]

When I was young my family used to spend time regulary in Hardin, Montana where my grandmother lived. Hardin is on the edge of the Crow indian reservation. I remember quite vividly seeing the indian women wrapped in blankets sucking on raw beef kidneys like they were popsicles. I guess it was a hold over from the days when the bison ruled the plains. Also the indians in my home town are known to make puppy stew from time to time. I do not believe any animals are toxic to humans so I guess you can eat anything that walks if you want to. A few years ago Samsung imported a large amount of workers to put in a new factory in the Manaus free zone. I do no know if it is actually true, but a lot of the stray dogs came up missing. A friend of mine runs a sawmill in Suriname that belongs to a Chinese company. The cook in the forest operation kitchen is a Fillipino and from the stories I heard he regulary fattens up a dog for consumption. Then he breaks it´s legs and ties it in the sun for a few days until he kills it for food. This is apparently a way of softening up the meat. A bit cruel though. One thing I notice is that from what I remember armericans do not normally leave the heads on fish when they cook them. At least in Montana they don´t.. Around here they always cook fish with the heads on. A lot of people love eating fish heads. And, some also eat cow and pig heads roasted. In fact it is not hard to see pig heads for sale in some butcher shops around town. Sometimes they hang them out by the door.

I guess taste is a totally relative thing driven by culture.

dk

[paulgila]

I guess taste is a totally relative thing driven by culture.

dk

[DoomsDave]

Hmm.

SMALL deep fried fish heads are good! The opercula (gill covers) come out all crispy like chips. The jawbone comes out all crunchy, and the eyes and brain come out all chewy.

I lived with a Chinese gentleman as my roommate in law school, and he and the other Chinese thought Americans were freaky about fish heads. ("It's giving me the evil eye!") I told them about that and they just laughed, then tried to scare me with some serious chinese delicacies, at the infamous Young Ho. Delicacies included: blood cake, perserved beef tendon (good!), chitlins in hot sauce, pork tripe six different ways (all tasted terrible), and bitter melon.

Chinese consider the head to be the best part of the fish, and the guest of honor is always offered it. They don't trust fish without the head. Helps to ID what kind of fish it is, so you know you're getting what your paying for. Plus, the gills (nice and red) are the tell-all for freshness.

[paulgila]

i am eating duck for lunch right now!!!!

[John in Andalucia]

Certainly we should eat any animal that would eat us.

[paulgila]

if it comes down to them or me,i agree.

if i hafta go out & actually HUNT something i would be more inclined to try & catch something that doesnt want anything to do with me & just

eats grass.

[DoomsDave]

Ah!

Would Monsieur like some Peter Puma, Cordon Bleu?