Thai diners show appetite for rat

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.

"It's better than chicken," one customer told the AP news agency.

'Nothing can compete'

"It all depends what you like, but it's a normal meat like any other," added Thongyu Roruchit.

quote:

They are definitely clean
Rat vendor Sala Prompim

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.

Mr Prompim said he only used rats caught from rice fields, and not those found in towns or cities.

"They are definitely clean," he said.

The animals are killed by drowning, before being skinned ready for cooking - poached, fried, grilled or baked.

Mr Prompim says he sells as much as 100kg of rat meat on some days.


Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/business/7230233.stm

Published: 2008/02/06 12:33:58 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

Noo I don't believe it.

Richard

Is that a big Gnu

mmmmmmmmmmm yummy

Personally I prefer kai mot daeng when in season.

But my stepson and his mates are happy to go out all night to catch one rat for breakfast....so they can't taste that bad

quote:

Originally posted by Simon Parry:
Personally I prefer kai mot daeng when in season.

Who? You or the rats

Bit mean to kill the rats when they are enjoying themselves, as for you I guess whatever turns you on, must admit I always thought it was oysters myself

quote:

Bit mean to kill the rats when they are enjoying themselves

Apparently you can get 2 rats with one shot

quote:

Personally I prefer kai mot daeng when in season.

IS there a season?
The Glorious 9th maybe. Hordes of tweed clad beaters marching through the jungle beating the tree tops for ant's nests? Specially trained soi dog spaniels lolling round their flip-flops and a social lao khao at the kill or packs of specially trained chang with mahoots in hunting pink crashing through the undergrowth? Tally Ho!

quote:

Originally posted by packpao:
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.

Well he would say that, he's a rat seller.

Personally, I've tried it, they have been selling rat on the market all the time I've been here..... and as the nose and eyes are just as important as the taste..... I'll stick to chicken.

quote:

Originally posted by rolyshark:

quote:

Personally I prefer kai mot daeng when in season.

IS there a season?
The Glorious 9th maybe. Hordes of tweed clad beaters marching through the jungle beating the tree tops for ant's nests? Specially trained soi dog spaniels lolling round their flip-flops and a social lao khao at the kill or packs of specially trained chang with mahoots in hunting pink crashing through the undergrowth? Tally Ho!

I can't wait for the rain to start again (not a drop for three months now) the endless crrrk crrrk crrrk sound of frogs whose only purpose on the planet appears to be for the amusement of Thai blokes on motorcy's with a torch on their heads and carrying a bucket.


P.S. I've tried frog too...... and I'll still stick to chicken thanks.

Rat is OK, probably more meat on them than those country chickens, and not as crunchy as frog. Free range, too! Jamie Oliver will be booking his flights .......

I gues the term don't knock it til you have tried it applies.

But.......... I wonder how many of us have already eaten it in a late night pizza restaurant or kebab shop and not known about it?

Bring on the Ratatouille!!!

quote:

the endless crrrk crrrk crrrk sound of frogs

Not to mention the "ung-arrs"...

Last time i was in Phanom Sarakham there was a massive rainstorm. The next morning there was a croaking mess all over the local road where the local hoppers had all been squashed by the pickup trucks and tuk-tuks. It rained so much I had a freshwater crab trying to attack my toes while i was eating my tea.

We went to a friends home and I was relaying the story in my best Thai when I was ushered into the bathroom to see something unusual.... There in the shower was a big sack full of frogs croaking. There must have been about 100 in there.

Bee then told me about all the locals going out hunting for the frogs when they have the storms...

I was offered the chance to buy a few for tea but politely declined. The poor things looked hopping mad

quote:

Originally posted by rolyshark:

quote:

the endless crrrk crrrk crrrk sound of frogs

Not to mention the "ung-arrs"...

Ahh the "ung arrs" the Motorhead of the amphibian world. I have never seen one but fully expect to find it lolling infront of a speaker stack with the volume set to LOUD

Richard

quote:

The Glorious 9th maybe. Hordes of tweed clad beaters marching through the jungle beating the tree tops for ant's nests? Specially trained soi dog spaniels lolling round their flip-flops and a social lao khao at the kill or packs of specially trained chang with mahoots in hunting pink crashing through the undergrowth? Tally Ho!

A great image this conjures up Roly .

Keep taking the LSD mate

quote:

Originally posted by rolyshark:
[The Glorious 9th maybe. Hordes of tweed clad beaters marching through the jungle beating the tree tops for ant's nests? Specially trained soi dog spaniels lolling round their flip-flops and a social lao khao at the kill or packs of specially trained chang with mahoots in hunting pink crashing through the undergrowth? Tally Ho!

With anti blood sport protesters following close behind in tuk tuks and putting the dogs off the scent with nam prik

BUT, on a serious note, according to popular belief, potential disaster if by chance the chang met the gnu head on

Rat is my favourite meat and to me it really does taste far better than others, prefer it to lamb! However on hearing that the rats are drowned I was quite shocked!

From now on I will ask for the extra water content to be taken into account when paying by the kilo

quote:

BUT, on a serious note, according to popular belief, potential disaster if by chance the chang met the gnu head on

Only if the snakes can't spell

quote:

Originally posted by axel1974:
Bee then told me about all the locals going out hunting for the frogs when they have the storms...

I think I preferred the hunting part to actually eating them. It would be a lot more difficult if the silly things didn't sleep with their eyes open, perfectly reflecting the light from the 'Torchy' contraptions!

Tasty enough but far too many bones for my liking.

I was a bit better at that than digging for crabs in the rice fields .....

i agree gordie

far too many bones for my liking

quote:

Originally posted by rolyshark:

Only if the snakes can't spell

Ooops must be a rat-tle-snake

quote:

I was a bit better at that than digging for crabs in the rice fields .....

That brings back memories...I used to go with my mother-in-law to dig for crabs and little frogs. Never once did I find any of the little perishers, whilst she was finding one after the other and laughing at my vain attempts !