Bird flu-scared Cambodians turn to eating rats **New FAST FOOD ATKINS LowCarb**

The Straits Times ^ | Feb 17 2004

[carlo3b]

FEB 17, 2004 Bird flu-scared Cambodians turn to eating rats PHNOM PENH (Cambodia) - Fear of catching bird flu from eating chicken has prompted some people in north-west Cambodia to resort to eating rats, a newspaper reported on Tuesday. Rats have been fetching good prices in Battambang province during the last two weeks, according to newspaper Rasmei Kampuchea, or the Light of Cambodia. The newspaper said villagers catch the rodents in nearby rice fields and sell them for up to 1,400 riel (35 US cents) each to market vendors, who resell the meat for about 1,800 riel per kilogram. 'I started selling rat meat over two weeks ago when people became afraid of eating chickens for fear of getting infected with bird flu,' 38-year-old vendor Chhun Sarom was quoted as saying. He added that he sold up to 60kg of rat meat a day. People eat the rat meat with rice or as a snack while drinking alcohol. -- AP Copyright @ 2004 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Many years ago, my mom and I visited a nice hotel restaurant in Bangkok and ordered Pud Thai, the national dish of Thailand.
It was served with fresh-caught honeybees.

[carlo3b]

BIG HUGGGGG .. sigh.. :)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Snagging season for spoonbill starts March 15. If you want something that tastes like dirt, come on down.

[Howie]

Aren't squirrels rodents? I have a great recipe.

[Arrowhead1952]

How did you get all the Dean dumbocRATs into that cage?

[krb]

People eat the rat meat with rice or as a snack while drinking alcohol. -- AP

Sounds like their version of "wings."

[sheik yerbouty]

Maybe we can export 'rats to Cambodia!

[carlo3b]

Wonderful recipe... Thanks ...:)

 A Quickie LowCarb Taco Casserole

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese


 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).
1) Sauté and brown the ground beef, in a heavy skillet, and drain fat.
2) Mix in dry taco seasoning.
3) Spoon browned meat into a 9x13 inch glass baking dish.
4) Spoon a layer of refried beans over meat, then salsa. Top with shredded cheese.
Bake about 20 to 25 minutes. Enjoy!
 
Makes 8 servings

LowCarb is a copyrighted trademark of Morelli Enterprises Inc.

[aruanan]

Bird flu-scared Cambodians turn to eating rats **New FAST FOOD ATKINS LowCarb**

Judging from their speed when I tried to kill them in the Dominican Republic, rats would be true fast food.

[mylife]

Where is the recipe for the Rat Tart? ;^)

[Cronos]

They've been eating rats in India for centuries.

I thought they were Vegetarians.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

No way. Cows are untouchable tho.

[angkor]

This should give pause to all of those worldly guys looking East

Hah.

As I said, not eveyone eats this wierd stuff. The Saigon Vietnamese don't eat dogs or cats (even they are grossed out by it), but there are enough Hanoians in Saigon to support a thriving "Dog Street" which I won't discuss in any detail, use your imagination.

As for Cambodia, I don't know how many times I turned down the 10 cent, plastic baggie full of roast locusts. Yuch. The kids come running through the restaurants offering them as an appetizer.

[shadowman99]

LO-CARB GENERAL TSO'S RAT

---

1 1/2 lb. Rat, cut into bite-sized pieces
3/4 c. soy flour
2 eggs
1/4 c. soy sauce
oil for frying

Mix flour, eggs, and soy sauce. Coat rat pieces in
batter and fry in batches. Set aside.

3/4 c. rat broth
1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. sugar substitue (Splenda, et. al.)
2 T. no-carb thickener (Thicken/Thin NOTSugar)
2 T. no-carb thickener (Thicken/Thin NOTStarch)
2 T. sesame oil

Mix all and keep in refrigerator until cooking time.

1 c. chopped scallions
12-16 pickled hot peppers, rinsed and dried
fried chicken pieces from above
sauce mixture from above
2-4 T. peanut oil

Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add peppers (carefully!)
and cook 1 minute. Add rat and scallions, cook 2
minutes, stirring constantly. Add sauce mixture, cook
until sauce reduces, stirring constantly.

This dish is normally served with spam, but on a low-carb
diet, consider using steamed or stir-fried veggies as the
side. Regardless, the side should be bland enough to take
away some of the heat of the rat.

[angkor]

I just recalled, the Hawaiin Puppy recipe is in Unmentionable Cuisine, which unfortunately is now out of print.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Soaring Feather]

[stanz]

How could you? I almost lost my breakfast.

[ErnBatavia]

villagers catch the rodents in nearby rice fields and sell them for up to 1,400 riel (35 US cents) each to market vendors, who resell the meat for about 1,800 riel per kilogram.

This just doesn't compute, unless their rats are the size of poodles...

[upchuck]

I understand rat tastes like chicken. LOL