Posted on 02/06/2008 12:53:32 PM PST by BurbankKarl
According to the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Rat begins tomorrow. But here it may have started sooner: Unexpected changes in Vietnam's food chain and diet have sparked a rodent-eating bonanza.
In Tu Son, a small village sitting near the banks of the Red River, rat hunter Ngo Minh Tam reckons "99%" of the people regularly dine on rat meat, an estimate local street vendor Nguyen Thi Le supports. "I've sold two kilos [almost 4.5 pounds] in the past quarter hour," she boasts, displaying a large metal bowl of skinned and cleaned bodies.
Rat-based cuisine is beginning to catch on in the big cities as well. Handwritten signs in some of the backstreets of Hanoi offer cash in return for freshly caught rat. "Both Vietnamese and foreign tourists are eating more rat meat these days," says Pham Huu Thanh, proprietor of the Luong Son Quan restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, the former southern capital Saigon. Mr. Thanh serves rat grilled with lemon grass or roasted in garlic for around 60,000 Vietnamese dong, or $4, a serving. (Rat may taste like chicken, but with a tiny rat drumstick between your fingers, it's hard to pretend it really is.)
Rats have been a delicacy in Vietnam's rural areas for centuries, with recipes dating back 150 years. For a long time, however, this country's big city folk were generally less enthusiastic, often associating the animals more with garbage-digging vermin than mouth-watering entrees.
But in 2004, flare-ups of bird flu claimed scores of lives here and prompted many diners to search for alternative sources of protein. Demand went up, but paradoxically supply did too. That's because rats' natural predators -- snakes and cats -- are increasingly finding themselves on the menus of posh restaurants frequented by wealthy Vietnamese
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Dad said they used to eat at the roadside stands and carts on his two tours. He said you did not look close and just put more siracha or nuoc mam on.
Hell ours started yesterday on super Tuesday.
Nguyen Huy Duc stir-fries some rat. Smoking seems to help mask the smell.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid452319854/bctid1405300811
Here is a video - with the coming global depression, some good tips on preparing rat.
I don't care what I smoke or how much, it's still RAT........
Man: Strawberry tart?!
Woman: Well it's got some rat in it.
Man: How much?
Woman: Three. Rather a lot, really.
Man: ... well, I'll have a slice without so much rat in it.
Rat-on-a-stick!.............Get your Rat-on-a-stick right here!.......no shoving, please!......
For conservatives, the 4 years of the Rat starts with the presumptive GOP nominee.
OK, who ordered the Apple Brown Ratty?
When life gives you rats, make ratatouille.
That there is a Muskrat.
That’s a pretty skinny red rat. Must be like Krystals. Gimme a dozen with extra nuoc mam.
"Year of the Rat is good,right?"
Rat gumbo, fried rat, rat sandwich, rat stew, rat bbq,
rat sushi, rat cordon bleu, rat casserole, rat pizza, rat catcatorre, rat souffle....thats about it for now. courtesy of “Bubba Gump Rat Co”.
................. Served at the upscale restaurants...freshly picked too. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, mangia....
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