Posted on 12/01/2006 2:33:53 PM PST by shrinkermd
When a food safety inspector walked into a market in Queens, he noticed the store had an interesting special posted on its front window: 12 beefy armadillos. In Brooklyn, inspectors found 15 pounds of iguana meat at a West Indian market and 200 pounds of cow lungs for sale at another market. At a West African grocery in Manhattan, the store was selling smoked rodent meat from a refrigerated display case. An inspector quickly seized a couple pounds of it.
All of it was headed for the dinner table. All of it was also illegal.
Authorities say the discoveries are part of a larger trend in which markets across New York are buying meat and other foods from unregulated sources and selling them to an immigrant population accustomed to more exotic fare.
State regulators have responded by stepping up enforcement, confiscating 65 percent more food through September than they did in all of 2005.
The seizures also cast a spotlight on the eating habits of this ethnically diverse city, where everything from turtles and fish paste to frogs and duck feet make their way onto people's plates.
"At one time or another, we've probably seen about everything," said Joseph Corby, director of the state's Division of Food Safety and Inspection.
In an attempt to stamp out the activity, Corby's agency has ramped up efforts, working with the Food and Drug Administration, to prevent this illicit food from reaching store shelves.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Yes! I remember that song, but I never knew any more than the first two lines!
My life is complete.
Three of these are fairly common fare - the author has lived a sheltered life.
You can get snapper soup (turtle) and frog's legs in restaurants serving plain old American food. If you've eaten in a Thai restaurant, you had something or other made with fish paste. I never heard of a dish including duck feet though.
Pigeons are not indigenous to North America. They were imported by settlers as a food source.
Turns out everything old is new again.
Fawlty offered rat to the health inspector, but of course Manuel referred to it as "Hawmster".
You can do both! ;)
But the potential for serious disease is real, and it's a good bet that many of these poor immigrants don't have health insurance. So if they do get some strange disease from uncooked whatzit meat, they'll be in the ICU, getting treated on the taxpayer's dollar. Given that situation, and the risk of contaminating safe food supplies that most people prefer, some kind of regulation may make sense here.
Maybe someone should check our refrigerators daily to make sure that package of USDA inspected ground beef hasn't been thawed too long. While we're saving medical expenses, let's make children prove they have coverage to ride a bike or play ball. Both these activities cause more hospital visits than eating mystery meat.
You don't eat the cute animals, you make them into fur coats ;^)
That's the beauty, you can do both. It wasn't that long ago that some restaurants served marsh hare which was muskrat.
LOL.
Those are Rock Doves. We have wild Band Tailed pigeons that require a degree in Chemistry to cook properly...
That's the "Rat Temple" in Deshnok, Rajasthan.
I've been to Chinese restaurants where duck (and chicken) feet have been on the menu, though I've never been interested in trying them.
Mark
"Extro-Primo-Good, Mr. Fawlty!"
"Don't mind him. He's from Barcelona."
Mark
"Located next to the Sex Change Hospital"
Sorry about this, but I'm now forced to post it...
Right next to a KFC at 47th and Troost in Kansas City is a Planned Parenthood clinic.
Mark
I surrender...you win
lol mystery meat- they must not eat at McDonalds or they'd think nothign of the meat they found in those places- McDonalds uses raidioactive mystery meat lol http://sacredscoop.com
Ketchup extra.
Terry Pratchett fans understand.
Moral of the story: God declared all meats clean. If you can kill it, grill it.
What's for supper,,,,Ping....;0)
mmmmmmmmm.......Got fries with that ?...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.