There tasty tasty very very tasty there very tasty..

[papa_soda]

Was ganna put this in the Food section but as there isnt 1 here will do as its off the BBC news website...

 

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.

 

 

 

 

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.

[Dr.Winston]

I have seen them with huge rats in cages ready for the curry pot yummy!

 

The rats that they eat are scientifically the same species of Brown Rat that you would find in your local sewer. In England the indigenous rat was the Black Rat which is now as good as extinct in the UK.

 

The common Brown Rat arrived here in ships from Asia and was so successful that it rapidly replaced the Black Rat.

 

Although it is the same species as the Rat we know as a pest the ones that they catch and eat in upcountry Thailand live comparatively clean lives in the Paddy fields where they are captured so are a lot less likely to be a health risk. The Thais call them "Nuu Naa" which translates as Paddy field Rats.

 

Thanks for the article Kenshi

Edited February 6, 2008 by panyaa

[Gobby]

its scary to think where they are getting there rat from.. they say rice fields.. but how would you know?..wouldnt it be cheaper and faster to catch it from the back of a sewer?.. ... money is money....55555

[Mavrick]

When I was in Thailand in December and went to Burriam with RudieK to see his girl we saw rats and other funny looking things for sale and trust me people was buying them mile minute.

[Shuggy]

Have seen field mouse on the menu in Vietnam before though i never tried it. According to the waiter they only used mice caught in rice paddies. Yummy!!!

[Dr.Winston]

its scary to think where they are getting there rat from.. they say rice fields.. but how would you know?..wouldnt it be cheaper and faster to catch it from the back of a sewer?.. ... money is money....55555

 

Yes, good point.

[gogo dog]

Last time I went to Isaan the GFs father barbequed some rats. Very tasty indeed. Highly recommended.

[LaaMok]

get ya rat out