Thailand Ranks 3rd In Asia When It Comes To Eating Rat Meat

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Thailand Ranked 3rd in Asia When It Comes to Eating Rat Meat

BANGKOK: -- Who would have thought? We've been hearing about the dog trade for weeks now. News of stray dogs being smuggled to neighboring countries. Today, we're met with even more shocking news. It turns out that Thailand is among several Asian countries which have a taste for rat meat. We're sure many of our readers are cringing at this very moment, but it certainly makes for interesting news.

Official numbers reveal that Thailand imports three tons of rat meat from Cambodia a day...yes, a day! This number does not include the amount of rats that are caught and eaten in vast farmlands across the north, northeast, and central parts of the country. The kingdom is ranked third behind Cambodia and Laos when it comes to consuming the meat of the small whiskered creatures.

For those of you wondering how Thais can stomach the dirty little animals, we must make it clear that when we say rat meat, we're not talking about sewer rats found in city areas. We're talking mostly of farm rats in the countryside which are believed to be much cleaner and toxic free.

Apparently, the practice has been a part of Indochina civilization for centuries. It is believed, although not proven, that the agricultural based countries of the region are more inclined to such delicacies. Farmers catch rodents to prevent them from damaging the crops. Said rodents end up on the supper table that evening. It has been reported that such tastes can be found in Thailand, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

The cultures of other ASEAN countries such as Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines were highly influenced by the West and theoretically don't have such preferences.

Rat meat eating locals in Thailand are found mostly in the northeastern provinces. However, people in the north and central parts of the country are also found to have a taste for it. Provinces such as Udon Thani and Supanburi are widely known for the trade.

So how do Thais prefer their rat meat? Mostly, we like them grilled, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside. However, it is also widely found that rat meat is used in spicy Thai soups as well.

And make no mistake! The rat meat does not come cheap. Prices range from 180 to 250 baht per kilogram. So far, there is no known brand name for rat meat traders, but who knows, we could have a whole new business just waiting to be discovered.

Translated from www.manager.co.th

-- Tan Network 2012-01-24

[GentlemanJim]

Well if we are talking metric tons that is about 10,000 -12,000 rats per day. Not much really when you look at the number of chickens consumed every day. But....ugh!

[BookMan]

Now i know what some of those unusual looking and tasting bits of meat have been in my spicy soups.

[Crossy]

Nothing wrong with the rats they eat here, it's not like they are the things that live in the sewers. No different to eating that other rodent that we Westerners consume (but Thai's often won't), rabbit.

[animatic]

Where's Edgar Friendly when we need an appropriate comment?

[cloudhopper]

3rd? Well it can't be the hub of everything I guess.

[jimbeam1]

When I lived in a village in Korat a Thai friend came over one evening, with a bowl of food and asked me to join him. It was after some time I was asked if I new what I was eating. Well for a start when it was prepared they done the same as they do with chicken, beat the crap out of it with a Machete, then put in so many Chillies the only thing I noticed was my mouth on fire and tiny splinters of bone sticking into the roof of my mouth. When I was told that it was Rat, I was a tad concerned, until they said that it wasn't village Rat but field Rat. As Crossy said, not much different than rabbit really. I was told to them it is a delicacy and I should be honoured that he came to share it with me and I was. He is one of the nicest guy's that I have ever met.

jb1

jb1

[toenail]

Amazing what fried, breaded mystery meat can go for, especially at cheap buffets

[yougivemebaby]

I've tried it.. Smells horrible but tastes great.. Let's call it the Durian of rodents LOL

[ratcatcher]

My wife regularly buys it on the way back from up north. Rice field rats skinned and barbecued. She chops them up very fine and it is eaten like larb by her family and friends.

I have nothing to do with their capture despite the obvious.

[Squigy]

As the old saying goes... "You are what you eat"!!!

[bigbamboo]

I hope it's not those boys from Kentucky again!

Edited January 24, 2012 by bigbamboo

[tlansford]

Nothing wrong with the rats they eat here, it's not like they are the things that live in the sewers. No different to eating that other rodent that we Westerners consume (but Thai's often won't), rabbit.

a little rabbit would be pretty tasting right about now....

You're right, of course. It is just social conditioning.

(ps: appreciate the advert from google on this page "Vegan Small Group Adventures... )

[tlansford]

And that's why I never eat at KFC!

ah the good old days, Kentucky Fried Noo

[w11guy]

Just the same as any other meat. Don't know why people find it so shocking.

[Soutpeel]

Just the same as any other meat. Don't know why people find it so shocking.

The funny thing about the article is the contradiction....its says "The cultures of other ASEAN countries such as Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines were highly influenced by the West and theoretically don't have such preferences" but then goes onto say..." It has been reported that such tastes can be found in Thailand, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia".......Burma, Vietnam and Cambodia were all colonies and influenced by the West as well !!

Finally Thailand is becoming a regional hub for something.....devouring Rats....well done Thailand.....TAT can use this in a new promotion "Come to Thailand and eat rat"

[ThePunPun]

When I lived in a village in Korat a Thai friend came over one evening, with a bowl of food and asked me to join him. It was after some time I was asked if I new what I was eating. Well for a start when it was prepared they done the same as they do with chicken, beat the crap out of it with a Machete, then put in so many Chillies the only thing I noticed was my mouth on fire and tiny splinters of bone sticking into the roof of my mouth. When I was told that it was Rat, I was a tad concerned, until they said that it wasn't village Rat but field Rat. As Crossy said, not much different than rabbit really. I was told to them it is a delicacy and I should be honoured that he came to share it with me and I was. He is one of the nicest guy's that I have ever met.

jb1

jb1

Its a miracle.....! ! ! I knew if I lived long enough, I would hear about something that didn't taste like chicken.....

[el jefe]

I've seen rats on menus in Vietnam and tried it there. It's no different than guinea pigs which are commonly eaten in the Andes Mtns and considered a delicacy.

Nor is rat much different than raccoon or squirrel, both of which I've seen (and tried) on menus in the US.

btw, rabbits are not rodents.

Eating any mammal is identical whether it's a cow, pig, lamb, dog or rat.

[tolstoy]

"Eating any mammal is identical whether it's a cow, pig, lamb, dog or rat."

Eating secondary or tertiary consumers is not the same as a primary. The higher you go up the food chain the higher the amount of toxic particles are trapped. Eating a plant that has had pesticides will not do as much damage to you as eating an animal that has been eating the plants that had pesticides. It is trapped in a higher abundance in the fat cells.

Rabbit as stated is not a rodent. Squirels are vegetarian and rats are not as strict and will eat whatever is available.

I will eat a lot of things but I will pass on rats, bats, and cats.

[el jefe]

"Eating any mammal is identical whether it's a cow, pig, lamb, dog or rat."

Eating secondary or tertiary consumers is not the same as a primary. The higher you go up the food chain the higher the amount of toxic particles are trapped. Eating a plant that has had pesticides will not do as much damage to you as eating an animal that has been eating the plants that had pesticides. It is trapped in a higher abundance in the fat cells.

Rabbit as stated is not a rodent. Squirels are vegetarian and rats are not as strict and will eat whatever is available.

I will eat a lot of things but I will pass on rats, bats, and cats.

Sorry, Tolstoy. I was referring to the ethics and morals of eating mammals, not the health effects. If you can eat a cow, you can eat a dog or a rat.

But since you brought up the health aspect of eating omnivores, from your statements above, can I assume that you think pigs and rats have equal health consequences?

[siampolee]

Eaten all manner of things in my life, it's dead it's cooked the locals survive after eating whatever it is or was so it's good enough for me.

Remember my military survival training from the 1960's, you will eat anything rather than starve. Below is just one of many situations that drive people to survive by losing their dogma's.( Dogma's, no pun intended)

Survivors of a plane crash who spent five days in freezing temperatures in Chile said they considered eating the pilot, a British newspaper reports.

According to The Guardian, the Cessna 208 was just 10 minutes from landing when it crashed into a Patagonian mountain near the border with Argentina on Saturday.

“We were flying in very bad conditions. There was rain and sleet. Suddenly, we went into a cloud and when we came out, we were in front of the mountain," passenger Jose Miguel Almonacid told The Guardian. "I managed to scream ‘watch out’ when I heard the explosion.”

The pilot, Nelson Bahamondes, survived the crash but died from blood loss two days later. "He had a cut on his head, a big wound and he lost lots of blood," said Victor Suazo, a Chilean police officer who was on board.

"We couldn't do anything for him and he died around noon on Monday."

As the small amount of food ran out, the survivors debated whether they should eat the pilot.

"We thought about the pilot, I don't know how to say it ... to feed ourselves from him. We thought about this, but some people were not in agreement because the situation was already so extreme," Suazo said.

In 1972, a plane carrying the Uruguayan rugby team crashed in the Andes and the survivors ate dead teammates. It was 72 days before they were rescued and their ordeal inspired the book and the 1993 film "Alive," starring Ethan Hawke and Josh Hamilton.

Read more:

http://www.foxnews.c...l#ixzz1kNnxEfZW

Edited January 24, 2012 by siampolee

[lungmi]

In the Netherlands they have high quoted restaurants with rat meat, the name of the rat is musk-rat (delicious)

[Mosha]

I'd be pretty miffed if it was my dog. However rat beef lamb rabbit horse. What's wrong with that

[TheWalkingMan]

Poor Ben...

Edited January 24, 2012 by TheWalkingMan

[h90]

I hope it's not those boys from Kentucky again!

KFR

Kentucky Fried Rat?

[avidflyer]

To me, it's about the same as eating squirrel. But we fried squirrel back home in Texas. The times I have eaten rat in Thailand it had been cooked over an open fire and tasted mostly of smoke. Sorta dry to my taste, but okay. Not much meat on those critters.

[letitbe]

Well if we are talking metric tons that is about 10,000 -12,000 rats per day. Not much really when you look at the number of chickens consumed every day. But....ugh!

Well if we are talking metric tons that is about 10,000 -12,000 rats per day. Not much really when you look at the number of chickens consumed every day. But....ugh!

its actually quite nice and when we travel from BKK to Chiang Mai they are always selling roasted rat by side of road. Its no different than eating any other animal

[noitom]

"And make no mistake! The rat meat does not come cheap. Prices range from 180 to 250 baht per kilogram. So far, there is no known brand name for rat meat traders, but who knows, we could have a whole new business just waiting to be discovered".

Just imagine that!! Boy oh boy are the Thais clever! They've figured out that this rat meat is not cheap, must have great margins, and there is no "brand name" yet. My word they are on to it!! The Thais will do it again- they will invent an entire new food group and marketing segment. Call the BOI, let's get the checkbooks out. What a return we can get with this- sell it fresh killed ready to cook, or quick serve, already grilled "the ways Thais like it" - crispy on the outside, moist on the inside. Let's hand it to the Thais - they can do it. They can be the "hub" of rat meat - cooked or raw, frozen or fresh, served with rice and the vegetable of your choice or cooked and smothered in soups and chllies. Oh man these Thais are clever from the catching and hunting all the way through the marketing and distribution. What know how. Rat meat grilled crispy and moist inside- why didn't someone else think of this? Leave to the Thais - what a genius creative, inventive culture.

[Nisa]

Why would Thailand need to import and pay for rats when there are plenty here.

[balo]

Nothing can beat the Cambodian rats , maybe thats why Thais import it.

In PP they serve fried rats in some restaurants.