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

[toenail]

Rat eaters should come to Pattaya- 4 and 2 legged ones endless scatter about

[Bakseedaa]

Do they take their Red Shirts off first, before they skin and cook those Rats...or wait till they have become politicians..?

[Xonax]

Bon Appetit!

[Xonax]

These little fellows can grow quite big. See the big one in the end of this clip:

I remember that I recently saw a TV program on Travel Channel "Bizarre Foods" with host Andrew Zimmern, where he showed how people in Cambodia could make a living from catching rats for eating in the sewers of Pnom Penh. Maybe these are being exported to Thailand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5mkYcQmVSA

Rats in the rice fields are very rare these days, due to severe hunting, so most rats for eating are definitely not from the rice fields, but caught in the cities, where there are still plenty to catch in the underground. And who will notice the difference?

Edited January 25, 2012 by Xonax

[belg]

^when the wife buyes some streetfood to eat, i wonder or think a lot of times this must be rat or some other rodent... not surprised

[thaiIand]

Rats in the rice fields are very rare these days, due to severe hunting, so most rats for eating are definitely not from the rice fields, but caught in the cities, where there are still plenty to catch in the underground. And who will notice the difference?

true or not, thats why i always make sure my meat comes from a large international company as CP

Its thailand and people are crooks, have to be carefull.

[PattayaParent]

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.

Except that rat is much tastier than rabbit.

[hhiser]

How is this considered news? Eight years ago when I moved to Thailand I saw it in the market. Not only that, but it is labeled a "Must Read". What is the next breaking hot topic "Safety Standards in Thailand are very lax?

[tcris52]

I remember seeing a documentary on a restaurant in France that was renowned for its rat, prepared with a gravy. That's all they served and they were packed. Again, these weren't the ghetto rats, but they were huge river rats.

[wackysleet]

Moshe, you Yorkshiremen will eat anything.

David.

[IAMHERE]

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

Begs the question: So what are you ?

Easy to make ridicule of others when you don't have to put up.

[IAMHERE]

Moshe, you Yorkshiremen will eat anything.

David.

I've eaten when I'm hungry, especially when I was poor and hungry. Besides, much of this rat is pet food; if not then you are just using your value judgements to insult Thai's and what they think is good to eat.

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

So many of you (including myself) that have nothing else to do today...? I just came in from the garden to have lunch and thought I would sign on to read the latest...No...I am not having rat today...

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

I remember seeing a documentary on a restaurant in France that was renowned for its rat, prepared with a gravy. That's all they served and they were packed. Again, these weren't the ghetto rats, but they were huge river rats.

River rat...ghetto rat...A rat is a rat....is a rat...Do they serve it with its little claws and head like they sell chickens here...? Edited January 25, 2012 by TeddyFlyfisherDavis

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

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.

Except that rat is much tastier than rabbit.

Only if buried in tomato sauce...

[wackysleet]

IAMHERE.

What are you going on about, I was having a joke with a friend of mine and had nothing to do with Thais love of rats so get a life.

[Payboy]

I've relished a few rats in my time here - Chalongrat, Nareerat, Pimonrat.......

[Jerrytheyoung]

My wife family is eating rats, because it is cheap. My wife says it is horrible, must be boiled a very long time.

The truth is not for taste but for survival that they are eating rats.

[jackcorbett]

Is this what we are talking about here? My gf and I bought these two rats one year ago while returning from her parents place in Korat. Suddenly our taxi driver became very excited as he exclaimed, "Rat, Rat." Then he veered off the road to buy a rat from a roadside vendor. My gf and I joined him. She wanted one too, so I bought these two. One or two evenings later she cooked both rats and I have to say I ate most of one of them.

We visited her parents again returning two weeks ago. Her father in particular gets into all these weird things to eat. One morning I saw him diving into a pig's head. That's it...a head and nothing else. He had the skull opened and was carving away at the meat inside that head. The next day, very proud of himself, he showed us a rat that caused a ruckus in the middle of the night and he managed to kill it. He cooked it and ate it in less than 12 hours.

[joesohum]

• can anyone authenticate the truth of this story? it seems a little like a bangkok post article where they report rumours as much as truths.
  

[khaowong1]

I'm sorry to hurt anyones feelings, but no way am I eating a rat. I don't like rabbit or squirrel or snake and pretty certain I wouldn't like rats either.

[bestofbothworlds27]

URGH!! I'm so freaking stubborn!! I don't eat meat but I was so curious that I clicked on this news and YES! I THREW UP!!..shows how the curiosity killed the cat!! and not the rat:P

Edited January 25, 2012 by metisdead
Font reset, use default forum font when posting.

[Brewsta]

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"

Perhaps an agency should be created: RAT- Rodents Are Thailand? Just a thought.

Edited January 25, 2012 by Brewsta

[anterian]

Mine must have been an old rat, it was as tough as boiled leather!

[alanferdi]

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!

I like the way they differentiate the rats... I was in Pattaya and rats were running along the road along with frogs and the Thais were shopping!!! I dont think they mattered if it was sewer or Farm. I think people should be educated of the dangers regardless of "West" or "East" There are animals at the bottom of the food chain that can harm and humans at the top that have brains.

[wxyz]

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.

Rodentia does not include rabbits; rabbits differ from rodents in having an extra pair of incisors and in other skeletal features. Rabbits, hares, and a few other species make up the Lagomorpha.

Edited January 25, 2012 by wxyz

[wxyz]

OMG, they ate Mickey & Minnie Mouse

Edited January 25, 2012 by wxyz

[metisdead]

An off topic post lobbying members to sign a petition has been removed:

29) Not to lobby members.

[wxyz]

I wish they would eat the city rats, the place is lousy with them.

Edited January 25, 2012 by wxyz

[BradWalker]

Eaten it, not bad but quite a few bones. Better than the small birds that sometimes wind up on the dinner table and superior to all insects save the Maengda beetle.