And I thought ammo prices were bad

[lever-4-life]

Rat meat in demand in Cambodia as inflation bites
Wed Aug 27, 2:44 AM ET
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - The price of rat meat has quadrupled in Cambodia this year as inflation has put other meat beyond the reach of poor people, officials said on Wednesday.

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With consumer price inflation at 37 percent according to the latest central bank estimate, demand has pushed a kilogram of rat meat up to around 5,000 riel (69 pence) from 1,200 riel last year.

Spicy field rat dishes with garlic thrown in have become particularly popular at a time when beef costs 20,000 riel a kg.

Officials said rats were fleeing to higher ground from flooded areas of the lower Mekong Delta, making it easier for villagers to catch them.

"Many children are happy making some money from selling the animals to the markets, but they keep some for their family," Ly Marong, an agriculture official, said by telephone from the Koh Thom district on the border with Vietnam.

"Not only are our poor eating it, but there is also demand from Vietnamese living on the border with us."

He estimated that Cambodia supplied more than a tonne of live rats a day to Vietnam.

Rats are also eaten widely in Thailand, while a state government in eastern India this month encouraged its people to eat.

(Reporting by Ek Madra; Editing by Alan Raybould and Paul Tait)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080827/od_ ... bodia_rats

[Hagler]

...well, to quote a restaurant owner, during a hidden-camera, animal abuse sting, on ABC's Primetime Live, "Prefer rat. Dog too greasy!" I believe they were in Thailand.

Shawn

[gamekeeper]

Officials in an Indian state are encouraging people to eat rats to save money and conserve other food supplies.
Estimates say almost half of India's grain stocks are eaten by rodents out in the fields or warehouses.

Seems like they could use a few Air Rifles out there!

[Ysabel Kid]

Seems like they could use a few Air Rifles out there!

Sure does!

Actually, this does make a lot of sense (eating rats). They are pentiful. They destroy human and animal feed stocks. They carry diseases, especially when found in large numbers.

Eating them saves other meat resources. They don't take nearly the land or resources to feed compared to cows, sheep, pigs, etc. One actually reduces the population of the animal stealing your grains, and reduces the colony size limiting the spread of disease. The logic is impeccable, though I still don't think I want to eat a rat!

[Hobie]

Anyone who eats squirrel...

[Modoc ED]

Yeah but squirrels are cute and rats -- well, they just don't pass the cute test.

Having said that, I spent 24-years in the U. S. Navy and most of that was in Southeast Asia -- Japan, Phillippines, Thailand, WESTPAC, both on shore duty and aboard ship and we used to eat off the Soba Stands in Japan and hole in the wall joints wherever we were when we got hungry when on liberty.

No telling what passed through these old gums and teeth and ended up in the ole belly.

[Pop Watts]

Ammo prices are bad!!!!!!
Try to find a book titled "KING RAT"
The story of POW's in WWII in South East Asia who bread rats for food while held prisoner by Japanese forces.
Once you have read that book you may just buy some rat meat for yourself and family.
And let me go on record as saying that I think rats are cute.
Pop.

[gunslinger598]

I reckon the closest thing to rodent I've eaten is rabbit. (or may it is a rodent)

Lots of folks in this neck of the woods eat squirrel. I haven't tried it myself.

I did eat a Blue Jay once when I was a teen and campig with the idea we'd eat the fish we caught and didn't take supplies. We didn't catch fish either. Blue jay isn't half bad.

[MikeS.]

I've eaten a lot of squirrel over the years but I'd stay away from rats, cousins or not to squirrel. But if hungry enough...

On a related note I've had a mouse problem in the garage. I've killed 11 so far. Think I'm getting down to the very end. I've gone 2 days with no new kills and the bait is still in the traps. I use peanut butter nice and sticky and they like it.

[O.S.O.K.]

I guess they ran low on snake huh?

Snake is pretty good though really. Just don't breed fast enough.

Cockroaches would be good though. They multiply exponentially.

And if the rats are eating grain, then they're like rice fed right? Probably nice and tender. mmmmm

They're just dang lucky to have anything at all to eat. Bet the Ethiopians would love some good fresh rat meat.

[abcollector]

I'm with most everyone else on here in that I wouldn't eat a rat. Think about it for a second or minute if you need that much time... a RAT! Have you seen one of those things up close... I'm not sure where the turn-off comes from- how they look or how they live.

Now I've eaten squirrel (fox & red squirrel) and that's right tasty but there's no way I'd eat a ground squirrel the likes that live here in southern Calie. Too much like a rat. I guess they have to live in a tree for me to consider it table fare.

Eating a r-a-t, no way.

[Duff L Bagg]

They're just dang lucky to have anything at all to eat. Bet the Ethiopians would love some good fresh rat meat.

Did you hear about the Ethiopian that was visiting Sea World? He fell into the shark tank and ate three before they could get him out.

[mescalero1]

Well if gunslinger can own up to a bluejay,
44 years ago , a guy shot an owl, we cooked him on the lid of an old .30 cal. ammo can.
It was horrible, my 12 year old machismo ate far more than I should have.
To my eternal shame I even proclaimed it to be good at the time!

[lever-4-life]

I don't think I have ever heard of anybody dining on owl, Thats a first!

[HATCHETTJACK]

anyone remember that show i think was on the discovery channel.. guy was living with wolves and eating what they ate... actually showed him eating a rat raw, just like the wolves... i about puked

[mescalero1]

At least we cooked that owl!