Okay, so, I’ve been seeing a lot of talk online about whether or not Americans eat squirrels. Sounds kinda weird, right? But it got me curious, so I decided to dig in and see what’s what.
First off, I started with a simple search, just to get a feel for the topic. Turns out, it’s not as crazy as it sounds. I read a bunch of articles and forum posts, and guess what? Some folks in the US actually do eat squirrels! Apparently, it was way more common back in the day, like during the Great Depression, when people needed cheap protein. There are even some surveys indicating that about 1.8 million Americans eat squirrel. That’s a lot of people.
Then I dove a bit deeper. I found out there’s this whole squirrel-eating culture in some parts of the country, especially in the South. I even stumbled upon something called the “World Squirrel Cook-off” in Arkansas. Can you believe it? Thousands of people gather there every year for this thing!
Next, I wanted to know what squirrel meat is actually like. I learned that people say it tastes kinda like rabbit or maybe dark chicken meat. It’s supposed to be lean and pretty flavorful. You can cook it up in all sorts of ways, like roasting it, making a stew, or even frying it up. I found that California ground squirrels not only eat nuts and fruit, but also hunt and eat voles in the summer months. That is so interesting!
Then I tried to understand the history of squirrels in America, I found that they were introduced to cities to beautify parks and inspire animal-loving values. They were easy to tame and perfect for these new urban spaces. This explains a lot of things.
So, after all this digging, I figured I’d give it a shot myself. I mean, why not? I did some more research on how to safely prepare squirrel meat, found a source of some squirrel meat, and picked a simple recipe. I even invited some of my friends.
- First, I cleaned it up, following all the safety guidelines I’d read about.
- Then, I marinated it for a few hours to add some extra flavor.
- After that, I decided to pan-fry it with some onions and garlic.
Finally, I served it up with some roasted veggies on the side. Honestly, it wasn’t bad! It did kinda taste like chicken, but a bit gamier. My friends were surprised, but they all tried it and agreed it was pretty tasty.
So there you have it. My little adventure into the world of squirrel-eating. It’s definitely not something I’d eat every day, but it was a fun experience. And hey, now I can say I’ve tried it!
