Rat snacks can solve world food price crisis: Indian official

Rat snacks can solve world food price crisis: Indian official

Eating rats is the best way for rich and poor people to solve the global crisis of rising food prices, an Indian official said Wednesday as he unveiled his plan to put rodents on menus.

Regular rat snacks would translate into fewer rodents eating precious grain stocks -- 50 percent of which are lost in the northeastern state of Bihar every year to the animals, said Vijay Prakash, secretary of the state's welfare department.

"This will help in mitigating the global food crisis. We are sure that it will work wonders," Prakash told AFP. "It will save half our grain, and will also reduce villagers' dependence on food stock."

Prakash's plan promotes consumption of rat meat in homes, street stalls, restaurants and even international five-star hotels.

He said he was also holding talks with prestigious hotels outside India to encourage them to put rat meat on their menus, but admitted his scheme had to overcome public prejudice.

"The only issue is how people react to rat meat, but I think it will not be a problem," he said.

"Some socially deprived people in Bihar have always consumed rat meat. If they can eat rats, why can't the rest of the people?" he said.

Members of the Mushar community and some other impoverished groups have traditionally eaten rats in India.

"Rat meat will make up nutrition deficiencies among villagers, since rats are a major source of protein," Prakash said. source


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There is a tribe of people in India that do nothing more than to collect rats from farms.

Rats are also popular with West Africans. In New York they sell them smoked.

 

last image was a little too big to post, here is a link:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_wuCjE7F2uBs/R9nQGKi1PUI/AAAAAAAACAs/bKzO1wpkRfw/DSCN1433.JPG


I happen to be a very picky eater so this is not something I would try, but I got no problem with anyone else eating rat if they want to. Heck, pigeons look like they have more meat anyway.

 

Umm....I thought one of the things about rats is that they are disease carriers? And if you breed them for consumption, then you are not helping anything.

 

Oh my....rat meat must be a total shit! NEVER!!!

 

Yuck! I almost yacked up my protein shake!

 

Whatever floats your boat.

If people like to eat rats, dogs, horses or cats - there shouldn't be a problem as long as it is USDA approved (not harmful).

Peace,

Whatever floats your boat.

If people like to eat rats, dogs, horses or cats - there shouldn't be a problem as long as it is USDA approved (not harmful).

Peace,

 

We don't give a rat's ass could be a restaurant sign then?

 

Protein shake? Ugh, almost lost my rat...

 

Okay, that really made me laugh.

 

me x 2............

 

I would try it, why not

 

No, "We do give a rat's ass - fried" would be the restaurant sign.

 

My main question, will they serve rat milk?

 

Irula rat catchers make $15 to $30 a month and there aren't enough of them in India. The rats consume 25% of grain production.

 

There are some British firms who were hired by China to help with the rat problem during the Olympics. They are using some very high tech rat traps which use infrared beams to trigger the traps and send a text message so they can be cleared and immediately put back into use after catching a rat.

 

You got the joke

 

My parents went to India and saw lots of cows roaming the area. Granted, most look like they haven't eaten much either, but if they would just eat them, they would probably not go hungry.

 

It's no wonder there aren't enough of them if they only make $15-$30 a month. Maybe America could provide some humanitarian aid by giving them some cats from our animal shelters. They could let the cats eat the rats, then cook the cats. More meat on them, and easier to catch.

 

mmm looks tasty. will prevent another black plague too.