Coypu - also known as nutria - are native to South America but have thrived in Europe and the US Credit: Michael Probst/AP
Posted on 05/03/2018 10:57:12 AM PDT by Red Badger
As Italy struggles to deal with burgeoning populations of an introduced giant rodent, a mayor has come up with a novel solution – eat them.
Coypu were introduced to Italy a century ago from their native South America to be farmed for their fur.
But many escaped or were deliberately released after wearing fur fell out of fashion and the species is now thriving.
They have fared particularly well in the flatlands of the Po valley in northern Italy, where farmers complain that they devour crops and destroy levees and embankments by digging burrows.
Michele Marchi, the mayor of the town of Gerre de’ Caprioli, has suggested that numbers could be reduced if only Italians can develop a taste for coypu meat. He has tried it and says it tastes a bit like rabbit.
His proposal, launched on his Facebook page, has caused a lively social media debate, with some people in favour of the idea and others revolted by the prospect of tucking it what looks like a cross-between a beaver and a large rat.
“The debate about coypu has become bonkers, without coming to any resolution of the problem,” the 31-year-old mayor wrote.
“Here’s my idea – let’s start eating them in restaurants and at village food festivals.”
However unpalatable the idea, he insisted that he was not joking and said there were regions of Italy that were already warming to the idea of tucking into roast, broiled or braised coypu.
“I’m totally serious. It’s true that there is a sense of revulsion towards the coypu but you just have to go into a pig farm to put it into context – everybody loves to eat prosciutto. We should at least start to discuss the idea.”
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Coypu - also known as nutria - are native to South America but have thrived in Europe and the US Credit: Michael Probst/AP
offer $5 a head bounty
They’ll be gone in no time.
That’s a big rat right there.
Cue the Seinfeld “Kenny Rogers” epi...
Coypu cacciatore!
Under the theory that if life gives you lemons, make lemonade?
Then people will start farming them for sale to the government
From the movie Demolition Man
“Lenina Huxley: [Spartan encounters a burger grill in the underground world] Just don’t ask them where the meat comes from.
John Spartan: Huxley, what’s that supposed to mean?
Lenina Huxley: Do you see any cows around here, detective?
John Spartan: Que es este carne?
[What is this meat?]
Hamburger Stand Scrap: Este carne es de rata.
[This meat is from rats]
John Spartan: Rat? This is a rat burger?
[vendor nods]
John Spartan: Not bad! Matter of fact this is the best burger I’ve had in years!
Hamburger Stand Scrap: Gracias, Senor.
John Spartan: Prego. See ya later.”
Noodles rodentoni? Rattachino? Ratgu sauce?
Squirrels are pretty tasty.
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You would need to limit it to a period of 2 weeks or so.
(less than the gestation period)
They can even keep the pelts.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/31/louisiana-swamp-rat-hunters-rodents-of-unusual-size
Nutria have been a scourge in southern Louisiana
Forward thinking. In the not so distant future we will be happy to be afforded such luxuries as eating rat.
Maybe they should stick with the name “nutria” as it sounds more nutritious and tastier than “coypu,” which sounds like it’s short for coyote feces.
They’re also called “ragondin.”
I don’t know what nutria smell like, but muskrat smells like orange oil so they at least are not unappealing. And muskrat is actually pretty good eating, if you like squirrel or rabbit.
Nutria are bigger so I bet they are worth the effort of skinning them.
I would have no problem with eating rats if they had enough meat on them to be worth it. I wouldn’t eat it rare, though.
I remember the late 1950s and early 60s when Nutria was promoted in the USA for basement and garage fur farms. They also were released and cause problems in some areas.
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