As we travel we obviously like to try the different foods an area offers. Often this goes beyond just the cooking style or cuisine of an area. In the Andes we were able to try Llama and Alpaca (even on a pizza in Bolivia) and weren’t permitted to leave Peru without trying Cuy (guinea pig). In Brazil we enjoyed Piranha soup, we went to Oaxaca with the sole purpose of eating a grasshopper, and when we came home the only thing I wanted to eat was buffalo (bison).
The nice thing about all these foods is that they are truly local, providing us with a rich cultural experience while allowing us to directly support the local economy as well. Many though have an additional benefit, they are better for our bodies than traditional red meat. By the time we left the states we rarely ever had beef on our freezer, preferring bison meat instead because it was better for us, the economy, and the environment, if maybe not quite as perfect for our pocket book.
But now we are in Africa (yes, we arrived a couple of days ago now) and the idea of eating those “indigenous” meats here has a very different connotation. Sure, we’re about to head into Mozambique where supposedly the fish just comes right out of the sea, through the grill, and onto your plate in a matter of seconds, but what about the rest of those animals that Africa is famous for? Is it ethical to have a zebra kabob or an elephant stew? We do expect to eat Ostrich (heck, you can even get that as fast food in the USA) but what else should we look for and try?
I am not the right person to ask, because I am vegetarian and don’t eat any of these meats. But there is an economic argument in favor of eating anything edible – doing so creates incentives for people to husband the source properly and may actually lead to the preservation of species that would otherwise get wiped out. I find this logic compelling, yet I cannot help but feel that it is the same sort of logic that suggests that antisemitism is good for the Jews, because it keeps us clever and united.
When you get to Kenya, there is a restaurant/club called Carnivore that offers a wide variety of native meats in Nairobi. Never went during my time in Africa, but I have heard that it is quite interesting.
Mark – That’s a really really interesting prospective. I never thought of it like that but it makes perfect sense just in the context of the Bison. It has been growing in demand as a meat and it has been growning on the prarie as well!
Will have to check out that restaurant in Kenya although I’ve already got a list about ten long it seems of different game meats we’ll be able to try… kudu, impala, springbok and the list goes on….
Love Foodie Friday!
@ Eva & Jeremy- You guys were our inspiration for foodie friday- we loved reading your blog and kept getting food questions on ours, so we thought we’d add in a little foodie-ness!