Moscow goes crazy for the rat burger

[Trajan]

Looks kinda good

Forget kale, forget quinoa. This season’s foodie craze in Moscow is homegrown, affordable and full of nutrients. It’s rat.

Well, not quite rat, but nutria, a giant orange-toothed rodent also known as coypu or river rat, and found in southern Russia. The furry, whiskered beast is finding its way on to plates at several Moscow restaurants this autumn.

Those who are a little freaked out by the idea of munching on rodent are simply misinformed, says Kholikberdiev. “It’s a really clean animal; not only is it a herbivore but it washes all its food before it eats. And it’s very high in omega-3 acids. A lot of doctors and dietitians recommend it.”

The nutria burger at Krasnodar Bistro is pale, juicy and fairly bland, somewhere between turkey and pork. It came in a soft bun, with plenty of relish and served on a chopping board. It tasted pretty good, though while chewing on the meat the diner may get mental flashes of quivering whiskers and nattering orange teeth. A generously sized nutria burger cost 550 roubles (£6.90).

Kholikberdiev said: “I have it here and at one of my other restaurants. Other chefs have started to use it here. And now, if you go to the market in Moscow, they might not have nutria available every day, but they’ll get it in for you within a week if you ask.”

He also said the beauty of nutria was how easy it was to cook: mess up the cooking time of a rabbit and it will dry out in a matter of minutes, but nutria tastes nicely juicy however long you cook it for.

Other nutria delights on offer at Krasnodar Bistro include nutria hotdog, nutria dumplings and nutria wrapped in cabbage leaves. For diners who smell a rat when it comes to nutria, there are plenty of other options using the meats of southern Russia, including a spicy kidney and sweet potato pie and a succulent, delicious and blissfully rodent-free grilled chicken with plums.

 

[Ill Lou Malnati]

They eat them in Louisiana, too

 

[lowkey0z]

i see where jimmy henchman might be transported to

 

[Trajan]

They eat them in Louisiana, too

Really?

i see where jimmy henchman might be transported to

 

[Sypress]

 

[Formerly Black Trash]

I'll try

 

[Elle Driver]

They eat them in Louisiana, too

Swamp rats are the stuff of nightmares.

 

[Ronnie Lott]