Interesting meats
By Fleur
@Fleura (34927)
United Kingdom
November 15, 2023 12:18pm CST
At a country show not long ago I found a stall selling a range of interesting meats. I’ve tried quite a lot of different animals in the past – the usual beef, lamb, pork and chicken of course, plus goose, duck, pigeon, turkey, guinea fowl, rabbit, quail, pheasant, venison, goat, kangaroo, ostrich and alligator. I’ve had wild boar too, but only as sausages.
Over the past few decades the population of invasive grey squirrels in this country has mushroomed, and all kinds of strategies have been tried to control them; trapping, shooting, contraceptive injections etc. And another approach that has been suggested is simply to eat them.
I thought I would do my bit to help, but have yet to find a butcher that actually sells squirrel and its certainly not the sort of thing you find in your local supermarket. So I was pleased to find oven-ready squirrel on offer and bought a couple.
Has anyone else tried grey squirrel?
Would you help reduce the population of an invasive species by eating them?
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2023.
14 people like this
15 responses
@AmbiePam (120533)
• United States
15 Nov 23
I think I could eat a squirrel if someone I trusted had tried it first, and assured me it tasted okay. Squirrels are so cute, but yes, I have read how invasive they are to your country.
An opossum is something I couldn’t eat though. If they were an invasive species, I don’t think I could summon the helpful attitude needed to partake in the dining of an opossum. My dad didn’t think there was anyone poorer in his town than his family (they didn’t have indoor plumbing until 1972), but one day he went to a friend’s house that was serving opossum (not to be confused with Australia’s adorable possums), and once he saw that greasy rodent in the pot, he knew there were people in his town that had less than him.
Boar is really popular in Texas because they are an invasive species. They trample crops, and kill cattle, so you’re doing everyone a favor by getting them.
I really like your picture!
5 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
16 Nov 23
Dad liked eating possums but the rest of us evacuated the house when mom fried it for him. After she fried it, mom joined us kids out in the yard. Possums stink to high Heaven when they're fried.
4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
16 Nov 23
@AmbiePam Take my word for it. It was bad. Dad told us that mom wasn't making something else if we didn't eat the possum. He's the only one who ate that night.
3 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
15 Nov 23
Let us know what it tastes like. How cheap or expensive is it compared to other meats?
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (51811)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
17 Nov 23
@Fleura Have you eaten it yet?
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
17 Nov 23
@BarBaraPrz Yes we ate it, two of them actually, they went a surprisingly long way!
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
16 Nov 23
We have squirrels galore in the backyard . . . but I could never serve them for a meal 
. I know, don't knock it til you try it, but I just can't. I have seen squirrels recipes in an old culinary book that I have. If I were starving, it would probably be a different story though 
.2 people like this
? I'd think it'd taste like "cute" 
.
@RasmaSandra (97912)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
15 Nov 23
Thank you very much for the thought but I would never eat squirrels,
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (97912)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
17 Nov 23
@Fleura just could not imagine eating those furry little cute things that I have fed on my front porch
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
17 Nov 23
@RasmaSandra They look so much like rats, but with fluffier tails. I wouldn't eat those either, although for different reasons.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
16 Nov 23
We used to have squirrel at my grandparent's, with dumplings. That was many years ago. I think with squirrels, and deer and maybe other wild things, it could be come a case of eating to survive. The meat is supposed to be healthy, too.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (208746)
• United States
15 Nov 23
I haven't personally, and probably wouldn't be interested but Squirrel stew is eaten in this country. I am sure it is edible. I had wild boar last year and really liked it. It wasn't gamey at all.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (208746)
• United States
17 Nov 23
@Fleura I think these were really feral hogs, slightly different species I think...but still darn good meat, lean. I would eat that again in a heartbeat.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (54714)
• United States
16 Nov 23
I’ve never ate squirrel. Many here do though.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
15 Nov 23
Yes, we've eaten grey squirrels. We had both red and grey squirrels in the forest behind our farmhouse that I grew up in. As long as the meat tastes good, I'd eat it. (Mom fried squirrels and rabbits with breading just like she cooked chicken. They were delicious!)
2 people like this
@JudyEv (381760)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Nov 23
I've tried quite a few of the meats you mention. Often, it's just the thought of a particular meat that puts one off trying it. They 'farm' guinea pigs as meat in some South American countries but I'm sure you knew that. Eating the squirrels is an excellent idea if they can get it to catch on.
2 people like this
@Deepizzaguy (122070)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
15 Nov 23
I have never tried to eat a cooked grey squirrel in my lifetime before.
2 people like this
@LindaOHio (222222)
• United States
16 Nov 23
I've never tried squirrel. I have had alligator. You've certainly tried a lot of different meats. Have a great day.
2 people like this
