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Raccoon: the Other Dark Meat

by Jordan Yerman | January 14, 2009 at 06:05 am

466 views | 36 Recommendations | 7 comments

A funny little article about Google search terms and the down economy: since more people are searching for “recipe” than for “restaurant”, what happens if a highly-ranked site begins including “raccoon” and “recipe in the same story? Will demand for raccoon increase?

I'd think that they're safe in most areas, either due to their cute-factor, or due to their propensity for eating trash, which makes some see them as unclean. Even though they're obsessive about washing their paws, which, is, in and of itself, fascinating behavior.

The first thought that came into my mind was just one word: raccoon. You see, these brazen, beady-eyed burglars waft around my neighborhood fueled by the desire to eat everything I own. Yes, even my house. And whenever I see them, I wonder what they would taste like barbecued with some roast potatoes and a little broccoli.

Now I discover that raccoon is rapidly becoming the other dark meat. The raccoon apparently had pride of place in the first edition of the Joy Of Cooking in 1931. And here's the good news: you can buy one for between $3 and $7.

With that tiny outlay, one that simultaneously eliminates one of the lower-level civil servants of the animal world, you can feed five people.

Oh, and how do you know that that's a rac you are about to eat?

Trappers chop only three of the raccoon's four paws off. This is simply to prove that the carcass is not that of a cat or a dog.

What about rabies? Mostly not a problem. Mostly.

The meat isn’t USDA-inspected, and few state regulations apply, same as with deer and other game. No laws prevent trappers from selling raccoon carcasses.

As for diseases, raccoon rabies doesn't exist in Missouri, state conservation scientists say. It's an East Coast phenomenon.

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Barry Artiste

at 06:09 on January 14th, 2009

Jordan, now that is just nasty! HA

Paschen

at 06:12 on January 14th, 2009

Well they are enough of them around. Hum, I am not sure though if that is such a good idea.

Karen Hatter

at 06:43 on January 14th, 2009

Ewwww! Let me guess .... they taste just like chicken, right?

anarkissed

at 09:39 on January 14th, 2009

Well if you're gonna ask a fellow earthling to lay down it's life for you, better it should have been wild, and that it be killed without first being imprisoned and transported. I'd rather people ate wild meat than support feed lots and hog factories.

Personally I think raccoons are cute, but they aren't indigenous to my area. Maybe I'd feel differently if I had to barricade my home against them.

Amy Judd

at 13:21 on January 14th, 2009

I would not eat Raccoon, this is kind of gross to me. However, I do know that they can be eaten and I would much rather eat Raccoon before I would eat a cat, so to each his own I suppose..

ms. negativity

at 13:56 on January 14th, 2009

I'd try a bit of forest racoon. The thought of sitting down with a plate of dumpster diving, urban scavanger stew doesn't appeal though.

Art_By_Alida

at 10:23 on January 15th, 2009

Raccoons have a high rate of rabies..I would never eat a raccoon, lol. In the city of Pittsburgh, PA, the city puts out anti-rabies food baits to get the raccoons who get into all the garbage to try to prevent the disease.

And I know people who don't have enough food who eat ground hogs..that's pretty common in some areas.

You can get a book on how to cook "Roadkill", lol.

I would never eat a raccoon.

Too risky.