Why Illinois Is Roaring Mad About Lion Meat

[ashling]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/03/25/175296454/why-illinois-is-roaring-mad-about-lion-meat

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"People's interest in nonfactory-farmed animals has definitely influenced the interest in adventurous eating," says Curtiss Calleo, co-founder of a club for daring eaters called The Gastronauts, which has hosted a lion meat dinner in New York.

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Bernard Dehaene, a chef in Baltimore who has served lion, as well as kangaroo and python, says there's nothing to be ashamed of. "We're not here to offend anybody," he says. In 2011, he started an exotic meat club at the restaurant Corner BYOB. "We're here to showcase and do something different and educate people about other foods."


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U.S. retailers that sell lion meat, including ExoticMeatMarket.com, say their meat comes from animals raised on a USDA-inspected lion farm outside Chicago, Gastronomica reported in 2012. And an article in Popular Science claimed that the meat available on the market in the U.S. comes from older animals from circuses, exotic pet enthusiasts and zoos.

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Ultimately, if the U.S. lion meat trade is shut down by the FWS or Arroyo's bill, it probably won't be the biggest loss for foodies. Because, as Calleo puts it, "It's not the most exciting meat you'll ever eat. Predators aren't really that tasty."

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Reminds me of The Freshman ...

There was also a story the other day about Rep Paul Broun's (D*, GA)
office full of animal trophies. He said he ate them all, including the lion




* Dumbass

[talkingmime]

1. Yep. "The Freshman" is exactly what came to my mind as soon as I started reading.