Eat a nutria, save Louisiana

[BlackHatGuy]

These things have orange teeth for crying out loud. So use 'em in the included Nutria Spaghetti Casserole.

(Modern Farmer is really a fascinating magazine)

http://modernfarmer.com/2015/01/can-anyone-stomach-orange-toothed-giant-rodent/

[Steven Paris]

Doug,

I can't remember the story of how or when they came, but there are two groups of nutria in Beaverton, one on the Nike campus (unless it's one group that follows stream systems to a nearby Parks & Rec area). They stay near the water, but don't seem particularly fazed by runners.

Anyone know what a group of nutria is called?

[Jim Colten]

Well, I can't prove it, but am convinced I have eaten nutri.

I and my siblings are 50% Cajun. Our extended clan contains no small number of good cooks and one the best is my youngest brother. I am on the other end of that spectrum, although on a very good day I can brew up a very credible gumbo.

So, a couple decades ago I was visiting the gulf coast branch of the family and youngest brother has promised me a gumbo to end all gumbos. I'm poking at things in the pot:

I see chicken.
Yep
I see andouille sausage
Yep
What's this?
squirrel
OK, how about this?
Racoon!
OK? and that?
You don't want to to know.

I'm convinced it was nutria … and I DID eat it … was a dang good gumbo.

[Stephen Barber]

I haven't eaten nutria in Louisiana, but I've eaten them in Texas. It tasted good, and I'd be happy to eat it again – but next time I'll try it Cajun style!

[Anonymous]

"I'm convinced it was nutria … and I DID eat it … was a dang good gumbo."

You sure it wasn't possum? You ain't lived until you've chowed down on possum. Oooooooh, finger lickin' gooood, as The Colonel used to say.

[David Thomas]

Sometimes muskrat is substituted for duck because it tastes like duck (they eat the same plants) and is easier to prepare well (duck can be so fatty, that it has to be cooked more carefully). I ordered duck in a French restaurant (in CA) and am sure a critter with solid bones like that never flew. A Nutria would be a very large "duck" meal.

[BlackHatGuy]

Ah, glad to see we still get some Muskrat Love in America…..

[David Thomas]

Everyone always proposes it in a "worst song, EVER!" debate:

Until someone trumps it (and wins the contest) with:

[Franco Darioli]

Anyone know what a group of nutria is called?
The only collective name for the species, that I could find, is coypus (also of course the plural of coypu, one of nutria's other names)

Just came to mind that once they are a bit more common, maybe another collective name will be created .
A plague could work .

[Bob Gross]

Franco, if I can use terminology that is local to the Louisiana nutria, it would be a _passel_.

"I ran into a whole passel of nutria critters. Yum."

–B.G.–

[HkNewman]

Sorry, Louisiana

[Stephen Barber]

"Sometimes muskrat is substituted for duck because it tastes like duck …"

I once saw a muskrat busily chewing on some roots. There was a mallard swimming by who saw the muskrat's tail, and thought it looked like a big juicy worm. When the duck chomped down on his tail, the shocked muskrat jumped straight up and about gave the duck a heart attack! I don't speak duck or muskrat, but it sounded like a lot of swearing from both participants!

[Franco Darioli]

My wife guessed nutria to be some kind of energy bar (Nutria the Whole Food bar)

In Italian that rat's pelt is sold as "castorino" , that is little beaver.
Sound much better than rat fur.

There is no secondary meaning to beaver (castoro) in Italian so you can stop sniggering right now.

[Anonymous]

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[Author]

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