14 DAY TRIAL // One of the world's most hated pests is a Vietnam delicacy in the southern areas of the country, roasted rats being a signature dish on the restaurants' menu. The rodent has a pick of popularity in the regions near the Red River and the Mekong River deltas.
Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi, has one of the most famous restaurants that serve rodents on a stick. The southern delicacy is now spreading all over the country and more curious gourmands are trying to get a bite from the weird dish.
It may seem that roasted rats aren't that bad since the demand for it is spreading. Lucky for the Vietnamese rodent fans, now is the time for harvesting rice and hunting rats, meaning that a lot of rodents will be for sale in the markets soon. The flood season makes the perfect opportunity to catch the animals trying to escape from their hiding spots.
The rat hunter goes on the field and captures the soon-to-be meals with special traps and then takes them to the market, one kilogram of rat meat costs almost $5 (€3.7), according to Daily Mail. The rodents ale cleaned before being slaughtered, their fur is removed and then they are roasted on open fire and placed on rice sticks.
At first, rats were eaten in countries where people were suffering from starvation or had scarce source of proteins, but now the small animal has become something more of a delicacy. The people of the Roman Empire were thought to be consumers of house mice and it is said that some European countries still consider mice to be a good meal.
On the list of bizarre food some people eat, you can find insects like spiders, worms, cockroaches or even turtles , dogs, cats, elephants, gorillas, or ants covered in chocolate for dessert. Even if to some eating this kind of creatures will make them sick to their stomach, in many places across the world they are considered a treat or a luxury meal.