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Rats! Rodent burger now the latest food craze in Moscow
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Krasnodar Bistro's nutria burger, which costs 550 roubles (S$12 or $8). (instagram.com/krasnodarbistro/File)
C
homping down on a juicy, cooked rodent clasped between two pillowy soft buns is now officially the food fad in Russia's capital.
Yes, you read that right. Rodents are being served to diners at several Moscow restaurant, reported The Guardian.
Chef Takhir Kholikberdiev, who owns Krasnodar Bistro, is getting rave reviews for his take on a nutria burger.
Nutria, or river rat, has been described as a giant, orange-toothed rodent. They reportedly breed at an "alarmingly fast rate", making them easy to farm.
The herbivore, also known as a coypu, is found in southern Russia, where its fur is a cheap substitute for fox and mink fur coats.
(Read also: Marco Pierre White to open restaurant in Singapore)
Kholikberdiev says the nutria is a "really clean animal" that washes all its food before it eats them. It is also high on omega-3 acids.
At Krasnodar Bistro, the meat in its nutria burger - priced at 550 roubles (S$12 or $8) has been described by The Guardian as juicy but bland, and tastes like a cross between turkey and pork.
The secret lies in how easy the rodent can be cooked - Kholikberdiev claims the meat remains juicy no matter how long it has been cooked for.
Besides burgers, diners at the restaurant can also have nutria in a hot dog, dumplings and wrapped in cabbage leaves.
This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
