Sparrows: a Middle Eastern delicacy (1 Viewer)

[peter hayes]

I reproduce here without comment a letter sent to Michael Winner's restaurant column in The Sunday Times:

"Readers may have noticed an article in News Review last week regarding the decline of the sparrow. In a Middle Eastern restaurant recently the owner proffered one of the house specialities, a plate of roasted sparrows. I tried to eat one, daintily plucking the legs off - but my host showed me the way by popping a whole one into his mouth and crunching with a satisfied grin."

 

[IanF]

Ah ! so that's where they all went.

Each to their own ! I can name quite a few more birds that would give a more satisfying meal. A bit strange for them to dine on such tiny morsels.

 

[birdman]

In a related vane, there was a (repeat) showing of a Jeremy Clarkson program about a week ago, where Jeremy was given Roast Ortolan in SW France. Same "all-in-one" eating method. Apparently, it is illegal to sell Ortolan, although catching and eating are not outlawed.

As long as no crulety is involved (and it would take a l-o-o-o-ong debate to "define" cruelty) then, as a meat-eater, I cannot condemn this either.

 

[jayhunter]

The Ortolan didn't Jeremy try to describe it as a bunting? Suggest he stays behind the wheel of a car, and leaves things appertaining to nature to people like David Attenborough, Bill Oddie, Tony Soper etc.

 

[Paul 42]

Birdman, the only reason that the Ortolan is not protected is because the late President Mitterand loved to eat it. There is a ceremony involved, all the guests eat with a towel over their heads to lose none of the aroma. Problem is, the species is very threatened, in my part of France is not found any more, due to changes in agriculture as much as hunting. So cruelty aside, I love to eat duck for instance, but to serve and eat an endangered species is sheer stupidity IMHO.

 

[birdman]

You are right to raise the point, Paul, about the threatened status of the Ortolan.

I didn't want to steer too far from the mark - but I agree that to hunt any species for food until the species is extinct is the absolute utmost in stupidity.

I am guessing that in this case, legislation (Mitterand's proclivities aside) attempted to eliminate the profit motive behind catching and selling Ortolan. Whether I am too gullible, or whether, in fact, this has made any difference to the numbers of Ortolan killed, I don't know - but cruelty and stupidity aside, I'm still a meat-eater.

(Although, for the record, the prospect of eating Ortolan in this way, turns my stomach!!!)

 

[Gaye Horn]

Interestingly in the state of Washington they have dove shoots... and they slaughter these beautiful birds for a gourmet treat. Now that is simply not my thing.. and I am appalled by the practice but it goes on. The mourning dove is the most prolific bird in North America!
If a hunter should wander unto our property in game bird season they will not be happy with me... I feed ring neck pheasants and by golly no one is going to shoot them on our property. I realise throughout the world there are practises much different then the ones I live by and my countrymen live by.
I will not judge others on how they live their lives, just do not think that you are going to get away with those practises here.. we do not eat sparrows here... but in defense of those that do remember we eat moose, elk, rabbit, antelope, deer...... so who the heck are we to point a finger. Good debates on both sides of the issue.

 

[HokkaidoStu]

Barbecued Tree Sparrows

Here In Japan they eat pretty much ANYTHING. Just across the road from me is a Yakitori joint that has whole barbecued Tree Sparrows (they are the common urban sparrow of east Asia and not at all rare as they seem to be in the UK now). I`ve never tried one but I`ve seen them on the grill..............

 

[Rosah]

Gaye, white winged dove hunting is a big business here in Texas. People pay good money to lease property to dove hunt. To each his own, but not on my land! Lots of people here think I am crazy because I turned down a number of offers to make money by allowing people to come shoot my birds.

 

[Paul 42]

Birdman, the Ortolan was deliberately left off the list of protected species by personal order of Mitterand. He was a very "special" character! Don't know if thats been corrected now, sad to say the French don't have a very good record for bird protection. Too many hunting lobbys, all across the political spectrum. The spokesmen for the northern and southwestern hunters are Communist deputys. The last Enviroment minister to try to get them to stick to European directives is still under round the clock police protection (Dominique Voynet). Every spring in Ardeche and the southwest the hunters blast returning migrants (Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Turtle Dove) out of the skies. Then they wonder why they don't breed! OOPS! musn't talk politics!!!!