Pelican, The Other White Meat

Ok. So I know this is something that not many people people will see my way, but this is my blog, and I'll write what I want. I am currently a full time student of the cullinary arts, as the two or three people who read my rambling blogs are aware. The subject I have been covering this week has been Poultry and game. This I can honestly say is the first subject I have found particuarly interesting...but that is another story. Anyway the point is we were discussing game birds. I must say firstly that i begrudge no one eating any animal as long as it is treated humanley, is either farmed or hunted legally, and is not from a part of the growing bush meat trade. I have no problem with dogmeat being consumed, but I have a very big problem with the unregulated industry, which is unregulated largely due to pressures from "western society" and animal rights extremeists who would rather see the dogs mistreated than legalise officially and regulate the industry, but again I divulge. That too is another story.In Australia game meats, offal and birds are not as popular as other parts of the world. Classical Italian cookery for example includes recipes for wildcat, yet many Australians are squeamish at the thought of a possum pie, or Emu burger or (my absoloute favourite meat) salt and pepper crocodile. In europe, plover, grousse, muttonbird, quail, partridge, wild ducks and geese basically anything that moves is fair game, pardon the pun. Quail and duck are rapidly increasing in popularity here in Oz as are game meats such as goat, rabbit and camel but nothing on europe.Now this brings me to my point. I cannot explain why this thought arrived in my mind, or why it escaped my mouth before my mind could process it, but this often happens to me. In the middle of my theory class, I blurted out, "why doesn't anyone eat pelican?" which ofcourse got me some odd looks and screwed up faces. I am curious though how they kno it isnt nice, they have never tried it. By my logic it should be like a big duck. The other natural response was google it. So google I did.I spent hours, searching for a recipe any evidence of human consumption of pelican meat. I did find 1 recipe but it was on a sight called humorous recipes and was a bit like the age old galah soup recipe. I found a snippet of information about a Native American tribe who ate brown pelican and considered it a delicacy, another tiny piece about the bushmeat trade, flamingos are even consumed, but the pelican is rendered of fat which is believed to be an arthritis cure. I found an uproar about an article published titled 'pelican the other white meat' but couldnt find the article in question. I came across a review of the Minnesota state fair, where a man was convinced he had eaten a deep fried pelican. The best lead was a cook book from the early 1900s which had been scanned page for page and uploaded, I sifted through 15 pages on game birds finally to find a reference to pelican meat, giving very little information, but it did state they are not often eaten as they are not very tasty. This may be true, but nothing is very tasty if it is badly cooked, and it was an old english cook book, so I think that isn't the be all and end all on this topic.Call me crazy, but I am now intrigued, there has to be a reason that there are no pelican farms, no Pelican tenderloin satays in the food courts of the markets. Is it really because it isn't pallatable? do they carry diseases? Or is it simply Mr. Percival syndrome? a sentimental attachment that prevents the farming of other meats such as horse which are popular elsewhere? I personally can't give one animal a greater significance over another, the way I look at the world, if it is ok to farm cows, sheep, chickens, pigs, ostriches, and goats for meat, then it is also ok to farm horse, dog, or lizard for meat. I may not eat it. I may not like the meat. But that doesn't mean it can't be farmed. As long as the industry is regulated. I am an animal rights activist. I believe in the ethical treatment of animals. Conservation is important to me. I sponsor a sea lion. I am dead against battery chickens, unregulated dog farms, and a number of cruel and unnecessary farming practices. Happy animals make good quality meats. I am just intrigued by this notion of its ok to eat a pig, but you cant eat a horse. I am also fascinated to know if anyone can shed any light on the pelican issue? I am really and truly baffled on this one. Let me sign off by saying, I am not suggesting people go and shoot pelicans, I am talking about farming as poultry. Pelicans are a beautiful and majestic bird, I love to watch them. I absoloutley adore them, I am a huge storm boy fan. But hey, I love Steve Irwin, I am in awe of crocs and I really hope they are looked after for future generations, and croc farms are a good management strategy. All these facts considered, Croc tail is the most delicous meat I have ever tasted. I think what it comes down to is I know, given the chance the croc would eat me. Farming granted is not the natural order of things, but it is a dog eat dog world.

peace, love and pelican pie