Breeding edible frogs.

The prevailing stereotype is why the British dubbed the inhabitants of France “frogmen”: the French are very fond of frog legs. But in reality, not all of them choke on saliva at the sight of amphibians. If you ask ten residents of France whether they have tried this delicacy at least once in their lives, then perhaps eight of them will answer “no”. And certainly frog legs, or “legs,” are not an everyday dish for the French. However, this component French cuisine. According to the most common version - since the Hundred Years' War with England (1337−1453). Allegedly, the country was catastrophically short of food, and the French, out of hunger, began to eat even what was considered impossible just yesterday: frogs, grape snails. There is, however, a version that frog meat appeared on the table of the poor not at all because of famine during the Hundred Years' War, but because of the ban on hunting in the lands of the king and other gentlemen. The common people had to somehow get out of it to find a replacement for meat. And another version says that French peasants began eating frog legs in the 11th century in order to circumvent the ban. Catholic Church for meat during Lent, because frogs, like turtles living in water, were classified as fish. Although this version is hard to believe: in medieval superstitions Western Europe the frog personified disgusting, vicious qualities and was considered the devil's spawn. Be that as it may, the British, remembering their defeat in the Hundred Years' War, could not ignore the “frog” fact from the “biography” of their neighbors. An unknown author, parodying the pompous painting by Gerard (François Gérard) “The Coronation of Charles X” of 1825, drew a caricature of the king of France “The Coronation of the King of the Frogs”: a plump frog with a crown on his head sits on the French throne, surrounded by his subjects - frogs. The upper class "tasted" the food of the poor - frog only in the 19th century and made it fashionable; Alexandre Dumas even first mentioned paws as a culinary ingredient in his "Great Culinary Dictionary" of 1873. True, to get a kilo of frog “legs”, you need to kill an average of 30 kilograms of frogs. Therefore, after a hundred years of extermination of these amphibians, the French ministry agriculture banned commercial catching of frogs, backing the ban with a fine of 10 thousand euros. Only 15 days a year, specially designated for “frog school,” are you allowed to catch a couple and immediately fry them. The remaining marsh princesses come to the French market from Asia. Nevertheless, once a year - in last saturday and Sunday in April - in the north-east of France in the town of Vittel the Frog Fair is held on a grand scale. More than 30 years ago, it was first organized by chef René Clément, who founded the Brotherhood of Frog Leg Tasters. For two days in Vittel, about 30 thousand people eat frog dishes: stewed in Riesling, under potato crust with asparagus, with spaghetti and snails, deep-fried and cream sauce, with garlic, butter and parsley... And does it taste good to them? Many argue that yes: frog meat tastes like chicken meat, it has a mild taste and a texture similar to chicken wings. In addition, frog meat is low in calories and rich in vitamins C, B, B2, and contains phosphorus, calcium and iron. And the French are not the only ones like this. Among the “paddling pools” you can add China, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec and even the southern regions of the United States (in particular, Louisiana). Frog legs are also considered a delicacy in the Caribbean islands, Portugal, northwestern Greece, Italy, Spain, Western Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Poor princess! Poor sad bachelor Ivan Tsarevich.

Such unusual dishes, like frog legs and snails, have become business card France. The French were not the first to come up with the idea of eating these products. According to historians, frogs were first eaten in Ancient China, and the Romans specially fed snails with bran and soldered them with wine for subsequent cooking. However, it is the French who are known as the creators best recipes using these ingredients. They also helped popularize them throughout the world.

Not from a good life

“Even if you put sugar on a frog, I won’t put it in my mouth, and I won’t take an oyster either: I know what an oyster looks like. ... The German and French doctors invented all this, I would hang them for this! ”, Chichikov said to Sobakevich in the novel “Dead Souls”.

And many would agree with the opinion of Gogol’s hero. So how did the French come up with the idea of eating these animals? According to one version, frog legs and snails, which are now on the menus of the most sophisticated French restaurants, entered the French diet due to poverty and food shortages.

As chef Eric Le Provost points out, the French began eating frogs during the Hundred Years' War with England (1337-1453) to avoid starvation. Subsequently, the British, who lost in this war, came up with the idea of calling the French “frogs,” and the frog legs themselves were not to the taste of the inhabitants of Foggy Albion for a long time. One of the most famous French restaurateurs late XIX V. - beginning of the 20th century Auguste Escoffier, who worked at the Savoy Hotel in London, even had to resort to one trick - in his menu he called a dish of frog legs “young nymphs”, which intrigued local gourmets, who, thanks to this trick, had the opportunity to try the French wonder.

There is another version that explains why frog legs and snails began to eat frogs. Since the Middle Ages, monks have replaced meat with snails and frogs during fasting periods. There was no prohibition on their consumption, and in terms of their nutritional value they could be compared with meat.

Frogs and snails as an attribute of luxury

If frogs and snails were originally food for the poor and monks, when did they become associated with wealth and prosperity? As for frogs, these amphibians were first considered a delicacy and found their way into the diet of noble Frenchmen in the 16th century. Alexandre Dumas, in his Culinary Dictionary, mentions one resident of Auvergne named Simon, who during this period managed to make a fortune selling frogs in Paris, where this dish was in fashion. Speaking about his contemporaries, the great French writer indicates that they most often put frogs in soup, and women eat them to improve their skin color.

Snails won the hearts of the wealthy during the Renaissance. This played into the hands of French winemakers, because it grape snails mainly used for food. But they turned into a world-famous delicacy only in the 19th century, when French restaurants began to popularize these dishes. At this time, snails also appear on royal tables. For example, during a reception organized by the French Foreign Minister Talleyrand in honor of the Russian Tsar Alexander I in 1814, guests were served snails prepared by the chef Marie-Antoine Careme. It is he who is considered the author of the recipe “escargots à labourguignonne” (snails in Burgundy), which is most popular today in France. Returning to Russia, the emperor ordered his cooks to repeat the culinary masterpiece, the recipe for which is simple and remains the same to this day: snails, garlic, butter, dill, salt and pepper.

Import dependence

These days, the French don't eat snails and frogs every day. First of all, this is a delicacy that all tourists coming to the country are sure to try. Surprisingly, France, which became famous for these dishes, cannot itself satisfy its needs for the basic ingredients for their preparation. Edible frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus or “lake frog”) are now on the verge of extinction. Therefore, back in 1977, the French government regulated the fishing of these amphibians, allowing it only during a very short season, and also prohibited their breeding for commercial purposes. As a result, frogs have to be imported, and the main supplier today is Indonesia. There are no such restrictions on growing snails. However, the French, who ate about 16 thousand tons of snails in 2014, do not have enough of their own production. They are imported from Eastern European countries, the Balkans, as well as Greece and Turkey.

Do the French eat frogs, or is this just another myth? And if they do, where did such an extravagant culinary preference come from?

The French eat frogs... but rarely.

Still, not all French eat frogs. Although the fact that France is the largest importer of frog meat is undeniable. According to statistics, France imports up to 3,000 tons of frog meat per year from Asian countries.

However, the French are increasingly moving away from the habit of eating frog meat. Now it is considered an attribute of gourmets. As a rule, most people eat frog dishes for holidays and other memorable events.

Why do the French eat less and less frog meat?

Firstly, eating frogs is an old aristocratic habit of the French. Gradually, aristocracy is being replaced modern society and other liberal values. Modern French aristocrats and rich people eat more traditional dishes: foie gras, truffles, and blue tuna dumplings.

Secondly, there are a lot of immigrants in the country. Those who have recently visited France have already noticed that there are more and more Arabs and blacks. Half of French citizens come from other countries. Accordingly, they are replacing French cooking with their gastronomic preferences.

Thirdly, it's expensive. Dishes made from frog meat are more expensive than their meat counterparts made from chicken, beef, etc.

Where and how to try?

In France, fewer and fewer cafes and restaurants prepare dishes from frog meat. It's gotten to the point where tourists in Paris can't find a restaurant with the frog legs they want. Answer: look for expensive restaurants, they have frog dishes. In addition, the closer you are to the south of France, the more often you will come across the right restaurants. In Marseille, you can buy fried frog legs right at the station.

In addition, in most Asian countries you can eat frog meat. Asians are generally good at such dishes (fried scorpions, boiled spiders).
If you want, you can catch the frog yourself and cook it :) They only eat the thigh part of frogs.

Some newspapers and news reports say that frog meat is being served in schools in Europe. This information doubtful. At least in France, Belgium and Germany, frogs are on the menu of schools and universities educational institutions definitely not. They serve the usual European food (croissant, bun with jam, etc.).

What do they taste like?

Those who have eaten snake meat will notice a strong resemblance. Many people mistakenly believe that frog meat tastes exactly like chicken meat. This is not entirely true. The taste is more like a mixture of chicken and fish. In general, all amphibians and reptiles taste like this.

Frog meat is tasty and low in calories. In addition, it contains many useful microelements.

Bon appetit!

Latest tips from the “Home and Cottage” section:

How to cook cherries in their own juice in an autoclave
Tunic - clothes that should be in every wardrobe
How to choose a TV for your home
Unique design for the heating system of a private house or apartment
How to renovate an apartment without special expenses

Views: 8236

26.07.2017

Everyone knows that in France, frog legs are considered an exquisite delicacy, and many fans of this dish around the world idolize their refined and delicate taste, which slightly resembles chicken.

Frog dishes adorn the menus of the most famous and respectable restaurants in Belgium, Italy, Spain, Greece, Great Britain, Holland and many other European countries.

Frogs are also in price in countries such as China, Vietnam, Laos, where they are bred on special farms, since frog meat is valued much higher than veal and costs an order of magnitude more. In the East, no one will be surprised by the assortment of supermarkets, where frozen paws of these amphibians will lie next to the hams of various animals and birds.

In Peru, they even manage to add frog meat to chocolate and cookies, after drying and grinding it. It is believed that this unusual delicacy cures anemia and helps women with infertility.

Fried frog legs also appeared on the menu of many Ukrainian cafes and restaurants (usually those that prefer to sell French or exotic cuisine). True, not every frog is eaten, but only large green ones, which are an edible species.

It is noteworthy that in its biological value In many countries of the world, frog legs are equated to pike and even sturgeon caviar.

Types of frogs

In the reservoirs of Ukraine there are only five species of frogs: grass ( lat. Rana temporaria), sharp-faced ( lat. Rana arvalis), snapping ( lat. Rana Dalmatina), pond ( lat. Rana lessonae) and lake ( lat. Rana ridibunda). The first three species have a brown and brown body color, and scientists combine the last two species into the group of “green frogs”, which, when crossed, give the very famous edible species.

For the first time big green frog, as a separate species was described by Carl Linnaeus back in 1758. It was he who gave it the name (lat. Rana esculenta), which translates as “edible frog.” This hybrid species is widely represented in the reservoirs of Transcarpathia and lives in the Danube River delta.

During times Soviet Union these amphibians were exported en masse to France, since their value in foreign currency was three times (!) higher than the price of expensive fish species. Every year up to eighty tons of this first-class product were exported from the country.

Currently, due to the spread of diseases and massive epidemics of birds, pigs and cattle, the demand for frog meat has increased sharply. True, in Ukraine it still remains quite low, since eating frogs seems unusual and unnatural to many residents of the country, therefore, today, the most promising direction remains the cultivation of amphibians for sale for export.

Description of the edible frog

When creating optimal conditions for growth and development, individual specimens of frogs can gain weight up to one and a half (!) kilograms, but on average their weight does not exceed one kilogram.

The amphibian reaches sexual maturity at the age of three years and one female is capable of laying up to fifteen thousand eggs during the year.

Raising frogs

Growing an edible species of frogs for commercial purposes is not a difficult task and is technologically reminiscent of breeding ordinary pond fish (the period of fattening before obtaining individuals presentation ranges from twelve to twenty months).

To start, you will need frog eggs, which can be collected in a reservoir during spawning and within three or four years, the amphibian population will increase tenfold.

It is advisable to grow caviar in a closed reservoir with clean running water, since ponds open type significantly increase the mortality rate of the population. The incubation room must be warm (the temperature must be maintained at least twelve degrees Celsius), bright and clean. It is advisable to change the water once every three or four days, after passing it through a filter (or letting it settle), since highly chlorinated water can kill the entire population of frogs.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the soil. The ideal basis for an incubation pond is a mixture of earth, peat, crushed sphagnum (peat bog moss), expanded clay or charcoal (in a ratio of 3:1:1:1). Such soil will not sour and cause harm skin tadpoles and young frogs.

After mass hatching of tadpoles (which grow for approximately
four months), they are intensively fed until they turn into young frogs, and then they are moved to an open pond.

For subsequent reproduction, it is advisable to leave the largest and healthiest individuals, thus forming a strong breeding stock of frogs.

Diet

The diet of young frogs (at all stages of development) is quite varied. The food is based on small invertebrates (bloodworms, worms, caterpillars), crustaceans and insects (mosquitoes, flies, beetles). All swimming, jumping, crawling and flying small animals that the frog can swallow at one time are used.

To prevent rickets, young frogs need to add vitamins to their food.

When the frog reaches marketable weight, it is slaughtered with a mallet, the skin is removed, the legs are separated, packaged and frozen. This is how they are implemented.

The price of frog legs in Europe ranges from four to six dollars, while live amphibians fetch from one to four dollars per kilogram (equivalent to approximately sixty adults).

Breeders need to remember that catching an adult frog is not easy, because it can cover a distance of three (!) meters in one jump, and at the same time is capable of knocking down even an adult person. This “beast” is able to swallow a mouse, small snake or duckling.

However, the same French prefer to eat frogs of much more modest size (weighing about one hundred grams).

Making delicious frog legs is quite easy. To begin with, they are kept in cold water with lemon juice (like asparagus), and then fried on vegetable oil in breadcrumbs or batter. The dish turns out crispy, aromatic, tender, and small bones are not a hindrance to enjoyment.

The French were not the first to come up with the idea of eating these products. According to historians, frogs were first eaten in Ancient China, and the Romans specially fed snails with bran and soldered them with wine for subsequent cooking. However, it is the French who are known for creating the best recipes using these ingredients.

Not from a good life

As chef Eric Le Provost points out, the French began eating frogs during the Hundred Years' War with England (1337-1453) to avoid starvation. Subsequently, the British, who lost in this war, came up with the idea of calling the French “frogs,” and the frog legs themselves were not to the taste of the inhabitants of Foggy Albion for a long time. One of the most famous French restaurateurs of the late 19th century. - beginning of the 20th century Auguste Escoffier, who worked at the Savoy Hotel in London, even had to resort to one trick - in his menu he called a dish of frog legs “young nymphs”, which intrigued local gourmets, who, thanks to this trick, had the opportunity to try the French wonder.

Frogs and snails as an attribute of luxury

If frogs and snails were originally food for the poor and monks, when did they become associated with wealth and prosperity? As for frogs, these amphibians were first considered a delicacy and found their way into the diet of noble Frenchmen in the 16th century. Alexandre Dumas, in his Culinary Dictionary, mentions one resident of Auvergne named Simon, who during this period managed to make a fortune selling frogs in Paris, where this dish was in fashion. Speaking about his contemporaries, the great French writer points out that they most often put frogs in soup, and women use them to improve their skin color.

Snails won the hearts of the wealthy during the Renaissance. This played into the hands of French winemakers, because grape snails are mainly used as food. But they turned into a world-famous delicacy only in the 19th century, when French restaurants began to popularize these dishes. At this time, snails also appear on royal tables.

For example, during a reception organized by the French Foreign Minister Talleyrand in honor of the Russian Tsar Alexander I in 1814, guests were served snails prepared by the chef Marie-Antoine Careme. It is he who is considered the author of the recipe “escargots à labourguignonne” (snails in Burgundy), which is most popular today in France. Returning to Russia, the emperor ordered his cooks to repeat the culinary masterpiece, the recipe for which is simple and remains the same to this day: snails, garlic, butter, dill, salt and pepper.

Import dependence

Therefore, back in 1977, the French government regulated the fishing of these amphibians, allowing it only for a very short season, and also prohibited their breeding for commercial purposes. As a result, frogs have to be imported, and the main supplier today is Indonesia.

There are no such restrictions on growing snails. However, the French, who ate about 16 thousand tons of snails in 2014, do not have enough of their own production. They are imported from Eastern European countries, the Balkans, as well as Greece and Turkey.