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Of course our national bird would be "veal in taste and tenderness." The Bald Eagle truly is the modern day forbidden fruit.

by burcs 2y ago

saalweachter 2y ago
There's a reason the Bald Eagle won out over the Turkey for national bird.
dwcnnnghm 2y ago
Japan’s national bird (green pheasant) is, IIRC, the only national bird that’s also a game bird. There’s not many stories or symbolism with green pheasants (as opposed to, say, cranes) and it’s mostly known in the country as food. I’ve seen it argued that it was selected because it’s delicious (though the official line seems to be their ability to recognize earthquakes)
- paranoidrobot 2y ago
  The animals on Australia's coat of arms: Emu and Kangaroo, are both able to be eaten. The Emu is our national bird. I don't know if they're technically game meats but I can buy them both commercially. Kangaroo meat is in most supermarkets, and Emu in speciality butchers.
  - sien 2y ago
    You can get a 'Coat of Arms Pizza' at the Australian Heritage Hotel in Sydney "half emu & half pepper kangaroo, slow roasted tomato, charred peppers, lemon myrtle mayo" It was good the last time I had it.
  - technothrasher 2y ago
    When I was in Namibia and saw oryx on the menu at a restaurant, I ask them if they really ate their national animal. The waiter's response was, "oh, heck, no. These oryx are from South Africa!" Touché.
- seszett 2y ago
  > Japan’s national bird (green pheasant) is, IIRC, the only national bird that’s also a game bird France's national bird is the rooster, it's not really a game bird but it's definitely eaten.
- Ichthypresbyter 2y ago
  >Japan’s national bird (green pheasant) is, IIRC, the only national bird that’s also a game bird. Pakistan and Gibraltar both have national birds that are partridges (the chukar and the Barbary partridge respectively).
- darth_avocado 2y ago
  > Japan’s national bird (green pheasant) is, IIRC, the only national bird that’s also a game bird. India’s national bird is the Peacock. It is a type of pheasant and was historically a game bird that was a common delicacy, especially for the rich. It is now illegal to hunt peacock in India, but people still get it in the black market.
- yongjik 2y ago
  (Off-topic?) Not talking about the pheasant, but I once read that the Japanese used to eat cranes (presumably the same kind shown in JAL logo), and even offered them as delicacy to a group of Korean ambassadors, who were horrified, because cranes were considered a symbol of Confucian virtue in Korea and nobody ate them.
alaxsxaq 2y ago
I live in an area where there are plentiful eagles and I never heard of anyone eating one. I kayak around some islands in a nearby river where eagles nest and frequently encounter people at boat landings inquiring about eagle feathers. The laws around that stuff are pretty harsh - I always figured them to be under-cover Feds.
- xattt 2y ago
  I don’t believe there are carnivorous and scavenger birds that are eaten for food.
  - technothrasher 2y ago
    Crows are carnivorous scavenger birds that are actually eaten by quite a lot of people, at least here in the Northeastern US.
    - antimemetics 2y ago
      The beak is the best part!
    - xattt 2y ago
      Are you referring to the colloquial idiom?
  - cmrdporcupine 2y ago
    We eat omnivorous birds though (chickens, esp)
    - c_o_n_v_e_x 2y ago
      Sandhill cranes are omnivorous and have the nickname "ribeye of the sky." I've never tried myself as I no longer live in the US, but I've heard they are very good.
      - cmrdporcupine 2y ago
jfengel 2y ago
I'm skeptical. Eagles have well-worked muscles, which are usually tough. And they're carrion eaters, which are rarely delicious. I haven't tried one, of course, so perhaps reality differs from theory. But I wonder if somebody's not telling the truth here (him, or his cook).
- KineticLensman 2y ago
  Lots of eagles eat freshly caught fish, not carrion
  - exhilaration 2y ago
    True. In Alaska, bald eagles swarm fish boats the way seagulls will swarm your picnic at the beach. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLMa1DO-x5g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLMa1DO-x5g
    - KineticLensman 2y ago
      Great video! I've been lucky enough to see White Tailed Eagles in Norway, and they too will follow boats that have fish. Although I don't think there are enough eagles for a swarm. There is a White Tailed Eagle in Poole Harbour (near to where I live on the UK sough coast), and he also only eats fish.

Of course our national bird would be "veal in taste and tenderness." The Bald Eagle truly is the modern day forbidden fruit.

by burcs 2y ago

Of course our national bird would be "veal in taste and tenderness." The Bald Eagle truly is the modern day forbidden fruit.

saalweachter 2y ago

There's a reason the Bald Eagle won out over the Turkey for national bird.

dwcnnnghm 2y ago

Japan’s national bird (green pheasant) is, IIRC, the only national bird that’s also a game bird. There’s not many stories or symbolism with green pheasants (as opposed to, say, cranes) and it’s mostly known in the country as food. I’ve seen it argued that it was selected because it’s delicious (though the official line seems to be their ability to recognize earthquakes)

paranoidrobot 2y ago
The animals on Australia's coat of arms: Emu and Kangaroo, are both able to be eaten. The Emu is our national bird. I don't know if they're technically game meats but I can buy them both commercially. Kangaroo meat is in most supermarkets, and Emu in speciality butchers.
- sien 2y ago
  You can get a 'Coat of Arms Pizza' at the Australian Heritage Hotel in Sydney "half emu & half pepper kangaroo, slow roasted tomato, charred peppers, lemon myrtle mayo" It was good the last time I had it.
- technothrasher 2y ago
  When I was in Namibia and saw oryx on the menu at a restaurant, I ask them if they really ate their national animal. The waiter's response was, "oh, heck, no. These oryx are from South Africa!" Touché.
seszett 2y ago
> Japan’s national bird (green pheasant) is, IIRC, the only national bird that’s also a game bird France's national bird is the rooster, it's not really a game bird but it's definitely eaten.
Ichthypresbyter 2y ago
>Japan’s national bird (green pheasant) is, IIRC, the only national bird that’s also a game bird. Pakistan and Gibraltar both have national birds that are partridges (the chukar and the Barbary partridge respectively).
darth_avocado 2y ago
> Japan’s national bird (green pheasant) is, IIRC, the only national bird that’s also a game bird. India’s national bird is the Peacock. It is a type of pheasant and was historically a game bird that was a common delicacy, especially for the rich. It is now illegal to hunt peacock in India, but people still get it in the black market.
yongjik 2y ago
(Off-topic?) Not talking about the pheasant, but I once read that the Japanese used to eat cranes (presumably the same kind shown in JAL logo), and even offered them as delicacy to a group of Korean ambassadors, who were horrified, because cranes were considered a symbol of Confucian virtue in Korea and nobody ate them.

alaxsxaq 2y ago

I live in an area where there are plentiful eagles and I never heard of anyone eating one. I kayak around some islands in a nearby river where eagles nest and frequently encounter people at boat landings inquiring about eagle feathers. The laws around that stuff are pretty harsh - I always figured them to be under-cover Feds.

xattt 2y ago
I don’t believe there are carnivorous and scavenger birds that are eaten for food.
- technothrasher 2y ago
  Crows are carnivorous scavenger birds that are actually eaten by quite a lot of people, at least here in the Northeastern US.
  - antimemetics 2y ago
    The beak is the best part!
  - xattt 2y ago
    Are you referring to the colloquial idiom?
- cmrdporcupine 2y ago
  We eat omnivorous birds though (chickens, esp)
  - c_o_n_v_e_x 2y ago
    Sandhill cranes are omnivorous and have the nickname "ribeye of the sky." I've never tried myself as I no longer live in the US, but I've heard they are very good.
    - cmrdporcupine 2y ago

jfengel 2y ago

I'm skeptical. Eagles have well-worked muscles, which are usually tough. And they're carrion eaters, which are rarely delicious. I haven't tried one, of course, so perhaps reality differs from theory. But I wonder if somebody's not telling the truth here (him, or his cook).

KineticLensman 2y ago
Lots of eagles eat freshly caught fish, not carrion
- exhilaration 2y ago
  True. In Alaska, bald eagles swarm fish boats the way seagulls will swarm your picnic at the beach. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLMa1DO-x5g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLMa1DO-x5g
  - KineticLensman 2y ago
    Great video! I've been lucky enough to see White Tailed Eagles in Norway, and they too will follow boats that have fish. Although I don't think there are enough eagles for a swarm. There is a White Tailed Eagle in Poole Harbour (near to where I live on the UK sough coast), and he also only eats fish.