Weimar restaurant in Germany starts serving raccoon meat dishes

In the German city of Weimar, a local restaurant has begun serving dishes made from raccoon meat — an unusual initiative backed by the Thuringian Ecological Hunting Association, which is running special culinary courses together with local chefs. The goal of the project is to break down stereotypes about eating raccoon meat and promote the sensible use of animals caught during hunts, said association representative Julia Bloch.

According to her, many people force themselves to try the first bite, but end up praising the flavour. One hunter who sampled the dish admitted: "It tastes wonderful — tender as butter, with a unique flavour."

How the idea was born

The unusual menu was the brainchild of chef Steffen Hasengier. About two years ago, he was fishing near a spot where a raccoon had turned up, and started wondering what the animal's meat might taste like. He asked a hunter he knew to bring him a raccoon carcass. "I was thrilled," Hasengier admits — though in everyday life he follows a vegetarian diet.

In his view, raccoon thighs are best braised, while the other cuts can be roasted, grilled or added to goulash. Fragrant spices work best with this meat — rosemary, thyme, paprika, garlic and onion — and as a side dish, the chef recommends dumplings or potatoes.

Strict quality control

The meat for the restaurant is supplied by a hunter the chef knows, but before it reaches the table, it must undergo testing for trichinosis. Julia Bloch notes that the legal and veterinary procedures surrounding raccoon meat are quite complex: unlike, say, wild boar or badger, hunters are not allowed to take samples from raccoons themselves.

The entire carcass of the animal must be transported to a veterinary laboratory under an unbroken cold chain, then collected again afterwards — only then can the meat make its way into the restaurant's kitchen.

Read also: 9 Michelin-starred restaurants in Czechia: where to find fine dining from Prague to Moravia

Source: ekolist.cz