Is it possible to eat beaver meat without checking it? Beaver meat - useful vitamin composition

The calorie content of beaver meat is only 140-150 calories, which is quite a bit, so it can be consumed by diabetics and those losing weight. Toughness also depends on age; the most delicious meat is from three-year-old beavers.

This journal entry will 100% not appeal to greenies (not police officers, those others), lovers of small and large animals, vegetarians and some beavers. In the European Union, for example, in France, beavers are included in the list of protected animals; they are on the verge of extinction. The beaver (as it later turned out, a beaver) is fully equipped: with skin, head, tail, intestines and all the good stuff that is usually found inside.

The benefits and harms of beaver meat

Here in this photo below you can see the size of the beaver a little better, which can be judged from a one and a half liter bottle placed nearby (or from the sockets on the wall).

While we are cutting at the level of the ribs, this may not be so important, but when the turn comes to the stomach, under no circumstances should you pierce, otherwise the contents of the intestines will clog the meat, and there will be nothing good about it. Once you've finished removing the skin, the only holes in it should be from the eyes, nose, ears, and shot if the beaver is shot and not strangled by hand.

The area around the anus has already been cut, all that remains is to go around the tail, wrap the beaver and continue the procedure on the other side. These odorous substances contain a yellow liquid that beavers use to mark their territory.

Do they eat beaver meat?

If it drips even a little on the meat, you won’t wash it off, and it won’t be possible to eat it. It would be much easier to work if there was a hook in the ceiling to catch the beaver. Then gravity itself would pull the skin and entrails, and much less effort would be needed.

Beaver Stew Recipe

I left the meat on the balcony from Tuesday to Friday, where it lay without any problems. There may be some additional flavor, but not strong. P.S. The beaver's tail is also edible, similar to lard, only hard. Today we can safely talk about beavers as traditional objects of the fur trade.

The beaver is a desirable trophy for the hunter not only because of its valuable fur, stream and delicious meat. It is quite difficult in terms of prey, so it fuels a purely sporting interest in the hunter. But that's not true. Beavers are active all winter. When frost sets in, their activity decreases and increases with the thaw.

If food supplies are insufficient, beavers gnaw branches and trees even in winter. Beaver hunting in the spring is a very interesting and enjoyable thing for hunters. Sometimes it even surpasses wild boar hunting.

I would like to look at the basic techniques for hunting beaver in the spring with a rifle. You need to cut the meat across the grain. To make it as soft and tender as possible, we recommend soaking it in water for several hours and placing the container in the refrigerator. Beaver meat is very healthy, but you can rarely see it on the shelves. I tried the real thing once with my relatives, the taste was quite pleasant.

It may appeal to beer drinkers and hunters, while those who enjoy looking at blood and sharp cutting objects will likely squeal with pleasure. The recording will also contain some pretty unusual recipes. And here in Lithuania, so many of them have multiplied this year that the trees and people have lost their peace of mind. real threat. Hunters are crushing these scoundrels left and right with guns and traps, but the population is not decreasing too quickly.

As for the composition, 100 grams of beaver meat contains 24 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat and 0 grams of carbohydrates. With beaver meat, the opposite is true - the red tint indicates that it is soft, and this is the product you should choose. With the onset of winter, beavers seem to hibernate.

Sometimes traditional types meat - beef, lamb or pork - can get boring, and then a person is drawn to something unusual. Say, for bear or elk meat, or even more exotic products, for example, beaver meat. True, many fans unusual dishes doubt whether beaver meat is eaten in principle? The answer to this question is positive. They eat, and how.

Properties of beaver meat

Beavers themselves are fairly well-fed animals, whose carcass can reach several kilograms. At the same time, an active lifestyle, heavy physical activity and a plant-based diet lead to the fact that the fat content in beaver meat is minimal. It is also interesting that the fat is evenly distributed throughout the animal’s body, that is, it is almost impossible to find parts of the carcass with a large amount of fat deposits.

By appearance Beaver meat resembles beef. The only difference is a more saturated red color. This is explained high content oxygen in muscle tissue. It is this circumstance that helps beavers make such long underwater swims.

Beneficial features beaver meat is due to its high protein content - about 20% of the total mass. In addition, the content of some vitamins and especially useful for our body minerals, beaver meat is in no way inferior and even superior to traditional types of meat. This circumstance should be kept in mind when thinking about whether beaver meat is eaten.

Firstly, the bones of these animals are very small;
Secondly, almost all parts of the body are suitable for consumption, even tails, which are considered a delicacy in some areas of the United States - there they are fried and served with special sauce. Beaver liver, which is distinguished by its tenderness and excellent taste, is also in great demand among gourmets.

Taste qualities

Many picky people explain their doubts about whether they eat beaver meat, explain it by low taste qualities of this product. Indeed, the meat of these animals is slightly tough and has a characteristic taste.

Experts advise giving preference to the meat of young animals.– it is softer, and its taste is more intense. If you correctly approach the processing and preparation of the carcass of a small beaver, it will resemble goose with the only difference being that the bird is fattier.

In addition, the presence of an unpleasant bitter taste most often results from improper processing of the carcass. The fact is that during this process it is recommended to cut out such a specific part as the beaver stream or musk gland. If this is not done, the meat will taste excessively sweet, which is also not good. However if you accidentally damage the musk gland, the meat will become bitter. Moreover, no amount will help get rid of this taste. folk remedies, even those that turn out to be trouble-free in the case of other meat.

Cooking features

When talking about whether beaver meat is eaten, it is impossible to ignore the question of the peculiarities of preparing this product. After all, the final taste of the dishes depends on how correctly the meat of these animals is prepared.

For example, professional chefs who specialize in preparing wild animal meat recommend soaking the beaver carcass in a weak solution before use. acetic acid. This will help soften the meat and partially eliminate the specific taste. Then the carcass is cut into small pieces, carefully stuff them with finely chopped garlic and pour lemon juice with the addition of various spices.

Beaver meat should be cooked at medium temperatures, using as much as possible less oil– this will allow you to preserve the beneficial properties of meat as much as possible. It is also recommended to add to the dishes when stewing (it is better if it is cast iron cauldron or other massive utensils) as many vegetables as possible, especially those that have a strong aroma. Beaver meat perfectly absorbs the odors of the products with which it is cooked in the same volume.

Boiled potatoes are considered the best side dish for beaver meat dishes. Also in some recipes you can find a description unusual sauce which is prepared from grated apple and crushed garlic with the addition of thyme. The mixture of these ingredients is poured into sour cream and thoroughly stirred until smooth.

Finally, here is one interesting fact– for quite a long time, the church considered beavers a type of fish, and therefore allowed their meat to be eaten during fasting.

Write about your attitude towards eating beaver meat in

Since ancient times, people have been eating meat not only from domestic animals, but also from hunting. Although beaver meat is not exactly exotic, due to the fact that hunting this animal is prohibited, it can be classified as rare. However, in the neighboring country of Belarus, beaver hunting begins around September 1, which usually lasts until March 31.

Who benefits from beaver meat?

Beaver meat does not cause allergic reactions and contains a rich mineral complex of substances that strengthens the body. For adults, such meat is extremely beneficial when consumed unsystematically. In no large quantities Beaver meat can be included in the diet of pregnant or lactating women (with the exception of individual intolerance due to the specific taste). Selenium, which is part of the product, reduces the risk of congenital pathologies.

High-quality meat from young beavers, subject to good heat treatment, sometimes you can offer it to children, their growing body will receive a lot of biologically active substances that will improve physical and mental performance. Elderly people are advised to consume beaver meat for prevention of cardio-vascular system, joint diseases and bone problems.

Beaver meat - useful vitamin composition

Beaver meat contains rich vitamin complex. Let's consider the content of those vitamins that are found in maximum quantity as part of the product.

Vitamin B2 0.31 mg 17%

Vitamin B4 129.9 mg 26%

Vitamin B5 0.93 mg 19%

Vitamin B6 0.47 mg 24%

Vitamin B12 8.3 mcg 277%

As you can see, the content of vitamin B12 is simply off the charts. In 100 gr. product contains almost triple daily dose useful substance.

Vitamin B12

It is the main antianemic vitamin. This substance significantly improves hematopoietic function. For example, during pregnancy and significant physical activity daily requirement in this vitamin increases several times.

Vitamin B2

The body's increased need for this vitamin occurs during pregnancy and stress.

Vitamin B4

It is necessary to enter the body daily with food, both adults and children.

Vitamin B5

The need for this vitamin increases with insufficient intake of protein foods.

Vitamin B6

Very useful in stressful conditions, reduces harmful effects pesticides and radioactive substances.

Beaver meat – healthy and exceptionally rich in mineral composition

Beaver meat contains huge amounts of micro- and macroelements. Let's consider the content of those minerals that are found in fried beaver meat in maximum quantities.

Potassium 403 mg 16%

Phosphorus 292 mg 37%

Iron 10 mg 56%

Copper 0.19 mg 19%

Selenium 43.1 mcg 78%

Zinc 2.27 19%

Potassium

The element is necessary for profuse sweating and when the patient is using diuretics, which can lead to potassium loss.

Phosphorus

Needed to strengthen the structure of bones and teeth.

Iron

Its increased consumption is required when there are low levels of hemoglobin in the blood or during menstruation in women.

Copper

Together with iron, copper is involved in the formation of red blood cells. It is necessary for the stable functioning of the respiratory and nervous systems.

Selenium

Selenium has an antitumor effect. Stimulates normal cell growth; in case of myocardial infarction, it promotes accelerated healing of the heart muscle. Strengthens the immune system.

Zinc

Zinc influences normal growth and development human body, needed during puberty. Also participates in the formation of the bone corset, provides positive impact on immune system.

It is best to purchase wild animal meat in the summer. In summer, it has a high-quality fat layer, evenly distributed between the fibers of muscle tissue. Good meat has a rich wine color, even darker than beef. The most tender beaver is in females and young individuals up to 3 years of age. You need to carefully understand the proposed product so that instead healthy meat a beaver will not run into the carcass of an old animal. As a result, such fried meat (or shish kebab) can significantly ruin your mood, as it will be dry and tough.

Beaver meat: not only benefits, but also harm

When discussing the benefits of this product, one cannot help but touch upon the possible Negative consequences from eating meat:

1. You should not eat beaver meat every day in large quantities, because digestive system it will be difficult to digest great amount squirrel.

2. You should not eat fresh meat, because it contains a high content of active enzymes (it must be kept for at least 9 hours after slaughter).

3. Perhaps food poisoning when eating poorly cooked beaver meat.

There are not many contraindications for this product:

Diseases gastrointestinal tract;

Acute heart failure;

Chronic kidney disease.

Beaver meat is not a food product daily use. Two doses per week are quite enough (for men - 150-170 g, for women - 100-110 g, for children - no more than 100 g). For better absorption it is advisable to combine this rich in protein food with herbs or vegetables. Beaver goes well with many ingredients, however best spices- onion and garlic. But it is not recommended to combine beaver meat with legumes and other foods containing large amounts of protein.

It must be taken into account that with normal room temperature(~18-20°C) beaver meat can become unusable in just 3-4 hours. And in the refrigerator this product Can be stored for two days without any problems. It is better to store excess meat in the freezer. For long-term storage The beaver carcass is divided into small pieces and placed in plastic bags. Should be stored separately from other products, as meat has specific smell.

Methods for preparing beaver meat

Beaver meat is useful in any form: stewed, boiled, fried, baked. Many gourmets prefer barbecue. Before cooking meat, it is advisable to pre-soak it in cold water for 24 hours. In this case, every 5-6 hours it is necessary to drain the water and pour new one.

To improve the taste of beaver meat and effectively marinate the product, you need to use seasonings and spices, as well as vinegar and salt. You can add lemon juice to the meat. Do not forget to remove films from meat.

Beaver meat – exclusively useful product. It contains a huge amount of proteins, vitamins and minerals. The harm from beaver meat is not significant, there are very few contraindications. However, due to the specific taste and aroma, not every gourmet may like such an exotic dish.

If it seems to you that every day meat dishes have already become commonplace and you want to try something new, we advise you to pay attention to beaver meat. The delicacy, which is famous for its beneficial properties, has a memorable taste. The article will tell you why beaver meat is worth trying, and how to cut and prepare this unusual product.

Taste features

Gourmets often argue about whether beavers are eaten and whether it is advisable to do so. They say that the meat is a bit harsh, and the taste can be both bitter and sweet.

As for choosing a carcass for cooking, preference should be given, firstly, to young individuals, whose meat is much softer, and secondly, to small individuals, preferably no more than 15 kg, since the taste of their meat is much richer than that of large beavers . A well-chosen individual will allow you to enjoy excellent lean meat that tastes like hare or goose.

If we talk about the flavors of beaver meat, then the key role in their appearance is played by the preparation of the carcass before cooking the beaver meat. Some specific parts of the animal must be cut with special care, otherwise no amount of seasoning or other means will help get rid of the after-taste after cooking the beaver meat, and it will be spoiled.

Beneficial properties of beaver meat

In addition, beaver meat is attractive due to the content of a number of useful elements, such as:

vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, D, E and retinol;
organic acids and amino acids - glutamic acid, leucine, lysine, methionine and others;
fiber, which is contained at a high level;
hemoglobin, which meat saturates the blood with.

Meat is rich in antioxidants that rejuvenate the body.

These animals are quite well-fed, however, their high activity leads to the fact that the fat level is quite low. In addition, all the fat is distributed evenly throughout the beaver's body. The nutritional value Beaver meat speaks for itself: per 100 g of product contains 24 g of protein and only 4.7 g of fat.

Beaver meat can have an effect on the human body beneficial effect, including:

improves the process of formation and development of blood (hematopoiesis) and blood circulation in general;
strengthens nervous system due to stabilization of the heart muscle;
can improve the condition of hair, nails, skin, as well as bones and joints;
normalizes kidney function and prevents the development of kidney diseases.

Such a protein-rich product also prevents loss of strength, lethargy or drowsiness. However, it is unlikely that you can eat beaver meat every day, because the intestines will probably experience serious difficulties when faced with a considerable amount of protein breakdown products. In addition, beaver meat, the benefit of which is such a rich protein content, is not recommended for consumption. chronic diseases kidneys and heart of varying degrees of severity.

Preparing for cooking

The meat of recently caught beavers is better suited for cooking to avoid the appearance of an unpleasant taste.

The cutting of a beaver is preceded by draining the blood from its carcass. In addition, before moving on to cutting, you can remove the skin from the beaver. To do this, it is not necessary to look for a place to hang it - the skin is removed in a layer and on the ground.

The beaver needs to be laid on its back, after which the first cuts are made - along the hind and front legs, as well as along the tail. A cut is made around the back hole, which needs to be connected to the cut under the tail. The cuts should not be too deep, they should only expose the meat, but not the bones of the beaver.

An incision is made on the beaver's belly along the white line, which will be clearly visible if you take your time. The knife should go carefully from the back hole along the line between the carcass and the skin. One of the edges of the skin is pulled back and its removal begins. Small cuts at the border of the skin color should not transfer to fat.

In the tail area you will need a little more force due to the large layer of fat. Moving on to the paws, try not to leave a subcutaneous layer of muscle on the skin, which will complicate the procedure. On the sides, the skin is easily removed, the subcutaneous muscles are clearly visible. The skin on the back is particularly thin, so avoid trimming it.

Cutting instructions

For convenience, it is better to hang the cleaned carcass by the tail.

Let's look at the stages of cutting a beaver carcass.

First, the beaver stream is cut out. By pulling back the edge of the anus, you can find the place where it begins. Trim it along the contour along with the fat.
Under the stream there should be wen in the form of soft red bags. If you don’t want to use them for later catching a beaver in a trap (they serve as bait), they can be cut out in one piece with a stream.
Further cutting will depend on the cleanliness of the skinning - subcutaneous muscles may remain on the carcass. They do not have an acceptable taste, so they should be removed. The muscles are removed in the same way as skinning - they need to be pulled back and trimmed away from the carcass.
Next, cut the peritoneum on the sides. Gently maintain the incision site while gradually increasing its length. This way the insides will gently fall out of the carcass. Beaver kidneys, heart or liver can be eaten as a delicacy.
The front and rear feet need to be removed at the joints. The paws themselves are also separated at the joints. Whether or not to remove fat is a matter of taste, however, it has good healing properties, so it can be trimmed for future use.
All that remains is the spine, on which there is still quite a lot of tasty stuff. It can be divided into pieces for easy transportation to your home, where it may be easier to separate the meat. You can separate it on the spot - pieces are cut from bones, of which the beaver does not have many.

Beaver meat is perfectly cleaned from the muscle membranes, and is also cut into pieces that make up a portion. An important process before cooking is soaking. How to soak beaver meat? At least 12 hours in water, which needs to be diluted with vinegar - half a glass per several kilograms of meat. And it is better to change this water every few hours.

Cooking on the go

The ideal recipe for cooking beaver for camping conditions can be considered a recipe for beaver shish kebab. All meat cut from the carcass of an animal will do for it. It is noteworthy that you can do without soaking, however, it is worth keeping it in the marinade for at least several hours.

The marinade for beaver barbecue is simple and includes a glass of water, 5-7 medium-sized onions (it’s better not to cut them into slices, but to grate them - the taste will be conveyed better, and there will be no extra elements left in the marinade), apple cider vinegar (a tablespoon per 3 kg of meat). You can do without salt by using soy sauce(approximately 50 g per 3 kg of meat), also add grated ginger and cumin (necessity is determined by taste).

The meat is fried over coals; the process takes no different from cooking pork or beef. How to cook beaver meat deliciously? You can stock up on lemon, the juice of which moisten the fried meat after each turn. The sourness from the lemon will complement the aroma of the marinade and make the kebab unforgettable.

Cooking at home: the best recipes

Let's write down a few beaver dishes, the recipes of which are not very difficult, and the beaver meat dishes themselves will definitely appeal to everyone.

Beaver cutlets

You can get very good cutlets from beaver.

For 1 kg of meat, stock up on 2 eggs, crumb from a loaf, 300 g of sour cream, 2 onions, flour, fat and salt and pepper. Cut the onion and meat into pieces that are convenient for passing through a meat grinder. The minced meat needs to be flavored with bread crumbs and eggs should be broken into it. Mix everything and add salt and pepper to taste.

You need to form cutlets, which you should roll in flour before frying. Melt the fat in a frying pan; you can also use regular vegetable oil. Fry the cutlets, which then need to be placed in the pan. Also pour the fat you fried in and add sour cream. Pour a glass of water over everything and simmer low heat until the water boils away.

Of course, it is important how to properly prepare beaver meat, however, it is no less important what goes in addition to the meat. Cereal porridge, potatoes, vegetable stew, fruit and vegetable salads. For garnish, you can sprinkle the beaver cutlets with dill, parsley and green onions.

Pilaf

Beaver meat, cut professionally, fits perfectly into a dish such as pilaf.

For beaver pilaf, take 1 kg of meat and 300 g of carrots and onions. Of course, pilaf will not be pilaf if you do not use rice, which must first be washed and soaked in cold water.

We cut the beaver meat and vegetables; the pieces should be small so that they can be easily chewed. Carrots - into cubes, and onions can be chopped into half rings. Then follows frying - sauté the meat in fat or oil in a deep bowl until golden brown, after which vegetables follow. Add salt and pepper to taste.

The dish can be given oriental scent, if at the end of frying you add dried apricots and prunes, finely chopped. Once the vegetables are cooked, drain the rice and add it to the container with the meat. All ingredients need to be poured with boiling water, but we advise you not to use too much water - just enough so that the rice is barely immersed in it.

Cover with a lid and let the water boil, after which the pilaf should simmer for another 25-30 minutes. Add a few cloves of garlic for flavor. Once the process is complete, stir the rice and remaining ingredients.

How to cook beaver in the oven?

The interesting taste of beaver meat is revealed when it is cooked in the oven with spices - oregano, thyme, rosemary and others. fragrant seasonings. 2 kg of meat, approximately 150 g of lard and 100 g of sour cream - this is what you need to cook beaver at home using oven. Let's look at how to cook beaver in the oven.

The meat must be washed and dried on a towel. Cuts are made in the meat, where pieces of lard and spices need to be inserted. Rub the outside of the beaver piece with salt and pepper while the oven preheats to 200 degrees. Pour a little liquid onto the baking sheet where the meat will be baked, it is necessary so that the meat does not dry out too much. Place the piece and give it 45-50 minutes of cooking time.

When time has passed, there should be on the surface golden crust. But this is not the time to turn off the oven. Improve the dish with vegetables - onions, carrots and potatoes. Place the vegetable slices around the piece of meat and bake for another 20-25 minutes until they are ready. You can serve it on the table sauerkraut or chopped gherkins.

Tail Recipes

In the old days, Catholic priests did not hesitate to use beaver for food, even during Lent. The fact is that the beaver tail is covered with scales, so the clergy equated a dish made from a beaver tail to fish dishes, which can be eaten during several days of fasting.

Let's look at several recipes for preparing beaver tail.

Tail soup

For beaver tail soup, you will need two or three tails. The scales are removed from them, and the pieces are divided into small cubes, about 2 cm wide. They are soaked in water and vinegar, leaving in the liquid overnight. The soaked pieces are sent to a saucepan with water (about 3-3.5 liters), where you also need to add one chopped onion and a glass of rice. Salt and pepper are added to taste.

Bring the water to a boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes. To serve this beaver tail dish, we recommend adding a little tomato sauce, as well as a spoonful of chopped celery and a little parsley.

Fried tails

Two beaver tails are cleaned and placed in water with half a glass of vinegar overnight. The soaked tails should be washed and placed in a container of water, add two teaspoons of soda to the water and let the water boil for about 8-10 minutes.

Before frying the tails, you need to remove them from the water and roll them in flour. Cover the bottom of a heavy frying pan vegetable oil, after which the tails are fried in a frying pan over low heat for about 5 minutes. To add an elegant flavor to beaver tail, mix half a glass of red wine with a teaspoon of mustard, a teaspoon of sugar and a grated clove of garlic. The mixture is sent to the tails in a frying pan, after which they are fried until the tails are ready - about 10 minutes.

How to cook beaver fat

Vegetation is the main component in the beaver's nutritional system, therefore their fat is saturated with glucose, which is necessary for proper metabolism and energy production by the human body. The beneficial properties of beaver fat are also used to treat infections, as well as a number of other diseases, including respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal pathologies, skin diseases and even prostatitis.

If we talk about how to prepare beaver fat, then in principle the technology does not differ from the methods for obtaining rendered lard from animals of other species. Once the skin is removed from the animal, any fat that can be trimmed from the carcass is suitable for cooking. Don't neglect the fat from the beaver's tail.

The preparation of beaver fat begins with the pieces of lard being finely chopped or passed through a meat grinder. The crushed fat is stored in a deep (preferably enamel) container. Water is poured into a bowl of larger diameter, and a container with lard needs to be placed in it. Bring the water to a boil and the fat will slowly render out over a few hours. Do not heat lard in a heated frying pan under any circumstances - this way you will only lose everything useful qualities this product.

Video

Watch our video for the recipe delicious immediately and beaver with mushrooms.

To the delight of gourmets, good news has come: beaver meat will be sold in Belarusian stores. However, the news immediately raised many questions. What does beaver meat taste like? How is it useful and how to prepare it? What do hunters know about beavers? Sputnik decided to find out everything about the beaver, and therefore turned to chefs, gourmets, hunters and nutritionists for advice.

Belovezhya beavers sleep peacefully

At the Belovezhskaya Pushcha restaurant, which is located in the reserve of the same name and is famous for its game dishes, beaver meat has so far been given a firm no. Nevertheless, they do not rule out that the head of the establishment will somehow resolve this issue in the near future. Therefore, the population of protected beavers can gnaw trees calmly - in the near future, hunters will not break dams and chase them with guns. However, it is still worth thinking about emigration, because obviously this will not always be the case.

An example of this is the Expedition restaurant. There, beaver meat is included in the menu, but the restaurant administrator said that the cooking recipe is a corporate secret.

In the “capital of the world” - Bobruisk - the founder of the city is treated with suspicion. Calls to a variety of restaurants were answered “no” to beaver meat, and in some they answered the question with a question: “What?” One gets the impression that everything connected with the beaver is a joke or some kind of mystical secret, known only to the initiated.

Beaver invasion

It is only in fairy tales that the beaver is kind. But hunters know that behind the appearance of this seemingly good-natured animal hides an insidious and quarrelsome nature. A direct confrontation with a beaver can result in a brawl, then a punctured artery and death. That's why people catch them in special traps. In thematic public pages of hunters and fishermen, threads discussing beavers are filled with dozens of messages. There, people share not only cooking recipes, but also how to catch this animal. It is symbolic that the most authoritative in beaver affairs are Belarusian squires. And all because in Soviet times It was from Belarus that the once Red Book beaver was spread throughout the rest of the territory of the union. True, now there are so many of them that hunters don’t even know how to curb the beaver invasion and where to send parties of these dam builders.

“We don’t know what to do with beavers. They are caught in traps, shot with guns, but there are still a lot of them. You can buy a license to shoot beavers at any hunting ground. If you dare, they will be very happy there. They also set prices. Depending Beaver hunting will cost anywhere from 50 to 600 thousand Belarusian rubles per season,” Belgosokhot told Sputnik.

The most valuable thing is not the fur, but the liver

Dmitry Lagoda, an amateur cook and son of a hunter, is familiar with beavers first-hand. In a conversation about this king of the swamps, he immediately noted the smell of aspen and sweetish taste, which cannot be confused with anything. However, according to Lagoda, the most valuable thing about a beaver is its liver.

"The whole animal can be eaten, but the most delicious thing is stewed liver. The main thing is to remove it carefully gallbladder and soak it for a couple of hours, changing the water periodically. Then transfer the finely chopped pieces to a greased frying pan. butter, and fry,” shared culinary secret from Sputnik Lagoda.

Cooking beaver liver is a liberal activity. It can be baked in foil, on a skewer over coals, or boiled in salted water. Lagoda also recommends soaking the liver in milk and then cooking. Then the dish will become simply an excellent delicacy.

Professional chef Dmitry Yukhnevich is completely delighted with the beaver. And also the range of dishes that can be prepared from it.

"Beaver tail soup is highly valued. In general, the main thing is to make excellent marinade from onion, ginger and apple cider vinegar, soaking for five hours. Spray the meat while frying. lemon juice, then it will turn out tender, like turkey and rabbit,” Yukhnevich assured Sputnik.

However, not everyone shares the optimism of Lagoda and Yukhnevich.

“I was at a friends’ wedding and the guests were treated to beaver cutlets. What can I say, the meat smells bad, is very tough, and tastes like sweet, stale beef,” gourmet Vladimir Plotnikov shared his vision of beaver.

He is sure that he will not eat beaver again. Unless there is total famine.

Arkansas beaver

While in Belarus a galaxy of cooks are just getting ready to chop beavers into cutlets, in the USA recipes for preparing this rodent have been known for a long time. For example, beaver meat is traditional dish in Arkansas.

So, here's the recipe!

We take the carcass of one beaver weighing from three to five kilograms, roll it in breadcrumbs, rub with salt and pepper. Place on an open oven tray and bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Then pour half a glass of water, half a glass of red wine and half a glass of currant jam, add one teaspoon of thyme and rosemary, cover with a lid and bake for another three and a half hours at 325 degrees. Important: during baking, you need to scrape off the fat from the carcass.

Total: a few hours of work - and an American dish on your holiday table.

Protein is like protein and therefore not harmful

A galaxy of nutritionists also argues about the benefits of beaver meat. In scientific circles they are sure: since the beaver feeds exclusively plant foods, then its low-fat meat can be considered dietary and healthy.

“In fact, despite the fact that the beaver feeds on vegetation, we don’t know what kind and where. And as for meat, it’s a protein, so it won’t be harmful,” endocrinologist Tatyana Mokhort assured Sputnik.

Nutritionist Larisa Borisevich described beaver meat very well.

"Beaver meat is very close in composition to rabbit and chicken meat. It contains virtually no fat, contains seven essential amino acids and three conditionally replaceable ones, contains a large number of iron and does not contain uric acid. This means that it can be eaten by people with gout and anemia. Meat is also suitable for those who want to lose weight. But you still shouldn’t overuse proteins. Personally, I wouldn’t eat beaver, because I feel sorry for the animal,” Borisevich analyzed the meat at the request of Sputnik.

The beaver is kind, and therefore not everyone can make sausages out of this rodent. In addition, he is hardworking and has good knowledge of hydraulic engineering. Therefore, instead of coming up with recipes for consuming this wonderful animal, it is better to think about how to use them on the farm. Perhaps the time will come when Belarusian scientists will introduce the world to technological beaver cyborgs who will participate in the construction of nuclear power plants and housing.