Crocodile Bangkok

[Pigurd]

Hi,

are there any resturants/street food stalls that specialize in crocodile meat in bangkok? doesnt seem like there are mention of it on chowhoud.

[p0lst3r]

(disclaimer: sorry I'm not answering your specific question, just a comment)

You know, when I hear 'crocodile' I always think of a tourist-trap Australian themed restaurant using it as a gimmick. But crocodile street food would be cool.

When I lived in NY I'd go into Chinatown and in one of the food markets they were selling dismembered crocodile (or alligator - no head so I couldn't tell). Was so strange among all of the pork and chickens to see these huge prehistoric looking legs - leathery skin, feet still attached with big claws. I wondered what people did with whole crocodile legs. Bake them? Make a soup?

[Curt the Soi Hound]

Although I haven't seen it on any menus, I have seen it on sale, for home use, at places such as Big C. Big Cs will usually have an "exotics" frozen case, with crocodile, ostrich, frog, and such.

[p0lst3r]

A friend of mine in NY used to hold a dinner party on his rooftop every month or so. Everyone would bring an ingredient, names go into a hat and then the winner (err loser) has to cook dinner for everyone using those ingredients plus whatever was in his fridge/pantry (while everyone else drinks and waits). The random but usual would come up: truffles, quails, kafir lime leaves, etc.

I only saw the crocodile legs for sale in Chinatown just before I left NY so didn't get a chance to buy as my contribution to one of his parties. I can just imagine the look on the designated cooks face when paper gets unwrapped to reveal a huge crocodile leg/claw.

[Pigurd]

O, I am from Toronto, Canada and crocodile is available frozen here, or a tail can be ordered fresh from a butcher, but i was hoping bangkok would have some resturants that had some preparations with it besides the deep fryed little bits that ive seen in toronto. I read the crocodile farms might have it, but not sure how far outside bangkok that would be... would have prefered a place that just did it normally, but i guess maybe crocodile isnt a normal protein source in thailand?

[PhilD]

I suppose the question is why do you assume Thai's eat crocodile? I don't think it is a local meat as the Siamese Crocodile is extinct in Thailand as its habitat has gone. There are lots of crocodile farms (for leather) but I don't believe it was ever a regular part of the cuisine.

[Curt the Soi Hound]

One might easily assume that, because of the farming of the animals, besides the leather, they might also market the meat. They do, but it hasn't really taken off locally.

Thais eat anything that provides protein. In different regions, Lizard, snake rats and bugs are an everyday part of the diet. But, being a limited commercial product, for the most part, crocodile is too costly for many.

[Pigurd]

I just assumed there would be due to all the farming for their leather... and also a long time ago a friend told me he had crocodile in thailand and it was really good (dont know where this old friend is any more)

[Curt the Soi Hound]

I don't know if they serve crocodile, but there's a great restaurant on Rattanatihbet, Nonthaburi, that serves up a tasty, 3 alarm ostrich!