According to NPR , 19th century Floridians used to dine on Possum meat Christmas eve ?

[UndertheOcean]

what the holy buddha cow ...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. That's a nice Norman Rockwell image...

The whole family, including Grandma and Grandpa and all the kiddies, sitting at the dining room table, the good china set out, Dad at the head of the table, about to carve the Christmas possum...

[kayakjohnny]

2. Ain't nothin' 19th centry about it, a'tall.

An' that's all I'm a-sayin'.

[nolabear]

3. Not from the South, are you?

The idea of eating possum is as natural as the idea of eating, well, anything wild. BUT, I don't know anyone who's ever eaten one. Everybody seems to know somebody who is related to somebody who has, though. They're supposed to be greasy.

[Orrex]

4. And on St. Patrick's Day they dined on o'possum

Sure and begorrah.

[era veteran]

5. I call bullshit, hell we knew old Floridians that would laugh if they knew

Yankees ate gator. We smoked gator tails to feed the dogs. In my life lving in the rural south, KY & GA with Fla summer visits in the 50's. I never heard of eating possum other than a joke. I did know someone who canned carp though. I saw a possum run on a telephone line once.

[JCMach1]

8. We did in fact eat them (not as a joke), but Possum was about as loan on the food chain

as you can sink. They are not so tasty. Any self-respecting 19th century Floridian would work their ass off to shoot a deer, or turkey for XMas...

Even squirrel tastes better.

[era veteran]

9. Well, did they grin at you?

Groundhog is probably better. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

[JCMach1]

10. When they are defurred and rigor sets-in they do indeed grin at you

I find them greasey and disgusting.

[era veteran]

11. They are ground buzzards that clean up the woods.

Harmless but gross. Not as bad as the sloths we had in Panama that were so slow moss grew on them.

[dgibby]

6. Not just Fla.

It's eaten in Va, and all through the South, or at least it was when I was growing up.

What this thread needs is some recipes:

http://www.bertc.com/subfive/recipes/possum.htm

[MiddleFingerMom]

7. I grew up in the Deep South... (well, Southern Michigan)... and we had possum for DESSERT!!!!

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[Skip Intro]

12. Awww, cute little possum.

Just wants to be friends.

And be fed.

What a little sweetie.

[old mark]

13. I have eaten squirrel and groundhog, but never possum...

Squirrel tastes like turkey legs, groundhog like somewhat greasy pork (It's better on a grill with BBQ sauce).

Around here in the south (Southern PA) Possum is supposed to be what you can eat if you are lost in the woods for a long time-but I seldom see them in the woods. I see lots of them in the alley behind my house, though, but police frown on shooting them in the city...


mark