A new "only in Japan" food

Life in Japan has meant I've tried foods that definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, from natto (it was a once and once only thing!) to sea creatures I didn't even know were edible. I've come to accept that trying something new is part of the deal with living in a different country, but a headline I read this week from Shizuoka Prefecture mentioned a city trying to put a new kind of protein on local menus.

If you've never heard of nutria, they're large rodents (they look a bit like capybara, honestly) and originate from South America. They've apparently been wreaking havoc on rice and broccoli fields around the city of Iwata since 2021, and local officials have decided that instead of just eradicating them, why not just…eat them?

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The city, hunting groups, farmers, and a local agriculture university have all teamed up to test recipes and analyze the meat, with the mayor already sampling nutria sausage and stew and saying that it "tastes great." Researchers are now studying nutria's nutritional content and flavor, with the idea that one day it could appear in restaurants or markets.

I've tried some odd dishes in my time here, but the thought of tucking into rodent stew feels like a whole new level. 

Nutria sausage, or nutria stew -- would you give them a go?

Info source: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/16008891