If the famous refrain of the 90s song asked himself “how does he do it”, today everyone is asking himself: what flavor has the crocodile meat? The answer comes from the Italian Savannah Delights who at the Tuttofood international fair in Milan (May 8-11) presented their umpteenth luxury product: a 250 gram jar of Crocodylus nilotikus fillets in extra virgin argan oil.
Yes, because as strange as it may seem, in 2021 the Ministry of Health had given the green light to its marketing provided that it is from farms that follow the indications contained in European legislation. And now, after about two years, crocodile meat officially lands on the Italian market. Another food that will cause a lot of discussion, after the stakes on the use of insect flour and synthetic food, but in the world of globalization, it is well known that even gastronomic boundaries tend to disintegrate.
Is it safe to eat crocodile meat?
In Italy, therefore, it is not possible to breed these animals, but only to import the product. Imported meat must belong to the species Crocodylus niloticus, or the one that can commonly be found in the waters of the Nile. It must be strictly farmed meat and to guarantee consumers a high level of safety, only reptile meat with a specific health certificate and which comes from five countries is authorized to enter the Union: Switzerland, Botswana, Vietnam , South Africa o Zimbabwe.
Not only fillets, the crocodile distributor in Italy also makes reptile paté available. Someone will have already had the opportunity to taste crocodile meat during the Milanese edition of the 2015 Expo, available at the Africa pavilion.
What does crocodile meat taste like?
Il taste it is sweet, similar to that of fish, but the consistency is similar to that of chicken. Light in color, it is a very lean meat, with little cholesterol, with anti-carcinogenic properties and favorable for relieving arthritis pain and rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9. Furthermore, it contains more proteins than all the meats commonly on the market such as chicken, pork and even fish.
And how much is it?
It is a product from cost remarkable: a jar of 250 grams is sold to 280 €. A price that is certainly not exactly accessible to the average buyer and which remains, at least in this first moment, rather exclusive and niche.
