UK Man Survives Off Roadkill For 30 Years

[Bloodshot Scott]

Rats, mice, foxes, owls, pigeons, moles, snakes and pheasants: the makings of a pleasant episode of Winnie the Pooh, an autumnal diorama of woodland life at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia -- or, for one 44-year-old UK man, 30 years worth of dinner.

Jonathan McGowan, a professional taxidermist, started eating roadkill at age 14, when he found a dead adder on the side of the road and decided to cook it, reports the Daily Mail. That first snake wasn't very tasty, but he was intrigued. Over time, McGowan came to see the ecological and culinary benefits of eating only meat he found dead on the side of the road. (It seems his forager-instincts were limited to the flesh: he would buy fruits, vegetables, grains, spice and so forth like any other person.)

McGowan detailed the logistics of his diet in a rollicking essay in The Guardian last spring. He writes:

Rabbits, badgers and pheasants are my most common finds. Rabbit is actually quite bland. Fox is far tastier; there's never any fat on it, and it's subtle, with a lovely texture, firm but soft. It's much more versatile than beef, and has a salty, mineral taste rather like gammon. Frogs and toads taste like chicken and are great in stir-fries. Rat, which is nice and salty like pork, is good in a stir-fry, too – I'll throw in celery, onion, peppers and, in autumn, wild mushrooms I've collected. Badger is not nice and hedgehog is hideous.

In a way, McGowan's roadkill-centric diet is the logical terminus of a few recent strands of thought in the culinary world. He is at once a locavore forager in the tradition of Rene Redzepi, a nose-to-tail carnivore like Fergus Henderson and a freegan in the same vein as Gio Andollo. (Never mind that he embarked on his unusual project decades before any of those figures rose to prominence.)

McGowan doesn't fess up to having experienced any negative consequences as a result of his roadkill diet, except for the occasional grimace from a friend or acquaintance. So if you're feeling cavalier, eco-conscious and in the mood for meat the next time you see a deer carcass on the side of the highway, you might want to consider following his lead -- at least after reading this guide to roadkill on Slashfood.

McGowan's story was featured on CNN Monday. Here's the clip:

At least he's not from Ohio.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/17/jonathan-mcgowan-roadkill_n_1016108.html

 

[knowone]

Not fast food but food that wasn't fast enough!

http://www.road-kill-cafe.com/roadkill.html

http://www.route66seligmanarizona.com/The_Roadkill_Cafe.php

 

[Kingfisher]

His meals were a little flat on nutrition...

 

[Will E Worm]

At least he's not from Ohio.

I guess this means Ohio is better than the UK.

I know it is better than New York or LA.

 

[domshooter]

uh, while i dont think i would partake i could see the validity in what he does. i mean as long as its fresh, he cleans em well, and cooks em right....i guess that works.

still weird and slightly nasty, but w/e. to each their own

 

[PirateKing]

*cues deliverance banjo theme*

 

[YumiYumi_1988]

I guess this means Ohio is better than the UK.

I know it is better than New York or LA.

....And Chicago.

Btw lemme say this about Ohio. Smog and pollution are what separates the borders of Ohio and Kentucky. You instantly know you've reached Ohio just by looking in the sky.

 

[STDiva]

What recession?

 

[YMIHERE]

I prefer to eat animals while they are still alive.

 

[gunslingingbird]

I've been told that the only part of roadkill that shouldn't be consumed is the part that received the direct impact of the car because the muscle bruises, which makes the meat tough and possibly toxic due to the accumulation of I-can't-remember-what-chemical in the affected area. Other than that, as long as it's fresh and hasn't had enough time to start decomposing it really isn't much different from going out and hunting your own meat.

 

[Rane1071]

Yeah, .. if that makes him happy. :dunno: Good luck to him.

But I think I'd prefer to get mine from the super-market/butchers.

 

[squallumz]

*cues deliverance banjo theme*

*matches it with own banjo*

 

[PirateKing]

*matches it with own banjo*

Who told you you could play your own banjo!?! Now get on all fours and squal like a pig!

 

[emceeemcee]

I take it this guy doesn't have a girlfriend

 

[Rane1071]

I take it this guy doesn't have a girlfriend

Dunno? But they say there's someone for everyone.

Maybe there's a "Ma Kettle" type out there, that'll fix his vittles.

 

[Jack Davenport]

That's taking that mad cow phobia a liittle far dontcha think?

 

[StanScratch]

Trust me, there are a lot of people from Ohio who are literally "proud" roadkill eaters. Their breaths also smell like roadkill. Seriously. It is revolting.

 

[LukeEl]

I hear there is less trans fats in skunk.