# How can one eat a little bird whole, 'bones and all'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952 "2012-05-15T02:28:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Wikipedia_Cites)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/1 "2012-05-15T02:28:08Z")
In the bizarrely titled (but academic press published) book _Unmentionable Cuisine_, by Calvin Schwab, it mentions that there is a modern day prejudice in America against eating ‘little birds’ like Starlings and Sparrows. But historically it happened, and still does in other countries. He also reports that little birds are usually eaten ‘bones and all’ including ‘viscera’. Ok, is that possible? Good for you? They might be little but it’s still bones, which ain’t that soft right? And what about the stomach contents and such of the bird? People are crunching down some sparrow gall bladder and skull too? Wouldn’t it be horrible and damaging? Explain ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/2 "2012-05-15T02:38:12Z")
I’m interested I’m hearing about this as well. The closest I’ve ever come is reading about Anthony Bourdain describing eating ortolans. It sounded gross to me, but perhaps it’s my unsophisticated palate? I don’t care, I’d still rather eat spaghetti-os than bird guts. I’m willing to be schooled, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/3 "2012-05-15T02:45:22Z")
Those wacky, wacky French. They’ll try anything. Snails. Frog legs. Whole birds. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/4 "2012-05-15T02:49:30Z")
In the cases I have heard of, the ones eaten whole are first captured and fed a straight grain diet. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/5 "2012-05-15T02:53:44Z")
When I was an exchange student in Brazil back in the 1970s, I was exposed to all manner of strange victuals. Among these delicacies were braised songbirds. They had been cooked in such a manner that the delicate bones were merely ‘crunchy’ (as in [Crunchy Frog](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CHwQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FCrunchy_Frog&ei=1sSxT7aNEo6TtweVt4HzCA&usg=AFQjCNGTRrB8Gj10KZ1cWfV-FgbHJuNpQg&sig2=WpAKE-VJwfqHkBhDVbY7HQ)). I don’t quite recall the actual flavor of the dish as I was too busy trying to appear sophisticated to a young Brazilian lass at the time. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/6 "2012-05-15T02:55:23Z")
> [@ShelliBean](#): > > I’m interested I’m hearing about this as well. The closest I’ve ever come is reading about **Anthony Bourdain** describing eating ortolans. bolding mine. I hate that guy, so I hope he choked on ortolans. Or baby birdie bones. I think I saw something about this once, although I remember something about the birds being pickled. I also remember a delicacy of developed bird embryos being eaten out of the shell. How hungry do you have to be to eat a bird embryo? ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/7 "2012-05-15T03:00:43Z")
Just a tiny bit peckish. ---
**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/8 "2012-05-15T03:06:23Z")
Do you eat the feathers? ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/9 "2012-05-15T03:18:53Z")
There’s always balut, which is eaten in large quantities in parts of Asia. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/10 "2012-05-15T03:23:18Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > bolding mine. > > I hate that guy, so I hope he choked on ortolans. Or baby birdie bones. > I think I saw something about this once, although I remember something about the birds being pickled. I also remember a delicacy of developed bird embryos being eaten out of the shell. > > How hungry do you have to be to eat a bird embryo? Isn’t that a Filipino delicacy? ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/11 "2012-05-15T03:25:26Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > There’s always balut, which is eaten in large quantities in parts of Asia. Repulsive as well, but a little less so. I passed on balut several times when I worked with lots of Philippinos. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/12 "2012-05-15T06:17:43Z")
“Alouette, gentille Alouette Alouette, je te plumerai Je te plumerai la tête (Je te plumerai la tête)” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/13 "2012-05-15T06:20:02Z")
I eat fish bones every time I eat sardines or anchovies. They won’t choke you. I could imagine tiny-birds’ bones are edible. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/14 "2012-05-15T07:25:18Z")
The bones of ‘thumb-sized’ critters - songbirds, mice etc. - are so tiny and delicate, especially after cooking, that they present no problem whatsoever to the eater. Same applies to the viscera. Ask me how I know… Eating small animals whole is the only way to get some nutrition out of them, and was the way to do it the world over until modern times. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/15 "2012-05-15T09:02:56Z")
I’ve heard that in many cultures, people eat small animals whole. In fact, I recall some woman who appeared on Celebrity Apprentice several years ago. Her husband was a French Chef and he opened a restaurant that served a famous French delicacy that was a small bird eaten whole. I think it was deep-fried first and that softened the bones to where the diner couldn’t recognize them as bones. But you can Google for a French delicacy. For some strange reason, I’m pretty sure the name started with the letter “O”. The various message boards were very busy discussing this. It was perhaps about ten years ago. Here you go: > **[Ortolan bunting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ortolan_Bunting)** > > The ortolan (Emberiza hortulana), also called ortolan bunting, is a Eurasian bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern scholars from the finches, Fringillidae. The genus name Emberiza is from Alemannic German Embritz, a bunting. The specific hortulana is from the Italian name for this bird, ortolana. The English ortolan is derived from Middle French hortolan, "gardener". > The ortolan is served in French cuisine, typically cooked and eaten whole. Tr... ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/16 "2012-05-15T09:09:08Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > “Alouette, gentille Alouette > Alouette, je te plumerai > Je te plumerai la tête > (Je te plumerai la tête)” A lovely little children’s song. The French have different ideas when it comes to food and I love French food. I’m not trying to criticize or make fun of them whatsoever. By the way, the translation for “Je te plumerai la tete” follows. Do not look if you are squeamish or if there are young children present: I will pluck your head ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/17 "2012-05-15T09:50:32Z")
> [@Lazlo Hapsburg](#): > > A lovely little children’s song. My French teacher told us (and so it might be utter bullocks) that it used to be a very literal song - something you’d sing to keep up the rhythm to get the birds plucked by dinnertime. As I’ve never plucked a bird, I can’t tell how suitable the song would be for this purpose, but I can verify that small children love it, whether or not they can speak French. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/18 "2012-05-15T09:59:30Z")
Mitterand, shortly before his death had a meal of ortolan bunting. The sale is (and was) illegal as it is a protected species. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/19 "2012-05-15T11:52:35Z")
By the way, I should say that I found the English translation from some French -\> English translation site after I Googled “French English Translation”. [http://translation.babylon.com/french/to-english/](http://translation.babylon.com/french/to-english/) ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2012, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952/20 "2012-05-15T13:14:27Z")
You can eat the ribs and wingtips and other small bones of a chicken if it’s cooked extra-crispy. If the bones are cooked hard they just crunch up into nothing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-one-eat-a-little-bird-whole-bones-and-all/621952.md?page=2)