# Nutria turkey? Possible or a joke?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 29, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207 "2006-11-29T16:41:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/1 "2006-11-29T16:41:55Z")
In the Jody Foster movie _Home for the Holidays_ (1995), Adele (played by Anne Bancroft) says that her uptight daughter, Joanne (Cynthia Stevenson) is bringing a “nutria turkey.”
So far as I know, nutria is a rodent (featured in that urban legend about the people adopting a dog in Latin America?). Is it or can it be used as a turkey substitute? Or was that just a sarcastic comment on Adele’s part?
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### Author:  [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/2 "2006-11-29T16:54:26Z")
Well, a nutria is about the size of a turkey, and you could roast one whole.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/3 "2006-11-29T16:54:44Z")
Nutrias are huge rodents though, the size of a medium sized dog. People eat rabbits, why not nutrias?
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### Author:  [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/4 "2006-11-29T16:56:50Z")
I know that Louisiana has been running a (largely ineffective - rat fur coats and ratmeat stew?) program to try to get people to hunt them for fur and meat, as they are considered a pest species - maybe it’s a play on some regional public relations program?
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### Author:  [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/5 "2006-11-29T16:56:56Z")
[QUOTE=hajario]
Nutrias are huge rodents though, the size of a medium sized dog. People eat rabbits, why not nutrias?
[/QUOTE]
Absolutely! Hell, with a name like “nutria,” it’s practically _begging_ to be eaten.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/6 "2006-11-29T17:03:49Z")
[QUOTE=Donovan]
I know that Louisiana has been running a (largely ineffective - rat fur coats and ratmeat stew?) program to try to get people to hunt them for fur and meat, as they are considered a pest species - maybe it’s a play on some regional public relations program?
[/QUOTE]
Okay, but the movie was made in 1995 and is set in Baltimore.
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/7 "2006-11-29T17:27:26Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp]
Absolutely! Hell, with a name like “nutria,” it’s practically _begging_ to be eaten.
[/QUOTE]
Probably explains why I can’t find any good cuts of sloth.
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### Author:  [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/8 "2006-11-29T17:44:15Z")
[QUOTE=Donovan]
I know that Louisiana has been running a (largely ineffective - rat fur coats and ratmeat stew?) program to try to get people to hunt them for fur and meat, as they are considered a pest species - maybe it’s a play on some regional public relations program?
[/QUOTE]
A coworker from South Lousiana told me about this. He said they hired Paul Prudhomme to come up with some recipes.
He also told me about the Nutria-Vac that was developed using a parking lot sweeper truck. The idea was to stick a hose into the nutria den and suck them out. When I told this, I envisioned an Elmer Fudd cartoon.
“Be vewy, vewy quite.”, whirrrrrrrrrr, thud, whirrrrrrrr, thud, thud.
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### Author:  [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/9 "2006-11-29T17:47:17Z")
[QUOTE=lieu]
Probably explains why I can’t find any good cuts of sloth.
[/QUOTE]
Exactly. Sounds like a play on “nutritious” = good eats. Sounds like one of the Seven Dealy Sins = not so much. 🆒
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### Author:  [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/10 "2006-11-29T18:36:22Z")
Those that I’ve talked to who’ve actually eaten nutria tell me that it tastes a bit like rabbit and isn’t unpleasant at all, although I don’t know how it was prepared. But, no, even down here in south Louisiana, nutria isn’t considered a food animal, I think because of it’s verminous reputation and nasty appearance – which really makes me wonder about the popularity of catfish.
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### Author:  [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/11 "2006-11-29T18:42:02Z")
[QUOTE=PoorYorick]
which really makes me wonder about the popularity of catfish.
[/QUOTE]
Especially considering that catfish tastes just as muddy and mucky as it looks. :mad:
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/12 "2006-11-29T18:44:09Z")
[QUOTE=lieu]
Probably explains why I can’t find any good cuts of sloth.
[/QUOTE]
That and the fact that if you order it in a restaurant, your date’s on the coffee by the time it’s arrived 😛
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### Author:  [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/13 "2006-11-29T18:48:51Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp]
Especially considering that catfish tastes just as muddy and mucky as it looks. :mad:
[/QUOTE]
_Au contraire_, heathen. I’ve eaten catfish that’d make you slap your mama.
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### Author:  [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/14 "2006-11-29T18:49:56Z")
[QUOTE=PoorYorick]
_Au contraire_, heathen. I’ve eaten catfish that’d make you slap your mama.
[/QUOTE]
I meant to add one of these: 🙂
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### Author:  [@Tully\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tully_Mars)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/15 "2006-11-29T18:53:53Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp]
Especially considering that catfish tastes just as muddy and mucky as it looks. :mad:
[/QUOTE]
Shut your mouth, you blasphemous devil, you. 🙂
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### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/16 "2006-11-29T19:03:53Z")
[Looks possible.](http://www.nutria.com/site9.php)
Don’t plan to run out and try one, personally.
“Honey… why is there no white meat?”
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### Author:  [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/17 "2006-11-29T21:32:08Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp]
Especially considering that catfish tastes just as muddy and mucky as it looks. :mad:
[/QUOTE]
Only when not cleaned right. Catfish (and carp and other rough fish) have what’s referred to as a “mud vein” of dark, discolored reddish brown tissue that tastes like, well, rotten fishy dirt. If even a smidge of the mud vein stays on the meat being cooked it’s not going to be a real good meal.
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### Author:  [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/18 "2006-11-29T21:55:47Z")
[QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip]
[Looks possible.](http://www.nutria.com/site9.php)
Don’t plan to run out and try one, personally.
“Honey… why is there no white meat?”
[/QUOTE]
Is that really what you’d notice first? I think it would be more along the lines of, “Honey… why are there no _wings_?” :eek:
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### Author:  [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2006, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/19 "2006-11-30T04:04:26Z")
[QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip]
[Looks possible.](http://www.nutria.com/site9.php)
Don’t plan to run out and try one, personally.
“Honey… why is there no white meat?”
[/QUOTE]
Yew. 🙂
Living as I do in S. Louisiana, I have had the unpleasant experience of seeing them. Rodents indeed. Think of a pack of rats lounging around-magnify each animal to about 20 lbs each. Not pretty.
I have heard of the attempt to make them marketable-not a success.
We had an infestation in my subdivision and I called the parish to see if anything could be done. Answer-nothing. According to the annoyed guy on the phone they breed faster than they can be shot. And people around here like to shoot things! The local sheriff made news issuing 22s to his SWAT teams and sending them out at night to shoot nutria. The nutria won.
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### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2006, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutria-turkey-possible-or-a-joke/382207/20 "2006-11-30T04:05:57Z")
There are more nutria recipes on the web than you can shake a stick at.
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