There’s a character I’ve been wanting to write for a while but probably won’t until the next book. He’s a vegetarian. It’s pretty central to his character, and I want to make sure I do it justice. But thinking about it made me realize just how not a vegetarian I am.
I started counting the number of different kinds of meat I’ve eaten. Once I lost track for the third time, it was time to write it down. I’ve probably forgotten some, but here’s the list. (*) designates a critter I’ve cleaned or otherwise taken apart. (**) means it was live when I got it.
Mammals
- Cow
- Pig
- Sheep
- Deer*
- Elk
- Bison
- Goat
- Yak
- Rabbit
- Squirrel*
Birds
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Duck
- Goose
- Pheasant
- Pigeon
Fish
- Cod (and other “whitefish”)
- Sunfish**
- Crappie**
- Bass**
- Trout
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Shark
- Swordfish
- Tilapia
- Mahi mahi
Other
- Snapping turtle
- Alligator
- Snail
- Crawfish
- Shrimp
- Lobster
- Crab
- Clam**
- Oyster
- Mussel**
- Scallop
- Conch
- Squid
- Octopus
I don’t remember eating eel, frog, rattlesnake or bugs, but they’ve certainly been offered. It’s possible I’ve had them too. I’m sure I left off some fish, though I’m not a big fish fan, and I’m probably missing some game birds.
Forty-one animals, with probable omissions and not counting varietals. That’s a lot of meat.
I love to eat a wide variety of meat as well. My favorite is snapping turtle
Hmm. Our snapping turtle was wild-caught (while avoiding running over it) and strongly swamp-flavored. Decidedly not my favorite.