Not only in France appreciate the exquisite and delicate taste of frog legs. There are already many admirers of such a dish not only in Europe, but also in Russia. The meat of frogs is valued much higher than veal, and in some countries it is believed that this meat is comparable in biological value with sturgeon and pike caviar.
In some countries, they even manage to add frog meat to desserts and chocolate. This is done in Peru, while it is believed that the dried meat of these amphibians saves from anemia and helps to cure infertility. Even in restaurants in conservative England, you can find dishes from the legs of frogs.
However, not all species of frogs are suitable for eating, so edible species are bred on special farms.
Kinds
The French under the term "edible frogs" understand a special kind, because it was not appropriate to eat anything horrible. In fact, the frogs that are eaten from those that live in the natural environment, only differ in the color of the bubble-resonators. The lake resonators have gray color, and those individuals that are artificially bred have white ones.
The most common European species that is eaten - European frog - is a mixture of pond and lake species.
In general, in the family of real frogs there are three species that are all considered edible, that is:
- Lake Ranidaei Redibunda;
- pond Rana lessonae;
- edible (hybrid of the two previous species) Ranaesulenta.
Edible species also include Leopard frogs and Bullfrogs, but such species do not live on the territory of our country.
Which frogs are edible in Russia? All three species are found on the territory of our country.
Other species that can be eaten do not live in our country. Although never in any country such studies have been conducted, there is no classification of frogs on the principle of edibility and inedibility. Moreover, there are no such differences among the peoples of our country, because for us it is not a traditional product. It’s clear that if the question is whether to survive or starve to death, but not to eat a frog, it’s natural that it doesn’t matter where the amphibian swam and what it ate, the main thing is to survive.
And those brief descriptions of the individual frog species that can be found in the special literature are only the result of a particular person’s own experience. So for breeding you have to go to the pet store.
If you decide to find your own biomaterial for your future business, then carefully consider the photo of edible frogs. On the territory of our country, there are still some species classified as poisonous. Although there were no cases when someone was dying from their use, perhaps no one had tried them. Nevertheless, the poisonous frogs of the Russian Federation include:
- red-bellied and yellow-bellied toad;
- garlic house.
We get caviar
In fact, to acquire caviar of an edible frog is a rather difficult task. There is fierce competition in this market and a lot of scammers. If a person is really engaged in breeding, sells paws to stores, then he is unlikely to want to share a quality product for reproduction. Fraudsters mainly use the ignorance of novice entrepreneurs. But still you can try and get caviar in a pet store with a good reputation.
After acquiring biomaterial, caviar should be placed in an artificial reservoir. Even if you have natural water resources, it is not recommended to place caviar there, since in the natural environment future edible frogs have a lot of enemies. Preparing a container for caviar growth is quite simple. You can use an ordinary plastic bath, pool or tub. Place the earth at the bottom, along the edges it is imperative to make earthen ramparts that will have to be constantly moistened constantly.
The soil is recommended to be mixed with peat and marsh moss, expanded clay or charcoal in a ratio of 3: 1: 1: 1. Such a composition will not harm the skin of tadpoles and young individuals, and the water will not sour.
In an impromptu incubator, you should maintain constant cleanliness and heat at a level of +20 degrees. Dirty water significantly increases the percentage of population loss. It is recommended to change the water once every 3-4 days. Just do not use tap water, it is recommended to pre-filter it and insist. Chlorine can adversely affect a population, and it can even die completely.
The development of tadpoles lasts only 4 months, after which they can be safely released into the open water. And with the onset of the first year of life, frogs can be sent for processing.
If you properly and carefully care for amphibians, then the largest individuals can reach 1.5 kilograms. Although, according to statistics, the average weight of frogs does not exceed one kilogram.
Further breeding
In light of the fact that caviar is not the cheapest pleasure, it is recommended to leave the largest individuals from the first, however, as from subsequent broods.
Only one female in one year gives out about 15 thousand eggs. Although there is a catch. Even edible frogs, grown in artificial conditions, reach puberty only in the third year.
What to feed?
Do not think that caring for amphibians is a simple matter that does not require much time. In fact, at any stage of breeding, edible frogs feed quite varied. They eat almost all small invertebrates, from caterpillars to bloodworms. They eat insects: beetles, mosquitoes and crustaceans.
Older individuals can consume even small animals (mice, birds, lizards), which they swallow for a whole day. Naturally, to reach at least a kilogram in weight, the frog will need a large amount of food.
Tadpoles are usually fed with organic residues.
It is possible to significantly reduce costs by growing amphibians in natural reservoirs. In addition, you can resort to small tricks. With the onset of night darkness, connect artificial lighting fixtures previously connected to the pond with frogs to attract insects. Thus, animals will independently cope with the process of obtaining food for themselves.
Possible diseases
Regardless of the species of edible frogs, they are all prone to certain diseases. Young individuals can get rickets, so it is recommended to add vitamins to the feed.
Throughout the entire breeding period, all frogs will have to examine whether there are parasites on them, whether they are sick. If such are found, then they must be discarded.
Preparing the product for implementation
Before sending the frog legs for sale, the animal will have to be killed. Typically, the face is carried out with a mallet, carefully remove the skin and separate the legs. However, it should be understood that an adult, especially a larger one, can overcome about three meters in one jump, so it’s sometimes difficult to catch them.
After trapping and separating the legs, they are placed in plastic bags and frozen.
By the way, the only part of the frog that is eaten is the legs. They are served with different sauces.
Cooking dinner
Naturally, if you are engaged in the cultivation of edible frogs in Russia, you will want to try this delicacy. Cooking them is actually very simple. To begin with, the feet are soaked in cold water, into which lemon juice is added. Then the legs are fried in batter or in breadcrumbs in a regular frying pan in vegetable oil.
Legal issues
Today, for such a unique product as frog legs, it is enough to just find a buyer. Even in the elite restaurants of megacities there are not so many dishes with frogs, and for one reason only - there is no reliable and good supplier.
However, a businessman may face another problem. At the level of legislation, there is no technical regulation for working with meat of this type. And in order to work with hypermarkets or large restaurants, you will need to obtain a certificate of a veterinary service, which itself does not know how to arrange such a product.