Frog legs are eaten in parts of the Southern United
States, particularly South and Central Florida. They are commonly eaten
in the state of Louisiana. The most common kinds of frogs eaten are
bullfrogs and leopard frogs as these are abundant in most of the
country, including the South. However, their popularity is
spreading.
Frog legs are often said to taste like chicken
because of a texture most similar to chicken
wings.
Frogs are raised commercially in certain countries,
e.g. Vietnam. Frog muscle does not resolve rigor mortis as quickly as
warm-blooded muscle, so heat from cooking can cause fresh frog legs to
twitch.
Some methods of cooking include egg/cracker crumb
breading. They are either fried or grilled. Deep fried frog legs can
also be found at fairs. Other methods brought to America by Tuscan
Italians were to add the frog legs to a pot of tomato stew for spreading over
pasta.
The Frog Leg
Festival
In 1990, several members of the City of Fellsmere,
FL, were very concerned about the fact that there was no funding source
available for the recreational needs of the children in Fellsmere.
The local residents thought frog leg dinners might be unique to entice
folks to the city. They arranged the event and 400 dinners later
the frog legs were sold out! They have since grown to 7,000 dinners and
more that 80,000 people attend the 4 day
event.
