Mole Rats on the Menu
I am yet to visit a restaurant in Cameroon and the North West Region in particular where rats are served like is the case in some parts of Asia and South America but, I have visited homes where the men seldom let the women in charge of the kitchen when rats are on the menu. Mole rats (bush rats) have been on dinner tables for a very long time now and they constitute what is generally known as bush meat. This species of mole rat is different from the naked mole rat found in East Africa. It is a misconception that mole rat meat is eaten mainly by the poor or out of necessity. It is a delicacy and as such, popular in most rural communities and sold in some local markets. For better preservation, the rats are generally smoked before being brought to the market.