Kade is a small German village about an hour west of Berlin. The area reportedly has quite the pest problem, but rather than tossing them in the trash, one entrepreneur found a more sustainable solution: eat'em.
Raccoons were brought to Germany in the 1920s and used on fur farms. The trash pandas were first released into the wild in 1934, and now the country is reportedly overrun by some 2 million raccoons. They are an invasive species, negatively impacting local habitats, species and ecosystems. So, local officials had few options; the raccoons had to die. However, one local butcher, Michael Reiss, wanted to do it in the most sustainable way possible, and he wound up making raccoon meatballs, jarred meat, salami, bratwurst and liver sausage, among other products, at Wildererhütte, his butcher shop.
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According to Reiss, who is also a hunter, if any animal is harvested, the best thing to do is to use as much of it as possible—and customers don't have to worry about contamination. The butcher says the raccoon meat must all pass a trichinella test. The parasitic roundworms are sometimes found in undercooked pork and other meat. Generally, any game meat shouldn't be eaten raw.
Wildererhütte says the meat has its own unique taste that is hard to describe but "delicious." However, unlike other game that is often supplemented with pork fat because it's too lean, raccoon meat doesn't require such enhancements and thus includes very few ingredients. For example, according to the company, the raccoon meatballs contain a little more than salt, pepper, and egg. Some of the products, like the salami and knacker, combine raccoon and deer.
Reiss came up with the idea while preparing for the Green Week international food fair in Berlin. He was brainstorming ideas that might help him stand out among the crowd. Well, it worked on a global level, generating interest from the raccoon-curious around the world.
According to CNN, Reiss received approval from local officials to make the meat, and he's the only shop in Europe selling raccoon-based products. Unfortunately, for the raccoon-curious in the U.S., you are out of luck as Wildererhütte will only ship within Germany. I had my basket full and everything.
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All right, let's get started with our round the
clock election coverage.
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There's nowhere else you're gonna find it
anywhere in the world today.
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So let's hit it or there's this, Kate is a
small German village about an hour west of
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Berlin.
The area reportedly has quite the pest problem
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but rather than tossing them in the trash, one
entrepreneur found a more sustainable solution.
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Raccoons were brought to Germany in the 19
twenties and used on fur farms.
00:35.319 --> 00:41.500
The trash pandas were first released into the
wild in 1934 and now the country is reportedly
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overrun by some 2 million raccoons.
They are an invasive species negatively
00:46.930 --> 00:50.470
impacting local habitats, species and
ecosystems.
00:50.479 --> 00:53.450
So local officials had few options.
00:53.830 --> 00:59.979
The raccoons had to die.
However, one local butcher Michael Rice wanted
00:59.990 --> 01:02.209
to do it in the most sustainable way possible.
01:02.569 --> 01:09.150
And he wound up making raccoon meatballs,
jarred meat salami bratwurst and liver sausage
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among other products at V De Rajoy, his butcher
shop and I'm pretty sure I nailed that.
01:15.589 --> 01:16.610
Pretty sure.
01:17.059 --> 01:21.449
Mm Little unease according to rice who is also
a hunter.
01:21.459 --> 01:27.540
If any animal is harvested, the best thing to
do is to use as much of it as possible and
01:27.550 --> 01:30.489
customers don't have to worry about
contamination.
01:30.500 --> 01:34.285
The butcher says the wreck meat must also pass
a trella test.
01:34.485 --> 01:38.875
The parasitic round worms are sometimes found
in undercooked pork and other meat.
01:39.084 --> 01:44.724
Generally any game meat shouldn't be eaten raw.
The butcher says the meat has its own unique
01:44.735 --> 01:49.245
taste that is hard to describe but quote
delicious.
01:49.610 --> 01:53.910
However, unlike other game that is often
supplemented with pork fat because it's too
01:53.919 --> 01:57.330
lean.
Raccoon meat doesn't require such enhancements
01:57.339 --> 02:01.360
and thus includes very few ingredients.
For example,
02:01.370 --> 02:05.029
according to the company, the raccoon meatballs
contain a little more than salt,
02:05.040 --> 02:08.220
pepper and egg.
Some of the other products like salami and n
02:08.494 --> 02:13.774
combined raccoon and deer rice came up with the
idea while preparing for the Green Week
02:13.785 --> 02:18.955
International Food Fair in Berlin, he was
brainstorming ideas that might help him stand
02:18.964 --> 02:23.324
out among the crowd.
Well, it worked and on a global level,
02:23.335 --> 02:28.925
generating interest from the raccoon.
Curious around the world according to CNN rice,
02:28.934 --> 02:31.764
received approval from local officials to make
the meat.
02:31.774 --> 02:35.755
And he's the only shop in Europe selling
raccoon based products.
02:36.330 --> 02:39.800
Unfortunately, for the raccoon curious here in
the US,
02:40.100 --> 02:46.800
you're out of luck as Wilder or Hoy will only
ship within Germany had my basket full and
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everything.
I'm David Manti, this is manufacturing.
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Now we now return you to our election coverage
which is none
