Today’s Spotlight is on Frog Legs.

Perhaps for some of you, you are glad this day doesn’t come around every year.

Frog legs are a delicacy in French and Chinese cuisine. They are known for their mild and slightly sweet flavor and are often described as tasting similar to chicken or fish, but with a slightly earthy taste. Frog legs have a light-colored, tender and lean meat, similar in appearance to chicken drumsticks but smaller in size.

Frog legs are a nutritious food, rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A and potassium. They are often said to have a “chicken-like” taste, and their texture is similar to chicken wings.

Frog legs can be stewed, fried, grilled, or stir-fried. The most common styles of preparation are frying them in a light batter or sautéeing them with garlic, butter, and parsley.

 

History

Frog legs were introduced to French cuisine in the 12th century by Orthodox monks. During Lent, meat, eggs, and animal byproducts were banned, but seafood was permitted. The monks decided that frogs, as amphibians, were closer to fish and could be consumed during Lent.

However, the French were not the first to incorporate frog legs as part of a meal. Historical records show that the frog’s legs were a common food in southern China as early as the first century A.D. The Aztecs, too, were fond of consuming them for food.

Cooked bones of frog legs have been discovered in an archaeological dig in Amesbury Wiltshire, dating back to between 7596 and 6250 BC. Some view this as evidence that Britons started eating them before the French.

Frog legs are still ubiquitous in Chinese food today, particularly Cantonese cuisine, where the amphibians are sometimes stir-fried or added to congee.

 

Fun Facts about Frog Legs

• Japan is the largest exporter of frog’s legs.
• The biggest frog in the world can weigh nearly seven pounds—the size of a newborn baby.
• Frogs’ legs are one of delicacies of French and Cantonese cuisine, and are also eaten in other regions, such as the Caribbean, Greece, Italy, Spain and the southern regions of the United States.
• Frogs’ front legs have four toes each, while the back legs have five toes each.
• Frog legs in France are traditional in the region of the Dombes and Lyon, where they are prepared with butter, garlic and sometimes parsley sauce and served only with salad or steamed rice. The dish is popular in French speaking parts of Louisiana, particularly the Cajun areas of Southern Louisiana as well as New Orleans.
• Aquatic frogs have long, strong legs with webbed back feet to help them swim.
• Frog legs were also introduced to New Orleans by Donat Pucheu and is common in the French speaking parts of Louisiana, such as the Cajun areas of Southern Louisiana and New Orleans.
• Frogs that live on land have shorter legs for walking and climbing.

 

Here is a Frog Leg Recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

• 8-10 frog legs
• 1 c self-rising flour
• 1 c buttermilk
• 2-3 Tbsp sriracha hot sauce
• 1 Tbsp granulated garlic
• 2 tsp your favorite seafood seasoning-more or less
• 1 tsp everglades seasoning-more or less

Spicey Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 c mayonnaise
• 3 Tbsp ketchup
• 1-2 Tbsp srirachi hot sauce (depends on your spice level)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp parsley, chopped.
• pinch your favorite seasoning.

 

Instructions:

1. Clean, cut frog leg set into 2 pieces. in a mixing bowl combine buttermilk, srirachi sauce and garlic. marinate frog legs for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
3. In a zip lock bag combine flour, seasoning and everglades seasoning. Add legs to flour mixture. make sure they are well coated. in a 350-degree fryer, fry frog legs until golden brown. serve with spicy sauce.
4. Enjoy!

 

Consumption

According to a study published in the journal Conservation Biology, 200 million to over 1 billion wild and farmed frogs are killed each year to meet the international demand for their legs.

The largest importers of frog legs are the U.S. and the European Union, while the largest exporters are Indonesia and China.

According to a report, an average of 2,280 metric tons of frog legs are imported into the U.S. each year, which is the equivalent of somewhere between 450 million and 1.1 billion frogs.

In France, approximately 80 million pairs of frog legs are consumed annually.

 

Celebrating Frog Legs

February 29th is National Frog Legs Day. Let us know in the comments if you are going to hop to make some today (I couldn’t resist).