In November, when the monsoon rains ease, rodents come down from the higher ground to pick off rice shoots. Many Cambodians had no alternative but to eat paddy rats under the Khmer Rouge but now they have become sought after in rural areas and have even become a fad in cities. They are now often trapped in the paddies, using sweet potato as a bait. The rat produces lean, low-fat meat which is said to taste similar to pork or tangy partridge - quite a range of flavour there. Certainly the outbreaks of bird flu which have occurred in China and South East Asian countries in the last few years have helped paddy rat meat to become desirable. It is a versatile meat, like chicken, which may be grilled, fried, curried or, most popularly, prepared by cutting off the head and feet, marinating and then boiling. Small animals may be threaded onto skewers and grilled. Whilst I have no objection to eating meats of the rat family, it is said that paddy rats, like other "bush meats" such as snakes, lizards or monkeys, are unlikely to be washed before processing and may carry disease.
