Chicken Feet From India

MANGALORE: Guess what is discarded as waste in India and shipped thousands of miles to land up as a delicacy on dining tables in China? Chicken feet!

The feet, claws and all, as a gastronomical delight might sound comical to Indians who relish chicken legs but definitely nothing below. But hatcheries in Mangalore have found a thriving market for it in places like China, Hong Kong and Vietnam. A prominent hatchery in this coastal town in Karnataka exports 25 tonnes of chicken feet to the Far East every month.

Popularly known as phoenix talons in China, chicken feet is sold as street food, often deep fried, in other parts of Asia as well. It is a culinary delicacy in some regions, most notably in China and South Africa where every part of the bird is utilized to its fullest potential.

Lester D'Souza, managing partner of Souza Hatcheries, told TOI that they had started exports last year, though inquiries were made four years back. "Last year, a person came here, looked at the hatchery and gave us the specifications for the product to be exported," he said. Neatly cut and cleaned without using detergent or chemicals, the chicken feet are shipped out in freezer units used for fish exports, once a month to China, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

Chinese restaurants in India don't use chicken feet simply because desi palates can't take claws on the plate. When asked, they said they never used feet for stock and they get their chicken meat without feet.

Source: TOI

Alligator Found on Train

OSLO: Norwegian customs officials carrying out a routine check were shocked to find a live alligator in luggage on board a train bound for Oslo,
officials said Monday.

The 75-centimetre (29.5-inch) caiman reptile, which is on the list of endangered species, was found during a routine baggage control on Sunday on a train travelling from the Swedish city of Gothenburg to Oslo, Norwegian customs inspector Wenche Fredriksen said.

"It was in a ventilation tube inside a bag," she said.

The reptile's owner, a 22-year-old man, said he bought the "pet" in Poland where he was a student and wanted to bring it home to Norway.

The caiman was turned over to veterinary authorities who were to decide its fate.

Women Uses Chicken As Therapist

POLSON: Therapy dogs can be a comfort for seniors and those recovering from illnesses and injuries. So how about therapy chickens? Jana Clairmont of Polson, Montana, calls her therapy birds - a white rooster and Cornish game hen – ‘Fowl Play’.

she took them to visit residents at Polson Health and Rehabilitation Center in northeast Montana, the Missoulian newspaper reported. Many seniors were raised on farms, Clairmont says, and holding a chicken can bring back memories.

As one man stroked the rooster, Alex, the bird stretched out his neck and rested it across the man's forearm, like a puppy. Clairmont has arranged visits to retirement and assisted living homes, and says she'd like to take Alex and Carlita, the hen, into classrooms this fall.