turtle soup

One of my co-workers just returned from New Orleans. She had turtle soup at the Palace Café. When she commented to the waiter on the flavor she was told that they no longer use turtle in their turtle soup, but beef brisket. I told her that the waiter was either ignorant or putting her on.

She said that the waiter told her turtles are protected now. Anyone know the truth?

D.

Hi,

In Chinatown, there are turtles regularly for sale. If they are same turtles called for in this recipe, I have no idea.

Regards,

Snapping turtles are farmed in the South. Here's one source for turtle meat:

http://www.exoticmeats.com/prod-detail.aspx?f=87

Before I posted I did a quick internet search and didn’t find anything about turtles being protected. I also found a lot of places selling turtle meat too. I guess either she misunderstood, or the waiter was, like I said ignorant or putting her on.

Thanks for the feedback.

D.

Hi,

I guestimate the waiter was trying to avoid a 'save the turtle' conversation. You just don't always know the agenda behind an innocent question. Did the menu advertise the soup as 'Mock Turtle Soup' or 'Turtle Soup?' At least 'Mock Turtle Soup' would have been truth in advertising, if indeed they were using a beef stock.

Regards,

Is it an earthquake
Or simply a shock
Is it the good turtle soup
Or merely the mock?

--Cole Porter

The 10/4/07 Palace Cafe Dinner Menu indicates "Turtle Soup".

Quite frankly, I'd be a little pissed if I'd ordered this only to learn it was beef brisket and not turtle in the soup.

Bster

Bster wrote:The 10/4/07 Palace Cafe Dinner Menu indicates "Turtle Soup".

Quite frankly, I'd be a little pissed if I'd ordered this only to learn it was beef brisket and not turtle in the soup.

Bster

Precisely my reaction.

Regards,

I beieve it is giant sea turtles that are protected. The smaller turtles that would be used for soup and other consumption are readily available as Cathy pointed out.

Jyoti

In Chicago's Chinatown, most of the turtles sold for food are red-eared sliders (they also make good pets, though are illegal to sell or buy for this purpose until they're longer than 4", and the vast majority sold for cuisine are under this length).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eared_slider

Red-eared sliders are cute but do not make for good eatin' in turtle dishes requiring substantial turtle flavor or nice pieces of flesh. Snappers, mud, and softshell turtles are much better and preferred in soups and stews. Red-ears are just amazingly cheap to breed and keep alive here in the States, and I've had them in Cantonese households deep-fried or baked into dumplings.

I'd be interested to know if anyone has seen anything other than turtle soup on menus in Chinatown; I have liked turtle the few times I've had it, same thing with gator (though if you spice and batter-fry anything in deep fat and serve it with hot sauce, it will probably be good).

I can't but link to this LTH thread: Turtle Soup or Eat Your Pets.

-ramon

Santander wrote:In Chicago's Chinatown, most of the turtles sold for food are red-eared sliders (they also make good pets, though are illegal to sell or buy for this purpose until they're longer than 4", and the vast majority sold for cuisine are under this length).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eared_slider
.

Very interesting. I took this photo a block from our apartment, from the new Prairie Path bike bridge over the DesPlaines.


Since I really don't like turtle, I'll pass on the foraging opportunities.

Hi,

The turtles I have seen in Chinatown are both hard shell and soft-shell varieties. There are also occasional live frogs, too.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:The turtles I have seen in Chinatown are both hard shell and soft-shell varieties. There are also occasional live frogs, too.

C2,

I've seen the small(ish) hard and soft shell turtles as well, but, just a few weeks ago, I saw a tank of a much larger variety.

Chicago Chinatown 9.30.07


Enjoy,
Gary

Santander wrote:In Chicago's Chinatown, most of the turtles sold for food are red-eared sliders

Is this true? Granted, I never look too closely (turtles are about the only item in a grocery store that can me make mildly distraught--my only pet growing up was a turtle), but I never see the red ears on the ones in Chinatown. Maybe I'm just shopping at the exceptions?

Visits to different stores and street vendors in Chinatown can yield all sorts of turtles, but I think by volume and number, I've seen, heard, and read about red-ears most often. My wife actually bought a pair as pets, not realizing they were being sold as food, or that they were illegal to buy as pets until 4 inches, since supposedly the government is worried about kids putting them in their mouths and sucking the salmonella out until they're larger. Two Chinese teacher-friends set her straight, and I researched the species (they were sold to her as, wait for it, "luck turtles"). They were awesome pets, grew quickly, and were passed on to a friend of the family in need of companionship and with much more room than us.

I typically audit a few storefronts per Chinatown trip, and while I've seen everything else described above, there is usually also a huge bin of tiny sliders ready for the picking, much less expensive and easier to get home and store. I'm not thrilled about this. I'd much rather have a hunk o' snapper.

This thread reminds me of the turtle slaughter scene in Tampopo. I felt queasy but couldn't look away.