1 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor. I'm Any and I'm Lauren 2 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: bog Obam and today we're talking about alligator. Yes, yes 3 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: we are. Because you didn't know you can't eat alligator. 4 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: Absolutely some of you might be questioning why, but we'll 5 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: go into that. Um. And just for like fun set 6 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:31,479 Speaker 1: up story, my cousin wrestled an alligator to save his 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: dog a couple of years ago. Oh my goodness, did 8 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: what was the dog saved? I like how you asked 9 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: about the dog first. I feel like you would have 10 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: led off with your cousin coming to a tragic end. 11 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: I probably wouldn't have included the story. You're Yes, both 12 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: cousin and dogg are okay. He does have a pretty 13 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: massive like scarring on his side, like scratch or bite 14 00:00:55,440 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: or oh dang, okay, Yeah, he's he's a wrestler. He's 15 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 1: a tall guy. Um. Also, he lives in Florida. If 16 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 1: you're wondering where he encountered this, figured it was in Atlanta. 17 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: If it had been, it would have something serious would 18 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: have been wrong going on in Dallonaga. That's fascinating, fascinating story. Um. 19 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: Also because it keeps coming up, because I keep bringing 20 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 1: it up Um Scooby Doo. On Zombie Island, there's a 21 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: character called Snake Bite Scrugs who is a gator wrangler, 22 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: and he's alwased by Mark Hamill. If I didn't trust 23 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: in you and and Mark Hamill, I would start to 24 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: think that you were making things up so that you 25 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: could keep talking about Scooby Doo one Zombie Island. I mean, 26 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: that's not below me, but this is true. And he 27 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: was like one of my favorite characters because he's got 28 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: all risny um and you know, gators everywhere. It's it's 29 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: quite the film. I I believe you about that as well. Perfect. 30 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: I can't wait to watch it. Also, I happen to 31 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: have a favorite alligator. And her name is Lefty, and 32 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: she lives in a National Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama. 33 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: She lost to Paul. The park rangers call her left Well. 34 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 1: I don't personally have a favorite alligator, but I'm I'm 35 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: glad you'll have to introduce me sometime. Oh I will. 36 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: She's tough, though, Oh, I believe you. You always want 37 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: to keep keep a good distance. Oh. I feel that 38 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 1: way about most alligators. I feel that way about most animals. Honestly, 39 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: but especially gators. Yes, alligators are, by the way, the 40 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:47,239 Speaker 1: state reptile of Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Oh, I'm relatively 41 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: well acquainted with them. I did grow up for a 42 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,959 Speaker 1: while in South Florida. Also, I went to the University 43 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: of Florida, the mascot of which is the Gator. The Gators, yes, 44 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: the big chopping Yeah. Yeah, it is great to be 45 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 1: a Florida Gator, or so they told me. That's that's 46 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: the chance I can feel the enthusiasm in school spirit. Well, 47 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:11,919 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, I wasn't. I wasn't on the 48 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: football team, so it's yeah, yeah, so you didn't feel connected. 49 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: I didn't have that that much of a Yeah, I 50 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: was taking it for sure. My mom went to the 51 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: other one in Florida, Florida State University. Yes, so does 52 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: that make his enemies? Are we rivals? No? End of podcasts, 53 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: I must avenge my mom's school. I always knew it 54 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: would end like this through state mascots and like we 55 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: were not. I also wasn't in football, so I went 56 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: to one game my entire college career. I didn't have fun. 57 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: I went to I went to one as well. It 58 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: was a homecoming game, which I think should count extra 59 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: but two points Yeah right, totally okay. Anyway, but my 60 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: mom also went to Auburn has the same colors as 61 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: a fortigator. Football intrigue abounds. Also this headline, Yeah, Texas 62 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: great grandmother shoots twelve foot gator as revenge for killing 63 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:19,600 Speaker 1: mini horse. Wow, that is quite the headline to come 64 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: up when you're researching a food podcast. That is, there 65 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: was some strange reading for this episode. Absolutely, and that 66 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:39,159 Speaker 1: brings us to our question alligator what is it? Ah? Yeah, 67 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: this is a fun one. Yes, Um, I love I 68 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: love these animal episodes because it's always like, what a 69 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: completely fascinating and beautiful creature. It's also so tasty when 70 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 1: you deep fry it. Yeah, there's something very odd about 71 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:58,919 Speaker 1: reading just oh wow, it's this huge, huge animal. But 72 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 1: also it's unresh draws, you know. Yeah, yeah, respect where 73 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: your food comes from. Um, and yes, so an alligator. 74 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 1: It's a big old apex predator, reptile, long jaws, a long, 75 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: thick body, and a long tail, all powerful and better 76 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:16,479 Speaker 1: suited to water than land because it's its legs are 77 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,919 Speaker 1: a little bit stubby stubby legs. There are two existing 78 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 1: species of alligator there in the Crocodilia family, and the 79 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: genus name is alligator. There's the Chinese species classification Alligator 80 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:35,840 Speaker 1: senensis and the American classification Alligator msissippiensis. Yes, I think 81 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: that's it. That American alligator can grow to about eight 82 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: to fifteen feet and can weigh about three hundred to 83 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:47,040 Speaker 1: a thousand pounds uh. For our metric friends, that's about 84 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: two and a half to four and a half meters 85 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: and a hundred and fifty to four hundred and fifty kilos. 86 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: Not small, no, no, um bigger than me. The Chinese 87 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 1: alligator is usually about half that size, and they usually 88 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: in general live in the wild about forty years. Would 89 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 1: have known to live to about twice that age in 90 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: captivity because they are reptiles, they have they have scales um. 91 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 1: The Chinese alligator has thick armored scales all over its body. 92 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: The American is a softer on its belly and they 93 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 1: lay eggs and they are crap at regulating their body temperature. 94 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: They tend to live in a warm freshwater wetlands where 95 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 1: they can sunbathe on land to warm up and then 96 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: cool off in the water. In the States, that's mainly 97 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: coastal areas of Texas through North Carolina. And they are 98 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: opportunistic eaters, which I think also describes both of us. 99 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,840 Speaker 1: I would agree in um. In the case of alligators, 100 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:44,679 Speaker 1: it means they don't usually expend energy like actively hunting, 101 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: but we'll just sort of wait, kind of stealthily for 102 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: prey to come along, whatever prey that might be. They 103 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: have around a d teeth. They don't chew with them though, 104 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: they just rip and uh and their teeth will fall 105 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: out and are replaced as they wear down. Terrifying. Yeah, 106 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: they can also I love this bit. They can store 107 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 1: excess calories in the form of a fat reserves at 108 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: the base of their tails and thus survived for like 109 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: up to two years without eating. That's like the long 110 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: kind of waiting somebody out two years. They'll get comfortable, 111 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: but then I strike. Oh man, I feel like you 112 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: just really felt like seen by that. Maybe maybe I 113 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 1: do like a good revenge tail. But that is not 114 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: a bad horror movie. It needs to be all right, 115 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: get on it. It's like Jaws, you know, where the 116 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 1: son or daughter of Jaws and the next movie is 117 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: like love Angie, just like that, but we need it. 118 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: With gaiters. Yes, very important. One of my favorite facts. 119 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: Male gators announced they're ready to mate with a bellow, 120 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: if a very serious bellow. Um. I don't know if 121 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: we can. I don't know if we can get one 122 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 1: for the show, but if we, if we can find one, 123 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: it's going to go right here. But yeah, no, they 124 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: like alligators, definitely chatter with each other. Yes, they're social creatures. 125 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: This is the best research. Yeah, they're one of the 126 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: only reptiles that actively cares for their young for like 127 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: two years after hatching. Um and other than the biggest 128 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: males and females, which tend to be solitary, they often 129 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 1: hang out in groups called congregations. Oh, but they also 130 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: eat sharks, like smaller sharks for the eat sharks. So 131 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 1: now we get a crossover movie, right, We've got Revenge 132 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:51,520 Speaker 1: cater and Revenge Shark. Crossover potential is very important when 133 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 1: you're trying to sell a movie these days. That's what 134 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: I hear. I think we we should not even air 135 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,599 Speaker 1: this part. We should keep this just for ourselves. No 136 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 1: one would have thought of this before. This is a 137 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 1: golden goose laid by you and I. Oh, I would 138 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,559 Speaker 1: watch that movie I'd be ashamed myself after probably, but 139 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: watch it. That's okay, you know, as long as there's 140 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: good snacks. That's true. Many play okay, okay, I cannot 141 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: plan a menu for this movie that does not exist. 142 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: Hunting alligators tends to be restricted in the United States, 143 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: and it's generally illegal in China, where they are endangered. 144 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: Most alligator meat comes from farmed alligators. Often eggs are 145 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: collected from wild nests and then hatched and raised on 146 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: gator ranches, which is a great phrase. Egg collection is 147 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 1: also restricted. I mean not that I think that most 148 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: people would like get it into their heads to go 149 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:46,079 Speaker 1: knock over a gator nest for funzies, but I hope 150 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:50,600 Speaker 1: not goodness. No. Laws do differ by state, but farmers 151 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,559 Speaker 1: who collect wild eggs generally have to release a certain 152 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:56,079 Speaker 1: percentage of hatchlings back into the wild once they're a 153 00:09:56,080 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: couple of years old. The gators eaten in restaurants are 154 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,439 Speaker 1: usually farm raised and two to four ft long about 155 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: one meter when they're killed, but some folks hunt gators 156 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: up to thirteen ft long almost four meters and freeze 157 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,559 Speaker 1: the meat and eat it all year long. In Louisiana, 158 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: you have to have a license and tags to hunt 159 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: gator in the state. Legally, part of the license requires 160 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: that you harvest all gators that you catch if you 161 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: don't sell it. Non commercial hunters are only permitted to 162 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 1: hunt during the month of September. The meat is often 163 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 1: salted and preserved, and skin is used in foods, belts, 164 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: and wallets. In Florida, gators caught south of the portion 165 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: of I seventy five that runs east to west across 166 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: the top of the Evergladesh. Gators caught south of that 167 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: cannot legally be sold for meat because of the mercury 168 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: levels in the water. Thanks humans that that portion of 169 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,439 Speaker 1: I seventy five, by the way, is generally called alligator alley. 170 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 1: Oh yeah um. And some alligator ranches also function as 171 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 1: tourist spots. Yes, you can pet baby gators there. Yes, 172 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 1: I have done that. What did you have? The time 173 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: of your life? Any time that I get to petted animal, 174 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 1: it's my best day. Yes, and especially like I really 175 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: love reptiles because they're so smooth. Yeah yeah. Oh well, 176 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:20,959 Speaker 1: the word alligator comes from the Spanish word l legarto, 177 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: meaning the lizard. Makes sense, and if we're talking about 178 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:29,200 Speaker 1: the taste like chicken much. Yeah. Yeah, you've had alligator, right, 179 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 1: I have. Most times it has been fried um and 180 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: chicken like maybe a bit tougher game year um. And 181 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 1: I've read that in in texture it's like dark chicken meat, 182 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 1: but in taste it's more like white meat. I saw 183 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: it described in Food and Wine as a love child 184 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: between grouper and chicken. And I did have blackened alligator 185 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:56,560 Speaker 1: tail in Savannah, and I would agree, I would agree 186 00:11:56,559 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 1: with that assessment. Yeah, yeah, um, sort of like a 187 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:03,120 Speaker 1: springy or flaky or chicken kind of Yeah. I think 188 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:05,040 Speaker 1: I've I think I've only ever had it like fried 189 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 1: and like little like alligator bite like nugget forms. Yeah, 190 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 1: but yeah, it's good. I've read that it can be 191 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: a lot like a veal. Oh oh really if you're 192 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:18,599 Speaker 1: into that. There's a few cuts of alligator meat that 193 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 1: are popular. The tail contains these four cylinders of muscles 194 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 1: running down the length of it um sometimes called tender loins, 195 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 1: which can be sliced cross ways into cutlets. There's a 196 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: cut from the back of the body like a like 197 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,320 Speaker 1: behind the legs, sometimes called the sirloin. The cheeks can 198 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,439 Speaker 1: be eaten like you would pork or or fish sowls. 199 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:41,560 Speaker 1: The fore legs are eaten called wings. They look like 200 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 1: thicker chicken wing flats. Yeah yeah, um, and there's meat 201 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 1: on the ribs. In Louisiana, alligator is eaten in stee saltee, 202 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: grounded to sausage. I feel like you and Ben had 203 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: alligator jerky on snack stuff. Yeah, I mean it tasted 204 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: like jerky. Is that like generally the concerns because you 205 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: had a lot of types of jerky on that show. Yeah. 206 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 1: Jonathan Strickland brought us like a batch of of weird 207 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: jerkys one time, and it was just jerky for days, 208 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: like there was I mean, but yeah, at a certain point, 209 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 1: I think this one did have a little bit more 210 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:16,679 Speaker 1: of that of that texture that I'm talking about, that 211 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 1: kind of like springing us. Um. But once you put 212 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:24,320 Speaker 1: jerky seasoning into something, it's that's what that's the flavor. 213 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: It's jerky. It's jerky. Yeah. Um, Well people do eat 214 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: it in all these various ways. A restaurant we didn't 215 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 1: get to go to but was highly recommended to us 216 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,080 Speaker 1: while we were in New Orleans, Jackamo's. I'm looking at 217 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 1: their menu and there's something on there called alligator cheesecake. 218 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: I am equal parts dubious and curious. I'm so interested 219 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: and what that is? Apparently around New Orleans many families 220 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 1: have a personal horsewadish sauce recipe to accompany their family gators. 221 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: I've heard tell of alligator sushi. Oh my goodness, I know. 222 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:05,680 Speaker 1: I don't know if it was raw or cooked. Well, 223 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: if anyone knows, please right in. Yeah. In Florida, I 224 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 1: read the most popular part of the gator is the ribs. 225 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 1: Over in China. Alligators are associated with myths about like 226 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: fierce but benevolent earth dragons. Some historians think that alligators 227 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: were a basis of some of these myths, and alligator 228 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: meat is thought by some to have positive health benefits 229 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: for those associative reasons. It is rarely eaten these days 230 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 1: because the species is endangered, but when it is it 231 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: might show up as steaks in rice bowls or in soups. Yep. 232 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: And what about the nutrition? Alligator is A it's it's 233 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: a pretty good meat. It's a it's super high in protein, 234 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: pretty low and fat and cholesterol. Um. And that's because 235 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: unlike in mammals, which tend to have fat marbled through 236 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 1: the muscle, the fat, and alligator is mostly between the 237 00:14:56,920 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: muscles and the skin. Three ounces of a tail cut 238 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 1: has thirty nine grams of protein and only four grams 239 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: of fat. If that's a If that's a dietary thing 240 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,280 Speaker 1: that you're looking for, then yeah, there you go. If 241 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 1: we look at the numbers. The American alligator was once 242 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:16,280 Speaker 1: on the endangered species list, but now holds the no 243 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:21,200 Speaker 1: Concern label. Louisiana produces the most alligator meat in the 244 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: United States, and demand for gator has gone up in 245 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: the past several years, doubling the price from about six 246 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: dollars a pound to about thirteen dollars a pound, perhaps 247 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 1: more so than most other meats. It suffers during economic 248 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,400 Speaker 1: hardships outside of that region. Oh yeah, definitely. Oh and 249 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 1: keep in mind that that's six to bucks a pound. Um. 250 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 1: That's wholesale. Gator meat can cost upwards of twenty bucks 251 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:47,920 Speaker 1: a pound retail, but yes, very volatile market. UM And 252 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: the market for alligator skin goes hand in hand with 253 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 1: gator meat because it's it's bigger. The alligator skin market 254 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 1: is bigger. Hide can go for twenty to forty per foot, 255 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: as the seventeen farms in Florida sold one point seven 256 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 1: million dollars in meat and six point eight million dollars 257 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 1: in hides during the recession. In the twenty adds, some 258 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: farmers stopped collecting eggs to hatch entirely because the market 259 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: for leather dipped so hard as the market for luxury 260 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: goods was dipping. Right um. Gator is a popular choice 261 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: during Lent as an okay meat option for Friday's because 262 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:32,440 Speaker 1: it counts as seafood, which really cracks me up. I guess, 263 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: I mean they live in the water a bunch. I guess. 264 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 1: It was up for some debate, so much so that 265 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: the Archbishop of New Orleans was asked about it in 266 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: a letter pinned in, and he responded thus, Lee, Yes, 267 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: the alligators considered in the fish family, and I agree 268 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 1: with you. According to the writer, God has created a 269 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: magnificent creature that is important to the state of Louisiana, 270 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 1: and it is considered seafood. Well there you haven't. Archbishop 271 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 1: can't argue, and it is a fun rabbit hole. The 272 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 1: planning restaurants have to do in cabolet communities around increasing 273 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 1: demand for seafood during Lent. New Orleans is just about 274 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:16,479 Speaker 1: the best place to be during Lent, which is supposed 275 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: to be about deprivation um in the words of the 276 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 1: archbishop quite frankly, and I can say this because I'm 277 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 1: from New Orleans. Having to fulfill this law, are this 278 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: guideline of abstinence of meat on Fridays is no sacrifice whatsoever. 279 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: That's the reality. Uh. In Louisiana, over three thousand alligators 280 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:40,200 Speaker 1: are harvested every year, valued at some thirty three million dollars. 281 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 1: Seeing alligator on menus outside of the South is somewhat 282 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:48,879 Speaker 1: of a rarity, though, and because of that it is 283 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: sometimes described as one of the last truly local foods, 284 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:58,360 Speaker 1: which I kind of enjoy. Yeah. Yeah, But the alligator 285 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:03,400 Speaker 1: as a law and interesting history, yes, and we will 286 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 1: get into that as soon as we get back from 287 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: a quick break for a word from our sponsor, and 288 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:21,119 Speaker 1: we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes, thank you. Okay, So 289 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:27,879 Speaker 1: the alligator, the specific species, has been around about fifty 290 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: million years. Oh yeah, they outlasted their dinosaur relatives. Okay, Well, 291 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: good for them. Yeah, so pretty old. They're doing pretty 292 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:42,920 Speaker 1: good job surviving. Eating alligator, though, is a bit more 293 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 1: recent and as you might as you might imagine from 294 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 1: the creature's terrifying visage is born of necessity. I've actually 295 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: read from a former alligator poacher that it is easier 296 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:56,919 Speaker 1: to run an alligator ranch than a cattle ranch. But 297 00:18:56,960 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: that being said, no, like, like, alligator would not be 298 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:05,200 Speaker 1: my first choice if I sell like a lineup of animals. Yeah, nope, 299 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:09,160 Speaker 1: me either. No. Native Americans in what is now northern Florida, 300 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 1: we're hunting and eating alligator. A long time before Europeans 301 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 1: got over here, maybe like four thousand years or so. 302 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: The Temuqua living along the northeastern coast of the Gulf 303 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:23,239 Speaker 1: of Mexico would smoke gator to preserve it. And I 304 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:27,959 Speaker 1: read a Louisiana Choctaw legend about alligator um and can 305 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: we do a little a little legend break? Always cool? Okay? Yeah, So, 306 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 1: so the tail is about this hunter who comes upon 307 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: an alligator dying of thirst, and he helps the alligator 308 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: get to water, and afterward the gator tells him how 309 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:43,600 Speaker 1: to hunt deer um, you know, like, don't go for 310 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: the young ones, don't go for the mothers um, but 311 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: the ones that were old and had lived useful lives. 312 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 1: There's an emphasis in this story on greeting and thanking 313 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,600 Speaker 1: the animals, and that giving the hunter greater power and uh. 314 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: The story ends with the hunter telling this story to 315 00:19:57,880 --> 00:19:59,879 Speaker 1: his people, and it says that that those who a 316 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 1: derstood the alligators wisdom and followed its teachings would become 317 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,639 Speaker 1: great hunters and never go hungry. It's a pretty good legend. 318 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: Break European settlers were most likely eating alligator in Louisiana 319 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 1: in the eighteen hundreds. It was being consumed in the 320 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 1: southern United States by the mid eighteen hundreds, for sure. 321 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: At one time, alligator meat was believed to be medicinal, 322 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: and it still is by some, particularly for asthma and 323 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: the common cold. The scales were once thought to cure syphilis. 324 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:36,199 Speaker 1: M As European colonists forced Native Americans in what's now 325 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: southern Florida down into the Everglades in the eighteen hundreds, 326 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:44,920 Speaker 1: those Native Americans learned to hunt alligators too. Those were 327 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: the Seminole and Mikosuki tribes. And yeah, they they learned 328 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:52,440 Speaker 1: to hunt alligators and incorporated them into their cuisine. The 329 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:56,679 Speaker 1: traditional methods that they developed to catch alligators are sometimes 330 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,400 Speaker 1: performed for tourists to this day. It's sold as being 331 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:04,320 Speaker 1: alligator wrestling, but I mean it's really just like alligator 332 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,400 Speaker 1: don't bite me. That's basically what it is. I mean, 333 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,640 Speaker 1: it's very impressive. I don't mean to like under sell 334 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: like this is the thing that I have also seen. 335 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 1: I'm like legitimately nervous land thinking about even this thing, 336 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:22,479 Speaker 1: like four floors up like a sound like somehow I'm 337 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:25,000 Speaker 1: gonna turn around. There's a gator looking in the window 338 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:31,160 Speaker 1: for studio. He does like with his stubby pop his eyes. 339 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 1: I think I think we're safe for now. Colonists in 340 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: Florida started hunting alligator as game and for their hides 341 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 1: as well, but later in the eighteen hundreds and UM, 342 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:51,119 Speaker 1: this started to be when alligator populations started dwindling. UM 343 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:54,879 Speaker 1: and that was exacerbated when alligator skin became a really 344 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 1: hot fashion trend in France in the late eighteen fifties, 345 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 1: and then further again when um, the Confederates turned to 346 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 1: alligator leather for shoes and saddles during the Civil War. 347 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: This is also around when industrial leather tanning technology developed, 348 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 1: so so the boom on alligator skin was driven by 349 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 1: that as well. It was kind of like a gators 350 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:20,639 Speaker 1: were in the wrong place, wrong time kind of thing. Yeah, 351 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:25,360 Speaker 1: some folks were eating alligator eggs by the nineteen hundreds, 352 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 1: and um, this brings us to one of the most 353 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:32,679 Speaker 1: super depressing parts of this episode. Alright. Um. An article 354 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:35,480 Speaker 1: from the Washington Times published in came with a story 355 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:38,600 Speaker 1: about a zookeeper in New York who sent two black 356 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:42,920 Speaker 1: children into an enclosure of twenty five alligators and croctiles, 357 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 1: purportedly to the entertainment of the patrons and to lead 358 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 1: the reptiles to a different enclosure. In the words of 359 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: the zookeeper, the gator had quote epicurean fondness for the 360 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: black man. There's no indication in the article that the 361 00:22:56,680 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: zookeeper ever faced any punishment or any negative language around 362 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: to his actions at all. Time Magazine reported on a 363 00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:07,440 Speaker 1: similar thing in Florida, black babies being used as bait 364 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:10,679 Speaker 1: for hunters looking to kill some alligators, with no intention 365 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 1: of saving the children. The Miami New Times had a 366 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:17,920 Speaker 1: similar article, and in nineteen nineteen, the Richmond Times Dispatch 367 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: reported on it with more concern for the alligators than 368 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: the children. An alligator eating a black baby was a 369 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:26,959 Speaker 1: float in a nineteen o two parade in St. Louis, 370 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:32,359 Speaker 1: and some historians read these as as jokes. Um, but 371 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:37,479 Speaker 1: even so, that's pretty despicable. Yeah, yeah, that's the worst 372 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 1: it is. It is hard to say whether these were 373 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:46,320 Speaker 1: real events that happened or just particularly cruel fictions that 374 00:23:46,359 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: were designed for white audiences with ugly thoughts about people 375 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,959 Speaker 1: of color. During this period of American history, like really 376 00:23:54,160 --> 00:24:01,680 Speaker 1: unblinking racism was considered fashionably titillating in some circles. It's 377 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 1: where some stuff like a like a lot of HP 378 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:09,120 Speaker 1: Lovecraft's work comes from, which you know, has many admirable qualities, 379 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:16,760 Speaker 1: but it's also just racist a f So yeah, yeah, yeah, uh, 380 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:25,199 Speaker 1: there's there's that. Back to alligator populations. By nineteen sixty two, 381 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,439 Speaker 1: the population of wild alligators was so low in the 382 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:32,119 Speaker 1: United States less than a hundred thousand, that Florida outlawed 383 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,159 Speaker 1: hunting them. A national law would be passed in nineteen 384 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:39,400 Speaker 1: sixties seven, and those laws it's considered one of the 385 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:44,639 Speaker 1: most successful wildlife preservation attempts ever. Um By nine eight seven, 386 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: alligators were removed from the endangered species list, and the 387 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:53,200 Speaker 1: following year Florida began issuing limited hunted licenses. Limited funds 388 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:56,159 Speaker 1: from the permits do go towards gator conservation, and the 389 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 1: population in Florida is now over one point three million. 390 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 1: It's pretty decent. Yeah. Over in China, UM, by the 391 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: nineteen nineties, the hunting of alligators for food and as 392 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:11,680 Speaker 1: vermin um as farms started encroaching on their wetlands hit 393 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:15,120 Speaker 1: a really scary peak. The largest population at the time 394 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,600 Speaker 1: was a single pond that had eleven alligators that was 395 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 1: surrounded by rice patties and a video rental shop. Wow. Yeah, Um, 396 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 1: there were fewer than a hundred and thirty alligators total 397 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:32,960 Speaker 1: in the wild. With work. There are now larger populations 398 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 1: in captivity, but they are still considered endangered. Um. There's 399 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: about ten thousand total UM, with more being hatched every year, 400 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:43,160 Speaker 1: though there are concerns with such a small pool um 401 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 1: of of inbreeding causing genetic problems down the line. Yeah. Sure. 402 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:51,560 Speaker 1: By two thousand six, though, some restaurants had started serving 403 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:57,479 Speaker 1: limited amounts of farm raised alligator in China. Huh anyone 404 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:01,119 Speaker 1: in China right in Yeah? Yeah, it was apparently like 405 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:06,920 Speaker 1: a big like kind of fashion like oh yeah. Meanwhile, 406 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 1: back in the States, UM Katrina's damage to Louisiana wetlands 407 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:14,960 Speaker 1: did severely impact wild alligator breeding grounds. The oil spell 408 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:19,600 Speaker 1: wouldn't wouldn't help either, No no um. And then, for 409 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 1: some mysterious reason, the History Channel has a series called 410 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 1: Swamp People about people in Louisiana who hunt gators. Lots 411 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,360 Speaker 1: of not so great things happened on that show, including 412 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 1: a cast member getting arrested for selling alligator meat illegally. 413 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:37,879 Speaker 1: It's been called out by Dominic Mona and no Less 414 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: but others too for glorifying the killing of animals and 415 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 1: demonizing alligators. It started in and Yeah it's still running 416 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 1: I guess during perhaps it's peak popularity around Um. Yeah, 417 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:57,760 Speaker 1: it drove popularity and prices of alligator meat like way up, 418 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:01,000 Speaker 1: Like prices doubled in those in that two year period. 419 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:03,720 Speaker 1: Um and a few other related shows have popped up 420 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:06,760 Speaker 1: as well. Um Gator Boys on Animal Planet starting in 421 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:12,479 Speaker 1: and Uh, Growing Up Gator. See. I would love if 422 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: Growing Up Gator was about like being in a uf 423 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:19,440 Speaker 1: Family University of Florida, And then but you know you can't, 424 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 1: you don't want to go there, and it's all of 425 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,400 Speaker 1: big lie and you have to find out the way 426 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:28,200 Speaker 1: to tell your see I would watch that show. That 427 00:27:28,240 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 1: sounds like a good show. Not not none of this nonsense. Uh. 428 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:39,440 Speaker 1: In In amid that boom, some alligator ranches experienced theft 429 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:44,560 Speaker 1: gator crime. Thieves stole some one thousand one eggs in 430 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:48,160 Speaker 1: a single heist worth around sixty six thousand dollars. Oh 431 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: my goodness. Uh, we need to do a whole like 432 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 1: mini series on food heist. I am in In, the 433 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission revealed a two year 434 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:06,120 Speaker 1: undercover sting to catch poachers, mostly of alligators, but other 435 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:09,399 Speaker 1: wild and protected species as well. They wound up arresting 436 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:14,560 Speaker 1: nine people, including racketeering charges like a criminal organization for 437 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:17,439 Speaker 1: four of those people. One of the defendants said that 438 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 1: the sting didn't even scratch the surface, but others say 439 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: that the worst of the charged crimes were only committed 440 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 1: because the undercover officers like goaded them into it, like entrapment. 441 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:36,880 Speaker 1: So wow, yeah, I haven't read a follow up, but intrigue, 442 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 1: I know, so much intrigue Huh. Kind of reminds me 443 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 1: of the rescuers down unders with crocodiles. But it was 444 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 1: the whole poacher thing I happened to just watch that 445 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:53,240 Speaker 1: very recently, so fresh on my brain. Oh man, in 446 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 1: a claim by a gator hunter and chef that gators 447 00:28:56,840 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 1: were destroying the wetlands and us hunting them was a 448 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 1: good thing was debunked. Bring it up because it circulated 449 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: enough that there's a Snoop's entry about it, you know, 450 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 1: popped up in a lot of the results. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 451 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, and in certain areas, certainly I 452 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:16,600 Speaker 1: think that they can be considered like vermin like that 453 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 1: need to be controlled. But yeah, oh well, this has 454 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 1: been quite We have covered a lot of ground in 455 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:31,200 Speaker 1: this episode. We have oh goodness, Um, we've got a 456 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 1: little bit more for you, but first we've got one 457 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:43,520 Speaker 1: more quick break for a word from our sponsor, and 458 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: we're back, Thank you sponsor, and we're back with That's 459 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 1: how they sound like. This is a documentary. I don't 460 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 1: know why we just didn't do the bellow ourselve clearly 461 00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: we know what we're doing. Absolutely. Peggy wrote, I was 462 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,080 Speaker 1: born and raised in South Louisiana. I am loving the 463 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 1: series based New Orleans. I didn't learn how to make 464 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:14,240 Speaker 1: gumbo until after I married the first time. My ex 465 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 1: mother in law is a Cajun Granny, as we call her, 466 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 1: makes the best gumbo in the world. She doesn't cook 467 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 1: with a recipe, but it always tastes the same delicious. 468 00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 1: To me, gumbo always tastes better the second day. The 469 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 1: flavor seems to intensify, so when I do make it, 470 00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:32,840 Speaker 1: it is always the day before. We also like to 471 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 1: serve gumbo with potato salad. I like to eat a 472 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:38,480 Speaker 1: little potato salad in my gumbo. I know. Granny makes 473 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:40,800 Speaker 1: herrou in a black cast iron skillet and adds it 474 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 1: to her water timuts. Before she serves her gumbo, she 475 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: snips green onion tops and chopped fresh parsley. I now 476 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 1: live in Minnesota and brought my Cajun cooking skills with me. 477 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 1: Oh that sounds it does, Janelle wrote, I just listened 478 00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:58,760 Speaker 1: to your episode on kid kat bars, which, by the way, 479 00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: are my very favorite clip bar, but only the classic 480 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 1: four finger bar. You revealed that the inner chaco layer 481 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 1: is in fact partly made up of ground up kitcat 482 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 1: bars that didn't make the cut for sale. That reminded 483 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 1: me of my summer job during undergrad where I worked 484 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:17,480 Speaker 1: at a wafer cookie factory. A wafer cookies are those 485 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:20,120 Speaker 1: rectangular cookies that have three layers of a wafer with 486 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 1: two layers of a sugary cream like filling, and the 487 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 1: common flavors are vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate. They are not 488 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: exciting cookies, and that always disappointed people when they heard 489 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:31,719 Speaker 1: what type of cookie factory I was working in at 490 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: the time. So I'm a little disturbed to find out 491 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:38,960 Speaker 1: that Kitcats, my favorite chocolate bar, are basically the same thing. Anyway, 492 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 1: for those wafer cookies like Kitcat bars, there was a 493 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 1: certain amount of what was termed regrind who that was 494 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:47,200 Speaker 1: mixed in the filling part. The regrind would be from 495 00:31:47,200 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 1: wafer cookies where the layers had separated, had bubbles, were 496 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 1: cut wrong or packaged wrong, and could not be sold. 497 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: There was an entire job that consisted of going around 498 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 1: all day long gathering up all of the unsatisfactory wafer cookies, 499 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:01,920 Speaker 1: grinding the up, and delivering them to the bakers to 500 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: include in the mixing. I thought it was really gross 501 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:06,760 Speaker 1: when I started working there, but I got used to 502 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: it really fast. And yes, we were allowed to eat 503 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:12,840 Speaker 1: unlimited cookies while at work, although for me that only 504 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:15,240 Speaker 1: lasted a couple of days. At the start, of each summer. 505 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: What a fun, interesting summer job, right, wait for cookie factory? Yeah, 506 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:27,200 Speaker 1: I mean I love that it's somebody's entire tasks and 507 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:32,480 Speaker 1: find these unsatisfact cookie Yeah, and I and I love 508 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 1: that like this, This kind of cookie cannibalism is like 509 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:42,680 Speaker 1: a known factor I know in in in cookie making cannibalism. 510 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 1: What a way to put it. Well, thanks to both 511 00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 1: of them for writing in. If you would like to 512 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:53,320 Speaker 1: write to as you can, our email is hello at 513 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 1: saber pod dot com. We're also on social media. You 514 00:32:56,840 --> 00:33:00,200 Speaker 1: can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, all of 515 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 1: which our handle is at savor pod. That was an 516 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 1: awkward sentence. Thank you for getting through it with me. 517 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 1: You're welcome. We do hope to hear from you. Thank 518 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,360 Speaker 1: you as always to our super producers Dylan Fagan and 519 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:14,480 Speaker 1: Andrew Howard, thank you to you for listening, and we 520 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 1: hope that lots more good things are coming your way