Alligator

Alligator meat is the meat of alligators prepared for human consumption, long a delicacy and staple of Southern United States cuisine, most often drawn from the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis. Per 100 grams it provides 143 kilocalories, 29 grams of protein and only about 3 percent fat, along with 65 milligrams of cholesterol, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin B12, niacin and monounsaturated fatty acids. It has a mild flavor and firm, often chewy texture, described as tasting like quail with a mildly fishy note, and is prepared by tenderizing, marinating, deep frying, stewing, roasting, smoking or sauteing, with the tail and backbone considered the choicest cuts; it features prominently in gumbo and traditional Louisiana Creole cooking. In the United States it is sold in specialty food stores, some grocery stores and by mail order.