Farming and Eating Vietnam’s Most Dangerous Animal!!

Farming and Eating Vietnam’s Most Dangerous Animal!!

In this video we’re exploring one of Asia’s most dangerous proteins did they ever poke each other’s eyeballs out from an animal that could stab you with hundreds of needle sharp quills why are people eating this but first let’s back up welcome to Vietnam over its long history and among its 54 ethnic groups

This country has curated a long list of culinary Delights some more delicious wow I’ve never seen anything like that and some more daring does does the West know about this today we’re exploring Vietnam’s fascinating underground world of porcupine meat it’s like a spiky chicken starting at the farm we hundreds

Of these razor sharp rodents are bread how big should they be before you sell them all the way to a private restaurant where there’s only one thing on the menu how often are you roasting porcupine like this but before that it’s important to start the day with a hearty breakfast at

A restaurant known for serving what locals call jungle food really that’s the whole topic of today I mean yeah just so everyone knows Kelvin has no idea what we’re doing in I have no clue do you think that I’m going to be shocked at today’s meals it’s going to

Be something you’ve never had before but first an appetizer carrot no not that so right here we have something called a spotted Dove where’s the spots well I think they cooked them off prepare an aromatic hot bath by boiling lemongrass chilies cinnamon cardamom Starnes pineapple chili sauce oyster sauce soy

Sauce ground pepper and rice wine then let the doves dive In in a separate Pan the chef sizzles up shallots and garlic followed by green pepper corns chilies lime leaves and Vietnamese basil toss in some dove stock from the first pan then take it to the next level with an onslaught of even more flavors now for the Finishing Touch

Quickly crisp up the birds in blazing oil and generously coat them in that sticky Rich sauce this restaurant hours away from the big city is the perfect away for those who crave bizarre bites V enough it doesn’t matter the protein they know what to do with it you have

Look at something you can already tell it’s sticky oh yeah it’s glossy you can see that beautiful sheen on the outside so things that look sticky you like them yeah orange chicken a Panda Express or me orange chicken aanda express how would we eat this the head is soft

Enough that we can try to eat the whole thing let’s start with that that’s a good sauce grap sauce sweet salty like a thick sweet soy sauce mixed with bird brain it has taste of spice you would find this glaze at many Chinese restaurants for most people it’d

Be a familiar flavor but not a familiar bird if you dig underneath from the bottom of the breast that’s a good Bite Bingo it’s dense but still soft at the same time it’s got some bite to it and it’s very satisfying I like it I love it so this is like the most tame thing they have on the menu this is Child’s Play next the chef will cook his

Signature porcine dish and Kelvin will attempt to guess what he’s eating I’m Ready Step One marination flavor up porcupine meat with rice wine shallot garlic a splash of milk oyster sauce and a Sprinkle of ground black pepper then massage those flavors into the meat step two stir fry prepare a flavor based by

Heating oil and throwing in lemongrass shallots and chilies introduce their signature protein to the pan and Fry step three the sauce sprinkle in curry powder quickly mix then pour in coconut water sugar cow milk then coconut milk followed by soy sauce and cashew nut oil layer in flavor and texture with glass

Noodles woodier mushroom onion bell peppers and carrots while this type of coconut curry preparation is popular in Vietnam this choice of protein is a bizarre novelty well here it is take a look oh now you can smell the aroma the lemongrass the onion but Sunny why is

There a club foot in there well that’s a surprise galin so we’ll talk about the meat soon but first let’s try that delicious SAU oo that’s good in spite of this mysterious jungle creature that is inside bathing with the coconut curry it still tastes delicious let’s go into this now it’s interesting

Cuz there’s four bones inside there that looks like a Leg my my my Morel of meat was gelatinous had a really tough rind on the outside mine was more of a internal meat so the meat was very soft and tender now can you guess what this is is it a monkey no a goat will be too

Easy a pig everybody can eat a pig a porcupine doesn’t have enough meat on it I this is in fact porcupine meat I never thought you could ever eat a porcupine cuz there’s so many spikes on the outside that’s why that skin is tough so Calvin that is what today is

All about we are going deep into the world of porcupine from here we’re actually going to a porcupine Farm I want to understand the process how does it work raising and butchering these animals but also why are people eating this ready let’s go let’s go a short distance from the Porcupine restaurant

We find our porcupine supplier Phantom porcupine Farm home to over 400 of these spike balls I’ve never seen this before you never have no not at all this place is amazing it’s like being at a zoo that has no variety meet the Himalayan porcupine a native resident of Asia

Poking about from Vietnam all the way up to Bangladesh sure they’re cute in a way but these creatures are tough as Nails whether it be forests grasslands deserts or mountains survival is the their Forte here they’re raised by Mr tum who started this unlikely Journey back in

2006 Mr porcupine farmer how you doing yeah feeling good feeling strong I see maybe he’s been eating porcupine can you tell me how you got into this it’s an unusual line of work 20 years ago when he decided to be a farmer there was very few people who would raise porcupines Mr

Tomb’s research and intuition led him to what he believed would be an untapped Market using porcupine as a food source on a large scale why do you think it’s become more popular to farm and raise porcupines porcupines are quite easy to raise but for the most part they’re self-sufficient number two it’s still

Quite rare in the market to have such an exotic meat and number three it’s delicious he says soon Mr tomb will invite us to a cookout with a full spread of exotic and bizarre porcupine dishes I have never seen an animal so pristine but first I want to understand

The porcupine life cycle right now we are in The Mating area including how you mate when your significant other is loaded with deadly spine I guess we don’t have to get into the particulars but how does a male and a fe I don’t know how babies work

Calvin the female will put her but talk in the air and the male will slide but not I just I’m saying there are websites out there this could be a new Category 3 months after the highly precarious procreation process a baby porcupine emerges into the world isn’t that the

Cutest thing in the world world this porcupine is only 2 days old at this point can it stab you yes it can stab you at this early age living conditions are kept dim and barricaded to mimic the caves these guys call home in the wild to fatten up these babies they’re fed

Dusted mung bean shells and fruit like pamelo bananas and jack fruit despite their vegan diet porcupines plump up to the ideal Market size of 22 to 25 lb in just over a year the one behind us over here is his largest one that’s about 33 34 lb how much are you selling that

Whole animal for a porcupine can fetch $6 a pound so that means for his biggest porcupine here it’s going to be just shy of $200 in the anom if we’re comparing this to beef pork chicken this is much more expensive yes soon we’re going to find out why people are eating this meat

Especially when it’s so expensive but first I want to show you a type of porcupine that’s even more expensive than this and it’s not because it’s bigger introducing the albino porcupine oh these are pure albino porcupines marked by their pink eyes snowy white fur and quills to match how much do

These porcupines go for only one out of 10,000 porcupines are blessed with this rare mutation meaning they’re incredibly rare the only s Pairs and this pair right here is $1,200 USD why is an albino porcupine so desirable other than its eye-catching appearance an albino porcupine is no different from a

Run-of-the-mill porcupine though its scarcity is exactly what drives up its price wealthy people like to buy white ALB porcupines to watch them to basically have them as pets it’s a flex it’s like oh hey did I show you by the way my uh my albino porcupine to I’m

Glad to hear that at least these animals are spared but the porcupines we’re going to be experiencing today Calin they will not be spared a couple porcupines from here are headed to a restaurant now where they’re going to be cooked into a multitude of dishes and that’s what we’re going to be trying

Next each porcupine packs 30,000 skin piercing quills when attacked they turn around flare up their quills and run backwards to strike this unique defense is highly effective against predators but when faced with a steel cage their Maneuvers only prolong the Inevitable the porcupine is dipped in hot water to ease quill and fur removal next the porcupine skin is torched to remove any remaining hair after a thorough wash its prized organs are removed for a dish will soon try a dish that is not for the faint of heart he

Said the porcupine itself is a very bitter animal and so it goes into the organs now ready to cook our porcu protein heads a short distance away to Mr tomb’s private Porcupine restaurant sir this looks fantastic okay come on before we get into the food that’s in

Front of us now I must ask where are we what is this place originally this was a private area for him and his friends what started as an orchid Farm has been transformed by Mr tum and his wife yuin into a private refuge for diners seeking

A taste of of the Exotic those who want to dig into more knowledge of the porcupine they sell the whole porcupine here from nose to tail speaking of nose to tail here we have stir fried organs which organs are these all of them the heart kidneys and liver are sliced into

Nearly unrecognizable pieces but the stomach known for its healing powers is the most valuable among them and soon we’ll find out why next smash up some ginger then add it to simmering water then splash the organs with this aromatic bath in a hot pan add oil shallots and garlic

Then introduce the organs to the mix season with buum powder black pepper fish sauce MSG and a pinch of salt give those organs a flavorful toss finally throw in pickled mustard leaves chopped green onions and chilies let’s save the stomach for last there’s a good story

That goes with that but I think we should start with the liver you love liver sunny I love liver ready Cheers oh it starts nice soft tender and then it gets real bitter he the porcupine itself it’s a very bitter animal and so it goes into the organs okay here there some kidney are you loving this bitter more bitter than All My Exes it’s a little

Bit spongy as you bite into it first starts off really irony I’m enjoying it and then little by little that fat oily flavor washes away and I’m left with this B bitter flavor I agree and this is very more our drinking food but then there’s this right here now not everyone

Is eating porcupine just because it tastes amazing a lot of people are eating it because of certain health benefits According to some traditional Eastern medicine practitioners the porcupine stomach has the ability to detoxify relieve pain and fortify one’s stomach against digestive issues right here we have stomach it’s not been put

In alcohol or dried is it still going to give us some health benefits he’s not a doctor so he’s want to give any medical advice well I think it will my piece is huge by the way mine’s big oh that thing is so that’s like a

Pork intestine or a rubber condom my jaw is getting a workout right now that stomach is now in my stomach I got to say I did not hate the taste of that it reminded me a little bit of pork oily fatty just insanely chewy I liked it do

You know why you like it so much why MSG ah Calvin the stomach isn’t the only thing that’s good for you they also have these but my question is if eating the stomach is good for your stomach what do these do for you wow this is far out you can use it

Since your hair so luscious these days as a hair tie for those who have an infection in their ear you can burn this and then blow the smoke into somebody’s ear and then it helps heal their ear it helps take away the infection fascinating next we’re going to be

Having the most elevated preparation possible we are going to be eating a whole roasted porcupine that is so thick but we just got to roast it first who’s going to roast it with our medicinal meal out of the way it’s time for work to begin on our main course this

Endeavor begins with a F flavorful stuffing first creative mix of shallots garlic chicken powder five spice honey soy sauce pepper and rice wine give it a good stir then throw in lemongrass and Forest wampy tree leaves for extra fragrance now onto the porcupine kick things off with a rice wine massage then

Generously stuff it with the seasoning blend Next Step place the rodent on bamboo and rotate it letting it roast over the Flames for 3 hours an creature meets ancient cooking method while the animal skin crackles it’s brushed with a mix of Wildflower honey turmeric powder and lime from

Birth to Butchery and now to the dinner table the only task remaining is to find out if this premium protein is worth the extra pesos ladies and gentlemen this looks amazing can we cheers to this incredible Feast M yo I have never seen an animal so prec

Ste in this porcupine I mean it’s huge this is the first time he’s ever roasted a whole porcupine this way what do you think of the result are you happy with it oh he’s really proud he’s never tried it before well we’re going to be trying it soon but we’re not actually starting

With that we have a hot pot here with fermented rice our porcupine Hot Pot kicks things off by frying minced onion garlic lemongrass turmeric and minced pineapple dilute fermented rice with water then strain it to create a flavorful br now for the protein porcupine meat is thinly sliced then marinated in oil

Boolean powder MSG and fish sauce now boil up the meat right at the table I’m wagering we’re going to like this cuz it’s just straight up meat no crazy alcoholic porcupine liver cheers that is so tender So Soft so flavorful that is an amazing piece of

Meat now I’ve had wagu I had other high-end cuts of beef that that’s a good bite that’s a good bite now here’s the question Calvin do you think it’s more beefy or more Porky I think it’s more Porky it has that nutty tone it’s real sweet texturally it feels beefy and it

Tastes a little more Porky oh I agree I got to say I’m blown away I’m very impressed but what do you two think beefy or Porky also pink interesting it has more Porky flavor but the skin there’s nothing like it this is a meat that I think should get more

Attention imagine what chefs could do with this animal that being said we have this right here the Pinnacle of today the star of our meal sir what’s the plan exactly oh so we’re going to cut through the ribs here and I can actually hear the ribs being split I’m going to slice

It right down the very end open the trap door and see what’s inside oh oh look at that my gosh dude this looks so much like pork when you’re looking at it from this angle smells fragrant almost a light smell to it t t t Way wow little bit of gaming little greasy now a lot of people in the west are going to say this porcupine it’s not tender in Vietnam people love textures and people love eating chewy meat they don’t want something that’s going to just fall apart this porcupine here

Could be the future of colonary in the USA yeah you notice that when you eat pork it’s full of fat but this porcupine here is very lean I agree beyond that the skin is not crispy like pork no no no no this is not like crackly it kind of

Reminds me of cartilage it’s so hard we’re eating body armor that being said the flavors on here delicious and when you get to the meat below nice oily Smoky I think for the audience if you’re going to eat this skip the skin eat the meat underneath and really enjoy it hey

And these are more great travel tips from Calvin for next time you’re eating porcupine on your travel Adventures to wrap it up I want to ask you a couple questions what do you think is is the future for porcupine meat in Vietnam the future of porcupine is

Bright because of the way that they raise it each of them have their own cage it’s almost like they’re growing it organic and so he believes that with the movement of organic meats here in Vietnam that the future of porcupine and the way that they raise them is going to

Drive more users to eat porcupine he wants the people of Vietnam to eat clean and fresh por Pine meat for the people watching this is not at all a common food in Vietnam or elsewhere in your opinion what percentage of Vietnamese people have ever eaten porcupine would you say less than

1% sir ma’am let’s get that number to 100% cheers yo cheers okay okay yo thank you so much this was incredible if you love Indian food then you’re going to love our new channel best ever food India subscribe now for weekly videos showcasing the most unique street food from around the

Country I’ve never eaten much head in my life okay is a consent we have a nice coconut curry coconut I know a porcupine can fetch $12 a kilo or $6 a pound I knew you would give us a math problem that’s the butt that’s the butt

Okay this is a breast look at you giving me tips on on culinary yeah and you went to French cooking school yeah and you went to Applebees that being said we have this right here the star the I think I’m a little drunk when I was a

Kid we raised rabbits we actually didn’t eat them whatever happened to those rabbits you ate them we right this restaurant focuses purely on porcupine that he not only grows and sells but he also what that he not only grows and sells he also sell but also so um

Absolutely right now I’m craving a beer or alcohol or even like i’ take spray paint in a bag at this point oh God that’s Hur boom guys that is the end of the video I hope you enjoyed this very educational video of porcupine here in

Vietnam I want to say a huge thank you to Calvin for joining me handshake yeah Calvin is contractually obligated to be my friend also you can find him here on Instagram and on YouTube fkn deliciousness that’s where you go to learn more about Calvin and his fun food adventures in Vietnam and Beyond

Otherwise guys that is it for this one thank you so much for watching I will see you next time peace all right bro okay yeah I’m tired it’s for a long day lot of watch and parking

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1. NHÀ HÀNG NGỌC HÀ
ADDRESS: Bà Huyện Thanh Quan, TT. Vĩnh An, Vĩnh Cửu, Đồng Nai, Vietnam

🇻🇳CU ĐẤT NƯỚNG RÔ TI (ROTISSERIE SPOTTED DOVES): Boil lemongrass, chilies, spices, pineapple, chili sauce, MSG, Bullion seasoning, oyster sauce, soy sauce, pepper, and rice wine. Add dove, boil 5 min. For the sauce, fry shallots, garlic, pepper corn, chilies, lime leaves, basil. Add soup, Oyster sauce, sugar, MSG, Bullion, curry, pepper, sesame oil, chili sauce, boil 5 min. Deep fry dove, add to sauce. Plate with lettuce, parsley, carrot, lotus, cucumber. Top with chopped chilies, culantro, cilantro, and parsley.

🇻🇳NHÍM XÀO LĂN (STIR-FRIED PORCUPINES): Marinate porcupine meat with rice wine, shallots, garlic, cow milk, oyster sauce, and black pepper for 5 min. In a pan with lemongrass, lime leaves, shallots, and chilies in oil, fry the meat for 3 min. Add coconut water, curry powder, Bullion, sugar, cow milk, coconut milk, salt, soy sauce, cashew nut oil. Cook for 3 min. Plate with wood ear mushrooms and glass noodles, top with the curry porcupine dish, herb mixture, and peanuts.
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2. TRẠI NHÍM PHAN TÙNG
ADDRESS: Số 60, Tổ 13, Khu Phố 6, Vĩnh Cửu, Đồng Nai 76000, Vietnam

🇻🇳PORCUPINE: Prepare the porcupine by stunning it, bleeding the neck, and boiling water in a pot. Mix a bit of room temperature water to avoid cooking the meat. Place the porcupine in hot (not boiling) water. Remove parts that fall off by hand, then shave the rest with a knife. This process takes 30 min and requires thorough cleaning. Typically, a torch is used for final cleaning, but for whole grilled porcupine going on a fire, torching might not be necessary.
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3. VƯỜN LAN TÙNG DUYÊN
ADDRESS: Kp3, TT. Vĩnh An, Vĩnh Cửu, Đồng Nai 76900, Vietnam

🇻🇳LÒNG XÀO LĂN (STIR FRIED ORGANS): Smash ginger, chilies, and bell peppers. Boil water and add smashed ginger. Chop liver, heart, stomach, kidney, blanch, and wash. In a pan, add oil, shallot, onion, organs, Bullion powder, black pepper, fish sauce, MSG, and salt. Fry, then add pickles (mustard leaves), chopped green onion, and chilies. Top with more green onion.
🇻🇳NHÍM NHÚNG MẺ: Fry minced onion and garlic. Add minced lemongrass, pineapple, and smashed turmeric. Dilute fermented rice with water, strain into pot, bring to a boil. Slice meat thinly, marinate with oil, Bullion powder, MSG, fish sauce. Serve with noodles and veggies, plate marinated meat.

🇻🇳NHÍM NƯỚNG NGUYÊN CON: Mix five spice, sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, MSG, garlic, shallots, prickly ash pepper, forrest pepper, chicken powder, bouillon powder. Combine with grilled forrest wampee tree leaves. Massage porcupine skin with rice wine, rest for 3 mins. Stuff and massage inside with the mixture. Skewer with bamboo, grill. While grilling, brush skin with wildflower honey, turmeric powder, and lime mixture.

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🥒 ABOUT BEFRS:
Hey, I’m Sonny! I’m from the US but I’ve been living in Asia for 10 years and started making food and travel videos to document my experiences. I travel to different parts of the world, hunting down and documenting the most unique food each country has to offer.

If you see any factual food errors in my videos, please feel free to politely let me know in the comments. I’m a huge fan of trying different, interesting foods in each country. My show is from a Western point of view, but more importantly, MY point of view. It is not meant to offend any person or culture.
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