Rabbit Meat, Anyone?
/Warning: this is not for the squeamish, or the passionate on animal rights.
Baked Honey Lavender Rabbit (Photo courtesy of Cafe Tam Tam)
You heard that right. Rabbit meat.
It’s probably hard to imagine that something as lovable as the Easter Bunny will be served on the family dining table.
No less than the country’s Department of Agriculture is spearheading this initiative. As far back as February last year, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said that DA is considering promoting rabbit raising as an alternative among backyard raisers, citing the shorter growth cycle of the animal than that of pigs recently affected by the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in the country.
Dar said the DA was optimistic on rabbit farming. “You can expand more when you have a shorter growth cycle.” The Agriculture chief also noted the nutritional benefits of consuming rabbit meat, compared with others such as pork and beef. It has a high percentage of easily digestible protein, provides a wide range of minerals, and contains the least amount of fat among all the other available meats.
Typically classified as poultry, rabbit meat was listed by the United States’ Department of Agriculture (USDA) to be among the healthiest meats available.
“Rabbit growers associations have sprung up in various parts of the country.”
It is popular in countries like Italy, Spain, France, and China. These countries consume the most rabbit – and are the best export markets for rabbit meat.
Although rabbits have long been part of many Philippine households, the lingering reluctance and perceived taboo on eating rabbit meat is the greatest hindrance to widespread rabbit production. But history tells us that rabbits were introduced in the country by missionary groups and the U.S. Peace Corps after the Second World War. They knew that rabbits are prolific, grow fast, and don’t compete with humans or other animals for grain, making them an ideal protein source that could alleviate food scarcity resulting from the devastation of war. Soon after their introduction in the country, rabbits came to be cared for as pets instead of being produced as a meat source.
A rabbit can be roasted (“lechon”), or cooked the way Filipinos cook goat delicacies, such as kaldereta, pinapaitan, adobo, kilawin, and sinampalukan. Some cook it with curry powder.
Rabbits can also be a source of organic fertilizer, making for a win-win venture for fruit and vegetable growers.
Since rabbit production is largely a backyard industry, it is difficult to get an accurate picture of how extensive it is across the country. However, rabbit growers associations have sprung up in various parts of the country.
In Mindanao there are at least 3,000 dedicated rabbit raisers in Soccsksargen, composed of the provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Saranggani, and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Kidapawan and Tacurong. These raisers believe rabbit meat has the potential to penetrate the halal market, noting that some Muslims had been growing and eating the animal in the region.
Rabbits prefer temperatures of about 60–65 degrees Fahrenheit, but they are comfortable in lower temperatures as long as they are appropriately housed. This makes Baguio and the Cordilleras an ideal setting for rabbit raising. For one, Baguio’s comfortable year-round weather lingers on 56 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. It is no surprise that that rabbit raising has been taken up by Cordillerans who have banded together to form their own rabbit raisers association.
Small-scale rabbit raising is also seen in Bulacan and other parts of Luzon, some of them have converted their pig pens (as a result of ASF) into rabbit hutches. But rabbit raisers admit that they have not yet reached the level of supplying rabbit meat to commercial institutions like supermarkets.
In the last quarter of 2020, a new café opened in Baguio City. Café Tam Tam started introducing rabbit meat on its menu in March of this year.
Harry Osboken manages the café. It took him awhile to decide on serving rabbit meat mainly because of the uncertainty of a continuous supply. He eventually found a local rabbit raiser who supplies him with dressed rabbit to fill his daily requirement of 4-10 heads per day. But he says even his business partner has to occasionally source rabbits from other fellow raisers.
Harry Osboken, owner/manager of Cafe Tam Tam (Photo by Rene Astudillo)
Osboken then had to decide on how to serve rabbit meat, taking into consideration the maturity of rabbits sourced for him. He started serving grilled and baked rabbit meat, each serving comprised of one of six portions per rabbit head: four legs (which he calls “arms”), the back and the rib part. He later experimented with making rabbit pao which he says has been well-received by his customers.
Reaction from customers upon seeing rabbit meat on the menu has been varied. Some who visit the café for pastries, snacks and beverages get turned off when they learn of rabbit meat being served. Others were curious or nonchalant. Still many come in because they saw the rabbit meat menu on the café’s Facebook page and wanted to try it.
Café Tam Tam has been participating in food and vendor fairs in the Mall and the recent Sunday showcase at Baguio’s main thoroughfare, Session Road. It has also set up shop at agricultural and food fairs in nearby La Trinidad, Benguet.
Grilled Rosemary and Lime Rabbit (Photo courtesy of Cafe Tam Tam)
As far as Osboken knows, his café is the only establishment in the area that has rabbit meat on the menu. Asked about what the near future will bring for rabbit meat especially as far as his shop is concerned, he says, it’ll probably take a year or so before his customers will come to fully accept what is still a novel industry at the moment. Next up for Osboken: rabbit sausage and rabbit burger!
Rabbit Pao (Photo courtesy of Cafe Tam Tam)
With increasing community awareness campaigns by both the government and the rabbit raisers, the rabbit meat industry holds a bright future in terms of providing Filipinos with an alternative (and more healthy) meat source. It will take some serious work to promote wider acceptance by Filipinos.
For now, Osboken, and his Café Tam Tam may be seen as pioneers, not only in Baguio, but also the rest of the country.
Rene Astudillo is a writer, book author and blogger and has recently retired from more than two decades of nonprofit community work in the Bay Area. He spends his time between California and the Philippines.
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