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In Milan they call it “carne di coccodrillo”, in Zimbabwe we call it a “Crocoburger”

Tafadzwa Zimoyo Lifestyle Writer
A Zimbabwean burger has become a hit in Milan, Italy, thanks to the Zimbabwe Pavilion at a recently ended Food Expo in that city.

According to food buff, Georges El Badaoui, who is with the Consulate of Zimbabwe in Milan, the Crocoburger has suddenly become a sensation owing to its high levels of protein, low cholesterol and delicious taste.

“We eat crocodile worldwide, and also in Europe it is considered an appetising and delicious food. It’s meat is high in protein, lean, with low cholesterol and rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9, in short, the ideal for a healthy and balanced diet.”

Italy is the only EU country where crocodile meat has not been appearing regularly on the menu, yet, thanks to the Expo, they finally got to try our speciality.

“We have already conceived some dishes: pasta with crocodile meat sauce with red onion, cherry tomatoes, originally-protected basil pesto from Liguria region with garlic from Vessalico and crocodile, a mix that comes from the best of both cuisines,” said Georges.

According to the reports emanating from Italy so trendy has the burger become that 1 000kg of meat will be consumed in less than 10 days. This probably explains why Georges and other food lovers like Nicholas Moyo, the director of the Zimbabwe Pavilion cannot help but keep on gushing about burgers and other dishes based on crocodile meat.

“You can cook it in various ways, fried, or grilled like steak. Here, we opted for the burger. Not having a restaurant where you can sit, we found street food to be the most convenient formula,” said Moyo.

“Chinese traditional medicine suggests bread and slices of crocodile as treatment for colds and asthma. The Crocoburger sellers know that they can find a good breeding ground here in Italy. There is also for those who cannot miss pasta: a crocodile meat sauce sealed in a pot ready to be heated to be served with spaghetti and macaroni.”

With Milan conquered perhaps the Crocoburgers will now take the world by storm. And it is all good home-grown crocodile meat.

“The meat comes straight from the African country, Zimbabwe, from controlled farms that are located in the vicinity of Lake Kariba, and the crocodiles are slaughtered at the age of three years so that they remain tender and tasty.

“The colour is light, the taste is sweet- similar to chicken. The Crocoburger is served with cheese, roasted potatoes, cooked with baobab flour and a soft drink that combines the taste of the baobab red fruit and the elderflower,” explained one food fanatic based in the Italian city.

Maybe back in Zimbabwe, where crocodile meat is sold in supermarkets and butcheries, Crocoburgers and pizzas will soon be the must have food to be eaten on the trot rather than boring usual beef burger.