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title: ""The hunter’s only goal was the meat of the capybara, reputed to be…"
date: 2019-08-31
source: facebook
type: Archer T. Ships shared a link.
---

# "The hunter’s only goal was the meat of the capybara, reputed to be…

*August 31, 2019 · Facebook*

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[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/21/world/americas/21rodent.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/21/world/americas/21rodent.html){target="_blank"}
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\"The hunter's only goal was the meat of the capybara, reputed to be the world's largest rodent. Unlike other South American countries, including Argentina and Brazil, where capybaras are raised mainly for their hides, here the rodent's meat is a sought-after delicacy, fetching prices almost double those for beef.\
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The annual hunt comes before Easter, when capybara has a status in Venezuela similar to that of turkey during Thanksgiving. While the Roman Catholic Church generally forbids eating meat during certain days of Lent, many Venezuelans insist that the capybara is more akin to fish than to meat.\
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That may have something to do with how salted capybara tastes, resembling a mixture of sardines and pork. Legend has it that eating capybara, known here as chigüire (pronounced chee-GWEE-reh), got a boost in the 18th century when the local clergy asked the Vatican to give capybara the status of fish.\"\
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[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/21/world/americas/21rodent.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/21/world/americas/21rodent.html){target="_blank"}
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