This is going to be a light hearted and nutritious post. While this happened a few years ago, it’s still one of my favorite stories to tell people. I can’t wait for the fun, crazy “I can’t believe I did that!” stories that the World Race will bring as well.
Ministry and serving Jesus doesn’t have to be all “work work work, serve serve serve.” It can (and will,) be fun fun fun! Jesus has a sense of humor, and I love the stories and laughter that it brings!
So this; my friends, is the story of the day I ate a mouse in Africa.
Have you ever seen grown men hunting mice with rakes made from sticks?
It’s quite the experience. Something everyone needs to see. (and do!)
I was in Malawi, Africa a few years ago, volunteering at an orphanage. This afternoon my friend and I were walking back from the lake when we see Petey, a student Pastor there, digging in the ground. He would dig, catch a mouse by the tail, slap it on the ground dead, and throw it in a pile.
Some people might be quite alarmed at this, but I was beyond thrilled to see this real life Africa experience. Petey must have saw my excitement because he asked if we wanted to help prepare them for dinner.
“YES!!!!” I exclaimed. (Not knowing what this process was to entail.) I was just ready for some culture experience.
Petely pulls about 30 mice from his pockets; some still alive and twitching, and he throws them in a pile. With a nail he slices open the tummies and pulls out the intestines in one quick move. It was pretty impressive.
I stood there, mouth gaping, watching in awe and horror.
He starting dropping the mice one by one into a cast iron pot set on the open fire. Then covered them.
These poor little mice.
Mice come bubbling up as he opens the lid. I had been so excited up to this point about the whole experience. But the sight of all those mice boiling were giving me second thoughts.My friend was behind me, sitting on a tiny bench made from literally three sticks. She was gagging at the stench of the boiling mice. But I was determined to try one.
“We will roast them now.” said Petey. We put about 5 mice on each skewer. (more like stabbed the the little mice with skewers.) We roasted the mice over the fire for about 5 minutes.
“Mice-Mellows,” are wrong on so many levels.
“They are ready now.” Petey said.
“What?!” I cried, they couldn’t possibly be ready yet, they were still covered in fur! The head, eyes, teeth and tails were all still on! I was sure there were more steps before they were ready to eat….Right?!
Another Malawian friend was there, and he assured me they were quite tasty and he would show me how to eat it. He took the skewer of mice from me, and in one quick bite, he crunched down on a mouse head. Grinning about it the entire time. He thought this was funny.
….I couldn’t do this. The fur was still on the mouse, and the eyes. And the teeth!
I couldn’t eat mouse teeth. No no no.
Petey was so excited for me to try one, I couldn’t disappoint him! So with a surge of courage, I took the skewer of mice, brought a tiny mouse up to my mouth, and took a bite. Clenching my eyes tight so I wouldn’t see the craziness that I was actually doing. I looked up at my Malawian friends- they were eagerly watching for my response:
“Say! I exclaimed, I like this mouse! I like it Petey! And I would eat them in a boat. And I would eat them with a goat…They are so good, so good, you see! So I will eat them in a box. And I will eat them with a fox. And I will eat them in a house, on the couch…I will eat this mouse!”
Petey enthusiastically replied; “GOAT? We have a goat, a fox we can cook too!”
“…Whoah, Petey, One crazy food experience at a time.”
And that, my friends, is the pointless story of the day I ate a mouse in Africa.
Below you will find the recipe so you can enjoy your very own mice kebabs!
Petey’s Mice Kebabs
Ingredients
8-10 small mice. (you can get these at your local pet store, or local field if you prefer organic.)
1 onion
1 bell pepper
salt and pepper
teriyaki sauce (optional)
Bring a pot of water to boil. Pick up mice by tails and slap on on table to stun them. Place mice in water and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes on medium to high heat. (or a roaring fire if cooking on fire.) stirring occasionally. Take mice out and thread on skewers, along with onion and pepper. Place on grill or roast over a fire for 5-7 minutes, turning halfway through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
