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Food

Should You Eat Your Pet Turtle's Eggs?

When the Japanese owner of a pond turtle discovered his pet laying eggs on his floor, he did the most sensible thing: he cooked them and ate them.
Photo via Flickr user charlenesimmons

Hey, hipsters: It's time for your backyard chickens to take a back seat to another oviparous animal, the humble turtle. And really, why not? If they're good enough for raccoons, aren't they good enough for us?

As reported by RocketNews24, the Japanese owner of a Chinese pond turtle decided to do just that. Twitter user Narupajin gave a visual play-by-play of his pet's most recent ovulation, followed by the decision to cook and eat the ensuing (and thankfully unfertilized) eggs. Behold, the miracle of life!

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「風呂入りたいんですが」って語りかけると、チラッとこっち見てくる pic.twitter.com/4FfoMckK37

— ナルパジン (@narupajin) May 14, 2015

Narupajin's 30-year-old Chinese pond turtle surprised him yesterday by blocking his shower door in order to sprinkle his floor with her unborn hatchlings. One year ago, she had chosen the same fateful spot for her moment of feminist celebration.

去年の亀産卵のやつ見たら、5万6千RTもされてたのね。パネェね pic.twitter.com/rbR223ImMC — ナルパジン (@narupajin) May 14, 2015

After accepting a chin rub from Narupajin, the turtle permitted him to pass into his shower chamber. But then he had to decide what to do with the 11 teeny, tiny eggs that remained on his bathmat.

とりあえず亀卵を回収 pic.twitter.com/1cppSoCMxq

— ナルパジン (@narupajin) May 14, 2015

Fry them to hell. Eggs are eggs, right? And really, it's not that much of a leap. In our Guide to Oaxaca, we found that sea turtle eggs are part of healthy diet—along with iguana, armadillo—in the town of Juchitán. And so he did.

亀の卵、強火で10分熱しても全然火が通らない。すげぇ強い pic.twitter.com/qZGjK9I87D — ナルパジン (@narupajin) May 14, 2015

One warning Narupajin did have, however: they take longer to cook than the chicken variety. But apparently they still retain the powdery yolks and mild flavor that we'd expect to find in our own hard-boiled snacks.

去年よりは黄身の色が濃いけど、やっぱりニワトリよりは薄いね。そして白身が全然ない pic.twitter.com/MH6C3BcI9q

— ナルパジン (@narupajin) May 14, 2015

If you've got a pet, you're likely not thinking too hard about the next opportunity to eat its babies—unless, that is, your pet is a chicken, and you're thinking of its eggs. Kitten-eating: not really a thing. Omelets: definitely a thing.

どんだけ火を通しても上の方は生だったから、このままでいいやいただきます。何か、食べた瞬間「口の中パッサパサ!パッサパサだよ!!」ってぐらい粉っぽい黄身。面白い。味はやっぱ薄いな pic.twitter.com/p0FOL6oXrv — ナルパジン (@narupajin) May 14, 2015

But supposing you weren't eating your pet's offspring, per se, and merely the fruits of its reproductive cycle (i.e., ovum that are just begging to be fried sunny-side up), all could be forgiven.

Just think of it as being progressive when it comes to farm-to-table cuisine.