Every year millions of innocent little kermits are being boiled, sizzled and fried to extinction – and all for the sake of a rubbish unsavoury snack. John Hillman thinks that it’s all gone a tad too far.

What is it about frog’s legs that the French find so dammed irresistible? Greasy little slithers of tasteless meat, its flavour dependent on the accompanying sauce, they have about as much point to them, once parted from their unfortunate owners of course, as alcohol free beer and diet cake.

Yet for some reason our friends from over La Manche appear to be intent on eating them to oblivion. Having munched these amphibious absurdities to the brink of extinction in their own region they now seem to be steadily working their way through the entire Anuran population of Asia.

Chefs will tell you that frog’s legs are a rare delicacy, a thing of exceptional beauty; it’s worth remembering that these are the same people who consider spending 18 hours a day in a boiling hot unventilated windowless prison, whilst getting screamed at by an overweight malodorous alcoholic, as some sort of aspirational lifestyle choice.

The French import 4,000 tonnes of frog’s legs each year from Asia. Coupled with climate change, increased use of pesticides and the destruction of their natural habitat they have little or no chance of surviving in any meaningful way.

I’m absolutely convinced that a people as sophisticated as the French, who have given so much to the world through art, philosophy and culture, are unaware of the effect that this pursuit-of-the-pointless-peccadillo is having on these poor helpless little green men.

Surely if they did they would desist from the destruction of an animal whose hind quarters have been made famous throughout the world but can no longer keep on giving. Surely enough is enough? Perhaps they could turn their attention to a new yet equally silly gastronomic proclivity. Badgers testicles perhaps?

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Image credit: JoshMe 17

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