CRISFIELD, MD — Muskrat trapping season is synonymous with muskrat eating season for some people on the Delmarva Peninsula. In Somerset County, this culinary heritage runs deep.
Renee Mears, owner of the Chesapeake Bay BBQ in Crisfield, said she was inundated with calls to add the marshy meal to her menu a few years ago.
"We had the public asking, why don't you do muskrat?" Mears said.
Mears herself grew up eating the Eastern Shore delicacy.
"My father was a waterman, and we lived off the land a lot," Mears said. "It was not abnormal to have an array of things from the bay or the woods."
There are a number of ways to prepare muskrat meat, but Mears' family recipe involves an hours-long process.
"When we get the rats we have to give them two salt baths," Mears said. "Then we add our seasonings. We've got some sage, some salt and pepper, we have red pepper flakes."
The meat then cooks on the stovetop for hours. Mears said the texture is comparable to braised beef or pork and the flavor is similar to other game meat.
Brett Sanders said he wanted to take the opportunity to try muskrat for the first time when he stopped by the restaurant during his lunch break Thursday.
"Oh man, that's good," Sanders said after his first bite. "It's like a stewed meat my mom used to make or like a slow cooked meat."
Carrie Samis grew up on the Eastern Shore but did not try muskrats until she became involved with the town of Princess Anne's annual New Year's Eve Muskrat Dive.
"Is it my favorite meat? No," Samis said. "But it's such a rich part of our local heritage, our local culture."
Samis said that she has noticed the number of muskrat dinners dwindling over the years.
"I don't see muskrat dinners advertised as frequently as I used to, even ten years ago," Samis said. "But people come out in droves for that sort of thing."
The Chesapeake Bay BBQ sources its muskrat from a local trapper.
Muskrat trapping season in Maryland typically runs through mid-March. However, state law allows the Department of Natural Resources to extend the season for up to seven days in the case of poor weather conditions.