(Photo: Keuken van het Ongewenst Dier/Facebook)
By Clint Rainey
A restaurant named the Unwanted Animal Kitchen, located in the Dutch city of Breda, is a "creative breeding ground for conscious citizens and radical ex-hippie squatters," as Vice helpfully explains. The food truck, apparently started by an artist duo, has an unusual take on the concept of waste -- basically, that humans shouldn't treat animals like disposable products, and that one obvious fix is to turn them into food when they stop being so "useful." The truck boasts a one-of-a-kind menu highlighting the "wild flavor" of animals otherwise doomed to die, like old horses, pigeons, canal crayfish, and parakeets. Twice a year, it hosts a five-course "Big Pest Dinner" that might feature coot or some rats. Goose croquettes and something called Bambi Balls were also early favorites, but the big-ticket item has always been the $18 My Little Pony burger, seen up at top-left with its pink-ribbon pony flag.
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The truck can reportedly go through 100 of them per day at big festivals, but co-owner Babbe Hengeveld says she still sometimes questions if they're worth keeping on the menu. "They don't sell well because people do feel bad about the idea of eating horse," she tells Vice. "For people to understand, you really have to explain to them clearly about the unwanted ponies and horse meat. When I'm cooking in the kitchen, I don't always have time for this."
Fortunately, all ponies are locally sourced -- direct from Slagharen, one of Europe's top amusement parks, which somehow makes this sting even worse.
[Vice]
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