[Sca-cooks] Reindeer, FWIW was (RE: Sca-cooks digest, Vol 1 #966 - 19 msgs)

[Decker, Terry D.]

I can only suggest that religious dietary laws do not need to take into
account modern taxonomy.

The primary scientific identifier for a ruminant is that it have a rumen
(the first stomach that prepares the cud) and chew their cud.  The second
point is a hoof with an even number of toes.  Cows, sheep, goats, giraffes
and camels, as well as deer are ruminants, and IIRC, some of those are on
the prohibited list.

Unless you are living in extremely northern North America or Europe,
reindeer probably won't be outside your door, but the Bambis there are also
members of the Cervidae as well as the suborder.

Reindeer derives from the Old Norse, "hreinn," which means "reindeer," and
first appears around 1400.  Modern New World usage tends to equate reindeer
with the domesticated R. tarandus originally from Lapland, while caribou is
used to designate the undomesticated North American R. tarandus.

I have fond memories of caribou steak broiled over a hot fire for breakfast
on a -25 degree F morning.  Today, I would prepare some of the venison
recipes.

Bear






> Ah, so. Thank you. Reindeer are. Are regular, cute,
> outside-of-my-door-
> running-scared-for-their-little-lives-because-it's-hunting-sea
> son Bambis
> members of the same suborder? I could have sworn there's _some_
> sort of deer, or <blank>deer, that weren't kosher; Lord knows I've
> seen enough deer tracks here to know they have split hooves, but
> have never seen them eat, so don't know about the, errr, rumination.
>
> Alban