A is for Alligator (A-Z Challenge: Louisiana Theme)

Welcome to Louisiana:  Thank you for joining me on the A-Z Challenge.  I hope you enjoy your trip to Louisiana.  We won't visit Civil War battlefields or go to a Saints football game or listen to jazz.  Instead, we'll explore other seasonings in the gumbo that is Louisiana. Each snippet will beg more questions, but we can return another day.  

The name alligator is an anglicized form of el lagarto, the Spanish term for "lizard", which early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida called the alligator. (Wikipedia)

Alligators thrive in freshwater environments, most notably in the swamps, wetlands, marshes, and ponds that dot the Southern landscape.  Thousands of alligators call Louisiana home.


Don't even think about a stroll by a marsh at dusk (feeding time)!  Alligators are capable of short bursts of speed.  An alligator can zip out and haul you into that marsh in no time flat.  The leathery beast will stuff you in a hole somewhere in the marsh for dinner later or grab you and flap into what's called a 'death roll', all the while munching on your abs.


Alligators have a bone-crushing bite but have weak jaw muscles that open the mouth.  So, those brave souls who deal with alligators can tape their mouths shut with duct tape and be perfectly safe.


The good news is, alligators are a bit shy when it comes to humans and will usually slink away. In the 1970s, there weren't many alligators to slink away.  Conservation efforts worked.  Today, the alligator thrives and does what it's supposed to do:  help maintain the eco balance in Louisiana's many bodies of freshwater. This eco balance is crucial because marshes and wetlands provide a buffer against hurricanes, provide habitats for other animals, and so on.


Alligators are also harvested in a controlled manner for food now.  Skins are used for shoes, belts and so on.  The alligator is as much a part of Louisiana's culture as jazz, maybe more so.  Alligators arrived first.

Baby Alligators.  (Wikipedia)  These cuties can bite your finger off in a quick snap.  

Note the rounded snout alligators have, vice a slimmer snout crocodiles have (shown below).  Also, unlike a crocodile, when an alligator's mouth is shut, the teeth show.

Alligator Wrestling  (Wikipedia)

A crocodile in Australia.  It has a slimmer snout, with teeth inside the closed snout.  Alligators are found in the Southeastern U.S. and in China.  Crocs are found all over the world.  Alligators tend to avoid people; crocs tend to eat people.

Cajun Grilled Alligator Kabobs

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. alligator meat
• 1 medium onion
• Cherry tomatoes
• 1 green pepper
• 8 whole mushrooms
• Any of your own favorite vegetables
• 1 can orange juice
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• Cajun seasoning or seasoned salt plus cayenne pepper

Serves 8 people.

Steps:
Cut alligator (available at Skipper’s Smokehouse) into 1-inch cubes and marinate in orange juice and teriyaki 6 to 24 hours. Use 8 to 10 wooden skewers and skewer meat alternately with chunks of onion, pepper, tomatoes and mushrooms. Place kabobs on hot grill and baste with marinade. Cook 2 to 3 minutes total, turning once. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning.

Submitted by Vicky Szempruch of Skipper’s Smokehouse.