Think back to the last time you went to BD. Maybe you stopped by in between classes looking for a quick snack or a way to procrastinate. Maybe it was 2:00 a.m. and you were scrolling through Spoon articles that made you hungry. Maybe you’re at BD this very moment, pretending to do homework as you hope that no one in the booth next to yours is judging you for eating a Half and Half. Whenever it was, chances are, you missed out on a unique—or gross, depending on how adventurous you are—dining opportunity to try frog legs.
Now that you’re aware of this special delicacy offered up in the South 40’s one and only dining hall, your next trip to BD might go something like this:
Perusing the stations
When it’s time for a meal, you stalk each food station and peruse your various options. Will it be the World Fusion station today? You give a quick glance into the window at the Grill station, even though you’ve almost never ordered anything from it. The Comfort Meal, perhaps? Maybe you’re feeling particularly courageous and consider joining the insane crowds waiting for stir-fry. Suddenly, you get a whiff of something good coming from the Mexican station, so you wander over—
The realization
Think back for a second to that window at the grill station. What did you see? Yeah, I know our brains naturally block out traumatic memories, but try to break through. Was there maybe something that looked a bit like this?
Even if you don’t remember, the answer is yes. A favorite childhood animal, the bounciest member of the animal kingdom, frozen by the pound and sometimes marinated in tangy sauces. I’m talking about frogs.
Believe it or not, it’s actually pretty classy of BD to offer these up as an option. Frog legs are considered a delicacy in many parts of the world, especially France, and Americans eat about 20% of the frog legs produced worldwide. With all the hype, yours truly decided it was time to give frog legs a try.
The verdict
Though I was pretty horrified about the idea of eating frogs, the BD frog legs are actually pretty good. They essentially taste like salty pieces of chicken, and the barbecue marinade covering them caramelizes nicely on the BD grill. They make for a pretty good snack as long as you don’t think too hard about what you’re actually sticking in your mouth. I guess that puts frog legs in the same category as something like yogurt—or Natty Lite.
So next time you are walking into BD and glance at the grill station window, take a deep breath, be brave, and order those frog legs you’ve been trying to ignore for so long. You (maybe) won’t regret it.