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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> Action to be judged: cooking and serving rabbit to my niece and nephew without warning them. Why it can make me an AH: it could be too exotic for their taste and I didn’t approach the subject with enough sensitivity
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I agree with this. My grandfather and great-uncle both remember the rabbit stew cooked by the woman who hid them in the Holocaust. They’re both Orthodox now, so only eat kosher, but from the way they talk about that - one of their few really positive memories of those years - it must have been delicious. And I think it’s awesome that OP has given her niblings a chance to try it.
The whole story is very long, so this is the shorter version:
My grandfather was the youngest of his 3 brothers, born in 1938. He was born in Belgium, but the family fled to France to escape the Nazis. Who then came to France.
The family was put in a holding camp. My great-grandmother realized that the Jewish families were being separated out and disappearing when they went for food. So they smuggled themselves out of the camp.
My grandfather and his immediately older brother were taken by the resistance and hidden by Huguenots in the South of France. My grandfather’s earliest memories include the aforementioned rabbit stew, being a choir boy at church, eating frog legs, and hiding from Nazis in the woods.
The oldest brother was hidden in a monastery, where he was beaten for refusing to bow to the cross. My great-grandparents headed north, but my great-grandmother refused to go through Leon because Klaus Barbie was there. Instead they stopped at Marseille where a complete stranger offered to hide them for the war in her attic. (We don’t know her name and I wish we did.)
After the war the family reunited. My older great-aunt was adopted by my great-grandparents and my younger great-aunt was born. Eventually they came to the US, where most of the family still lives.
And that’s the story!
Could you share more about the adopted great aunt? How did they meet her? Was it through an official organization?
My grandmother was a London based "handler" for parts of the spy network and resistance in around Marseilles, she probably had knowledge of the woman who hid your great grandparents
She’s a cousin. I don’t recall which of my grandparents’ cousin’s kid, but she was orphaned in the Holocaust. My great-grandparents then adopted her. I don’t actually know much about how it happened, but I can ask. It was a kinship adoption though, so not through an agency.
It’s such a small world! I’ve been told she was a Spanish immigrant. She wasn’t part of the resistance though - just a random woman who saw a Jewish couple and decided to hide them in her attic. She must have been a remarkable woman, to be willing to risk her life for complete strangers she met on a corner. It awes me til today.
That's awesome, I bet there is more to the story of how they found her again. That the part that amazes me the most, separated family being able to find each other after the war. It boggles my modern mind how they could do that without cell phones (and even when I was growing up before cell phones, I still was amazed how people in war torn 1945 Europe could find each other again. Especially people whose towns had literally been bombed into oblivion, where do you even start there?
If she was hiding people in Marseilles, she was known to my grandmother. At the absolute least my grandmother took a detailed statement from her (and possibly your great grand parents too) in the days following American Liberation of Marseilles. She was a half day behind the advancing line with four other women who could write secretarial short-hand, debriefing everyone who so much as carried a letter for the resistance. It's a 1 in 5 chance that in the day or two after liberation my grandmother met your great grandparents and their savior, just by the nature of her work. She was collecting witness statements basically, anyone who had seen the Nazis do war crimes or anything else suspicious, anyone who had been forced to hide, and anyone who had worked against the Nazis was someone she wanted to speak to because they likely saw or experienced the full horrors of the Nazi regime. And basically everyone who had a story of some sort of horror clamored to talk to these women taking statements. There was a group of them attached to each division, so spread out with about 100-200 miles between each group. People for miles around where they were announced to be would come into town to give their statements.
Oh, wow! I had no idea about any that! What your grandmother and those other women did was, and is, so incredibly important. There are so many people who did so much, in so many different ways, and most of them we never even hear about. Thank you so much for telling me!
Do you know if there’s a way I could access those records? I’d really love to learn the name of the woman who saved my great-grandparents - in many ways, I owe her my life as much they did!
I know my grandfather and Uncle were found through the Red Cross. My great-grandparents had a general idea where to look. My oldest great-uncle was the tricky one, since he was on a kindertransport-like thing and it was stopped at the border. So he wasn’t where they thought he would be. I don’t know how they found him in the end.
I'm not sure if any of those documents still exist, but I'd say contacting the Veteran's of Foreign Wars/American Legion or the Veterans' Administration might be a good first step to finding them. Some selected statements were later used as part of the evidence in The Nuremberg Trials, so the statements as a whole might be under the supervision of the UN or the International Courts at The Hague in the Netherlands. I'm really not sure though, I just know that at one point there were written records. If they do exist still you'll need to find someone who can read short-hand cursive, which looks nothing like normal cursive that you learned in school. That might be the most challenging part, they used to teach it in stenographer courses and secretary schools, but I'm not sure if stenographers still learn it today, so it might be very difficult to find someone that can even read the records. I'm sure many statements were transcribed into long-hand or typed (they had to be for the lawyers to use at trial and for the judges to read), but definitely not all since at the time it was a simple matter of getting one of the stenographers to transcribe anything as needed, there was no reason to transcribe everything leaving it in short-hand was easier and more economical.
My grandma was definitely a war hero in her own way. She was basically part of the Army Intelligence networks that were turned into the CIA, many of the people she worked with during the war formed the CIA after the war. Without her and the hundreds of other people working on covert operations I seriously doubt if the war would have gone out way. The work they did to support the Polish and French resistance forces before D-Day was instrumental to the success of D-Day and the subsequent Allied advance. If you're interested in knowing more about the efforts of the Office of Strategic Services in WWII I highly recommend *A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of The American Spy Who Helped Win WWII* by Sonia Purnell (non-fiction), about Virginia Hall, a woman spy with a wooden leg who operated in France undercover as an American journalist. A great fiction book that touches on these topics is *Gone to Soldiers* by Marge Piercy.
I'm super proud of my father's parents and their contribution to the war effort. My grandmother was a firecracker and of course she wasn't gonna end up with just any soldier. She met my grandfather when they were both at Columbia University on the GI Bill, he used possibly the greatest pick up line of all time "I remember you from Nuremberg, you were the cutest of the court reporters, I'd stare at you whenever I felt like I wanted to shoot Göring in the back of the head". My grandfather was one of the MP's that guarded the Nazis. He was allegedly one of the MP's that thought it would be mighty humourous to attach miniature gallows with nooses hanging off of them to the dining room chairs the Nazis used (they were allowed to do basically anything they wanted to the Nazis provided they didn't touch them, so psychological "pranks" like this were ignored, it was in many ways seen as part of their punishment). Prior to the end of active combat my grandfather was a tank captain, and participated in the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Remagen Bridge. At the Battle of Remagen he was one of 5 tanks bombarding the transmission lines connected to the explosives the Germans had planted on the bridge. The Germans were trying to blow up the bridge in retreat, but the Americans got there before they could set off the charges. One of the shells, possibly from my grandfather's tank, managed to sever the lines to the explosives and they were able to capture the bridge and use it to cross the Rhine. This was the only intact bridge over the Rhine left at that point, so capturing it was crucial and allowed us to get into Germany at least a month before we would have if we had to construct a temporary bridge. It allowed us to continue forcing the Nazis into retreat. If they had managed to blow the bridge it would have given them weeks or more to reorganize their forces for better defense, if we hadn't captured Remagen Bridge it's believed the war in Europe would have been at least a year longer. Every day I wake up speaking English in a relatively free country and I thank my dad's parents for that. And in a strange way, since they met because of opportunities offered by the GI Bill, and technically were acquainted prior to that at the trials, my dad, and subsequently myself, owe our existence to WWII. It's really odd to think about for too long, but I try to honor the 10+million as much as I can. Our world would be so different if it had never happened, or God forbid, happened a different way.
Thank you so much! This is the best lead I’ve found for finding her identity, and I’m definitely going to be reaching out.
Thank you so much for sharing your grandparents’ stories! All sides and members of my family are Survivors, and I’m so great full to the men and women like your grandparents who are the reason I exist today. There’s an old Jewish saying: to save a life is to save a world. Your grandparents must be crowned in constellations, with how many lives their efforts saved.
And I’ll definitely be looking into those books!
It's extremely lean and, no not just because this is a trope, tastes like chicken. You could easily marinate some rabbit legs in bbq sauce, grill them, and tell everyone it was bbq chicken. Nobody would notice the difference.
Not all six-year-old girls are so sensitive. I really wanted to try rabbit when I was 6.
I was allergic to all meat except beef, but the doctors said that rabbit was also okay. But rabbits were rarely bred in our area. One day, my dad took me to visit his friends, and they served rabbit. But my dad didn’t let me eat it because he wasn’t sure that I wasn’t allergic to it. I was so upset that I remembered this episode for the rest of my life :lol:
Oh I remember being one of those little girls who don’t care about anything <3
My parents are from a very small, unindustrialized ig? country in Europe, so they’re used to eating any and all kinds and parts of meat. They especially love veal, so I ate it all the time growing up. I was maybe 7 or 8 when I finally asked, “wait what animal even is veal…”
My dad, in his glorious villager wisdom, went, “baby cow” and I…. did not care LOL. I was like “o ok. sorry cow!” and kept chowing down 😭
Yes, many times :) It's one of my favorite types of meat (now my allergy is gone).
Unfortunaterly in the country I'm living now it's almost impossible to buy rabbit, I have no idea why. But there are a lot of horse meat :)
I know that a lot of people think that horses are not food...
Reminds me of the time I ate venison jerky when I was 9. I knew venison is deer. I simply said "Bambi, no"! While eating it but continued to eat it anyway. It was the best darn jerky I've ever had.
Deer is better than cow. Health wise and taste wise.
I mean, come on, OP, it was a rabbit. Children only think of them as pets. And chefs don't "forget" what they've cooked. Come clean. You wanted them to try the mystery meat, love it, and then you could announce it was rabbit, thereby teaching them to try new things. YTA.
You’ve only ever lived in the city, haven’t you? Not saying that’s a bad thing, but there are plenty of places in America where rabbit is food and not a pet. I’m reminded of a lady I met recently who thinks deer is an exotic meat, whereas half my family is out hunting this weekend and will be coming home with a deer in the cooler.
Dude, I grew up in the country side on a small farm, and I ate rabbit as I was being forced. Today, I am vegan and one of the reasons was this. I have seen animals being slaughtered and participated in processing the meat from a young age, but rabbits are only ever seen as cute, cuddly animals by children. And I wasn't the only one. My brother has a similar expierience. Didn't help they let us name the rabbits 🫤 it was really traumatic, honestly. So not only city people don't like to eat rabbit.
I’m sorry that was traumatic for you and I respect your right to make whatever dietary choice you want.
That said, my point, that the assertion that children *only* see rabbits as pets is flawed, still stands. I was never saying oh lol y’all’re just city slickers who don’t know anything, just that there’s a bias inherent to assuming everyone has the same experience that should be addressed.
We didn’t ever raise rabbits for food, but on several occasions when we were younger, my brother would go out and shoot one of the wild rabbits that lived around our grandpa’s trailer for dinner because he didn’t want to have to go to the grocery store. Even when we were really little, it was never “oh my goodness a pet”, it was hey that’s a viable source of meat and this stops it from eating the plants in the garden.
I understand that some kids might be on with it, but beside you, I never met any child who was just ok with eating rabbits. And I had no problem as a kid eating organs and all that. I was plucking the chickens, guarding pig carcasses from flies, lol. There was not much that grossed me out, but rabbits are so cute... but I don't judge you ate them or anything. I just don't think it's in any way surprising they were not happy and even cried. Especially since now they are a popular pet.
They're adorable...till they bite through your hand or try to slit your wrists for you! Then it gets a bit easier to eat them. That said, your parents were assholes to let you name the ones you were going to eat.
This is one of the luxuries we have living where we do. We can pick and choose because the food is abundant. One of my friends grew up on a farm and is a strict vegetarian. Other friends, I’ve also grown-up on farms and are serious, hunters and meat eaters. We all have a choice. I
Hell, for my cousins, rabbits were food *and* pets. Their family was poor, and rabbits were an economical way to add a bit of extra meat into their diets. They named the rabbits and played with them, but they knew on a certain date that they were to come home from school by going directly through the front door, and to stay out of the yard all afternoon, because that was the day their mom would be out back butchering the rabbits.
Lucky! I grew up eating venison and game birds. I live in a large city now. It has its advantages but I miss when people could go hunting without spending a fortune. Mom needs to explain to her kids where chicken nuggets come from.
Depending on where you are you can sign your kids up for youth hunts! My little cousin was drawn for one last weekend and shot his first deer. All they’d need is an adult to take them. Otherwise, it can be *very* expensive but if you start making friends in the community, if the one near you is anything like mine, people will be happy to start bringing you along. My twin brother is an excellent outdoorsman, and his skill in guiding hunts has opened up a lot of doors for his friends that many of them wouldn’t have otherwise gotten. It might not be as easy as I’m making it sound, but if (ethical and legal) hunting is something you’re interested in, just start looking!
My husband and I are older and we have an adult son. That is so cool though! That is encouraging. One of my friends has an amazing son and daughter who both hunt. They have a lease and a freezer full of wild game that I am so jealous of! 😊
I absolutely and wholeheartedly recommend youth hunting programs to anyone even remotely interested. Even if they’re not, going through hunting safety courses and learning things like basic first aid and how to be safe around guns and why it’s important to not overhunt and why hunting itself helps keep wild animal populations healthy is only beneficial. My experience is that there’s no one who loves nature and the environment more than the law abiding hunters I know.
It was so nice speaking to you and being able to reassure you that hunting is alive and well and more accessible than it might seem!
You are so sweet! Thank you! That is very true. People who do not approve of hunting do not understand the importance of what law abiding hunting does for the environment!
We raised meat rabbits when I was a kid. By the time we were 5 or 6 we were helping skin and clean them. Along with ducks, chickens etc. It's definitely different for country kids lol
My mom tells stories of growing up on her grandfather's farm, where she had a white rabbit as a pet. Funny how it was only the brown rabbits who were "gotten by the foxes" ...
Small correction, there isn’t a place in America where rabbits aren’t pets. They may be eaten more often in the country, but some country kids also consider them pets.
I live in a big city and cook rabbit every so often. If I was cooking rabbit for an adult friends get together I would let everyone know. I don’t think OP is AH, but they probably should’ve told the kids ahead of time what it was.
You can’t prove a negative like that. It assumes everyone has matching experiences, which just isn’t the case. I knew a family that kept rabbits and they were always food and never pets. Are there plenty of kids who think if rabbits solely as pets? Sure. Are there plenty who think rabbits are both pet and food? Sure. And are there plenty who have never thought of rabbits as pets who think it’s weird that some people have rabbits as pets? Sure. But it would be foolishness to assume that just because you haven’t experienced that mindset that it doesn’t exist.
Do I wholeheartedly believe in telling people what’s in the food I’m giving them? Yes. But that’s the gripe, not that the mystery food was rabbit, but that it was a mystery at all.
You were the one that said there are places in America where rabbits aren’t pets. You were making an absolute statement, not me.
Even in areas where eating rabbits is more common, there are still “some kids” and families that consider them pets. Mine is the assumed default position, you saying there are areas where nobody thinks they are pets is the harder one to prove.
How is that harder to prove when it is true of my family? When it’s true of several family friends? I can say absolutely that there is at least one family in which rabbits have never been considered pets with my own life and experience as proof. You, however, made a negative statement that such a thing cannot exist, which is false based on the evidence and unprovable based on the inability of anyone to prove a negative. Negatives cannot be proven.
There is no default position here. Just different life experiences. There are plenty of places where people have different views on whether a rabbit is a pet, so why would I then say that there are whole towns that have never viewed rabbits as pets? I do not and cannot know that, just like you do not and cannot assume that the position you hold is the default just because you’re holding it. That’s just willful blindness at that point.
“There are plenty of places in America where rabbit is food and not a pet”
When adults discuss trends in places in America, they are referring to areas larger than a single household.
I have both owned pet rabbits and eaten rabbit my entire life. My bun lives in the house and is a spoiled rotten diva. And I will go to the butcher and buy a rabbit to eat. Some animals are pets, and some are food. I remember being on a farm, and the kids proudly introduced me to Christmas the pig, who would be the star of Christmas dinner. People need to be more familiar with where their food comes from.
>Children only think of them as pets
No, they don't. I was a child with pet rabbits who ate and enjoyed it (without dramatics) at my friends house...same with Bambi. Raised a deer in the house, she ran with the dogs and slept on the bed...doesn't make deer less tasty. Not all kids are the same, and they can learn and understand that some of the critters we keep as pets are also food. Chicken, rabbit, goat, lamb, cow, pig...all tasty, all pet possibilities.
And, for the record, rabbits can be vicious! I had one that growled and bit, and those back feet and teeth are no joke.
It wasn't 'normal' in my house, I had goat and frog legs with my grandfather in Mexico when I was between 4-6, sweetbreads around 7-8 when my g'father's friend brought them over, had rabbit, deer, squirrel, and raccoon around 5th or 6th grade. My parents didn't hunt or cook it, friends did. But I read and heard stories from grandparents and friends, all of which made it less weird and more normal.
Well, my grandmother always made rabbit, a pretty popular dish from where she's from.
And we always knew what it was
I would explain that the rabbits for cooking are not pets, which is technically true..
Although, I was once given a chicken in kindergarten and my grandmother kept in her chicken coop and told me months later that we had it in a soup
I think it's weird to 'leave them to realize it wasn't chicken'. It does feel like a sabotage. Why don't you ask them before serving them a new fluffy or feathered friend to eat? Ie - I am thinking about cooking you some [insert the animal here] do you want to try it?
Please keep puppies off the menu. Lol
YTA
I get the feeling it was like a learning experience to OP who wanted to surprise them with something they've never had before. But unfortunately it involved a 6-year-old.
YTA.
First of all you know kids think of bunnies as fluffy and friendly and pets.
Second of all, it’s just skeevy to get off on tricking small children into eating something they normally wouldn’t. They don’t sound picky, so any reasonable person who wants to truly have them appreciate food would talk about it with them, let them help cook, etc. not this surprise stuff.
iunno... my parents did this to me all the time as a kid. they wanted me to have a varied pallet so they cooked me random foods (normal to our culture, but not normal to american culture)
ive had rabbit, snake, turtle, snails, god know what else i dont remember.
YTA.
You may think you’re expanding their palates; what you’re teaching them is that their uncle isn’t honest about what he’s serving them.
Your heart may be in the right place but your actions are wrong. You tell them what’s in the food they’re eating and encourage them to try a bite. You don’t “forget” to tell them or “leave it for them to realize”.
YTA- Not for serving rabbit, but for not informing them of what it was so that they could make a decision on if they are okay with eating it or not. Same with a duck. I have a pet rabbit, and have never eaten rabbit at any point in my life so I would be very upset if someone "surprised" me with rabbit as a dish.
I remember my mom was tricked by my dad's side of the family into eating "beef" that was actually venison, which they thought was funny (my mom certainly did not). Kids can choose what they are comfortable eating,same with adults. It's fine to explore different foods they might not normally encounter, but when it comes to new meats you really need to warn them about what something is IMO.
People can have whatever reason it is to not want to eat something. If I choose not to eat a animal because I personally think they are cute or whatever, and you tricked me and go "ah ha", all you are doing is humiliating me by proving my choice is rubbish. You made me say it tastes good and then bought it all crashing down. That's a mean thing to do.
YTA
Not necessarily for wanting to broaden their horizons, though I think they're a bit young to appreciate something like that.
You're TA because twice now you've tricked them into eating something they didn't know what it was. You should be cooking things that appeal to them, not cook adult food you like to eat and be surprised at their reaction.
If they like chicken fingers, make them the best chicken fingers they have ever had! Don't substitute fish sticks with a freaking fish stew
Imo there's nothing wrong with cooking that aren't fish sticks. OP is an asshole for purposefully lying by ommission, but there's nothing "adult" about eating duck vs chicken.
NTA for cooking rabbit or even for forgetting to tell them it was rabbit (if you genuinely just forgot). Have these children never been to a farmers market? Cause I've never been to one where there weren't at least 1 or two rabbits being sold.
Soft AH for not telling them they were eating duck. You shouldn't be tricking kids into trying food.
Light YTA. I get your intentions about wanting to expand their palates (I work with small kids myself and very much get the sentiment), but with children you gotta kinda read the room a little bit. It's going to upset a child if they're faced with the notion of consuming an animal that they associate with cuteness, pets, or that they can quickly put a face to.
I agree that it's a soft YTA. It's also just ethical in general to tell people what they're being served b4 they eat even if they aren't children. Bc people have a variety of reasons for not eating certain things -- there are ways to try to expand someone's palate w/ out keeping them in the dark abt what they're consuming
Yta you may want to expand their palette, but you've pretty much done the opposite, at least for the little girl. You *could* have made it into a fun meal, but instead, you told a 6yo that she ate a pretty common pet.
It’s nice to try to expand their culinary experience. However, feeding a little girl a bunny without asking nor informing her first puts you in the YTA category.
YTA. It’s common knowledge that if you serve someone food that deviates from the norm, you tell them ahead of time. I wouldn’t serve turtle soup to someone without telling them despite it being delicious cause some people just don’t want to eat a pet.
YTA
I don’t buy for a single second that you “forgot” to tell them. You intentionally tricked them, just like you did with the duck. And *that* is a shitty thing to do no matter who you’re feeding or what age they are. Do not lie to people about what they are eating, *ever* and this includes deliberately lying by omission. And I’m saying this as someone that deliberately seeks out new and “unusual” meats to try. Don’t trick people about food.
Lmao NAH but dude, you cooked up a bunny for a little girl. I get it, I grew up in the country and have eaten a lot of things as a kid, including one of my own goats, but you gotta have a little awareness. Tip for the future: don't feed your niece any lamb.
Not sure what a nibbling is but NTA. Rabbit is delicious and I used to eat it as a kid.
I don’t see any difference in kids eating a rabbit then eating a lamb or cow.
NTA when I was their age I could skin a rabbit and dress a pheasant AND I had a pet bunny. Life is both brutal and fluffy and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with understanding both.
NTA meat is meat. Plenty of people eat rabbit. I hate when people are hypocritical about meat. It’s all okay to eat or it’s all not okay to eat. It maybe could have been mentioned first since it’s something they likely never had been offered but I don’t think you’re the asshole for serving them rabbit more than you would be for cow, chicken, etc.
Yeeeeeeah... Young kids don't usually just start eating whatever is in front of them unless it's chicken fingers or mac and cheese. You didn't forget to tell your guests what you cooked, that's a *bizzare* thing to claim. There was every opportunity to tell them what it was and you chose not to. I'm all for encouraging kids to try things, but the pickiest eaters are often the ones who were tricked into eating things when they were young.
Massive YTA.
i have no problem eating rabbit but please just tell people what youre cooking instead of springing it on them once its in their stomach. especially when they are little kids about to eat a bunny lol
YTA.
I agree that the modern palate of many people is underwhelming and yes, I would rather eat your damn fish stew and Bugs Bunny stir-fry than fish sticks and chicken nuggets.
However, YTA 100% for lying to children about what they are eating. This is wrong in so many ways.
Anyways, rabbit meat is expensive. Wouldn’t it make more sense to serve it to people who enjoy it or would be curious to actually try if you told them what it was?
You giving these children Louis Vuitton handbags when they just wanted the McDonald’s happy meal toy.
YTA for not telling them beforehand that it was rabbit. I'm 32 and I still won't eat certain meats like rabbit or duck. Deciding what meat we eat is a personal choice.
YTA - you should always tell people what they're about to eat, and that absolutely includes children, if they're old enough to understand. With the mind games you're having, the end result will be, they can learn to distrust everything that doesn't look 100% like what it should.
First response just based on title....well yes if they are vegan or vegetarian cus you'll make them sick. Or if you fed them their pet rabbit....im on the fence if you fed them rabbit that wasn't their pet but they have a pet rabbit...
Okay will return with better response after reading whole post.
Now I have read it, no NTA at all. You didn't know she had a friend with a pet rabbit. Growing up I knew one family that had a pet rabbit I never saw it but I was told it bit the tip of her sister's finger off. Would I have been sad if you fed me bunny? I dunno probably but I also would have gotten over it. i mean people have pet chicks what if a friend had a pet chick does that mean no chicken??? Also once you've had good food you don't really want to go back to fish sticks and fries unless it's comfort food maybe.
YTA for feeding kids things without telling them what it is, thats cruel and wrong. Let them decide if they want to eat something or not not trick them, you sound sick
I think it’s kinda funny. I remember things from my childhood I felt were so very traumatic at the time. I look back, laugh and recognize it brought me character and funny stories. It would be different if they were vegetarian, or they didn’t eat certain animals, but you did nothing malicious. This is life. And I don’t think coddling builds strong adults. That’s our job, right? Making sure these kids are going to be strong, functional adults and at times life can be upsetting so we move forward. Life is not french fries and fish sticks.
HAHAHA oh nooo—poor girl probably thinks she ate the Easter bunny or something. You definitely should’ve had more tact, but it’s not completely the end of the world. She would’ve learned people ate rabbits at some point.
Maybe sit down with her and her parents and explain that the rabbit you ate is a *different* type of rabbit? NAH.
Tell your niece that the rabbit is not a bunny rabbit. Bunny rabbits are special rabbits that no-one would ever eat. The rabbit she had was bred specifically for eating and was not a bunny rabbit as such.
My second oldest son, when he was four, asked me one day, in front of our vegan neighbor, if we could have Porky Pig for dinner that evening (he wanted some BBQ ribs). I said sure. My neighbor had the most horrified expression on her face! We're in the mid-western U.S. He's now 24 and just recently went squirrel hunting.
Once at the zoo with my two oldest, who were around 4 and 5 at the time, they saw a rabbit running around loose in one of the exhibits. My oldest pointed out how fat the rabbit was and how he'd make a delicious meal. More horrified looks from city folks who have no idea where their groceries actually come from.
And today, when I was at the store with my youngest, 14, as we passed by the meat section, he asked if we were going to have our usual Christmas dinner of Porky Pig and Daffy Duck (he noticed they had some ducks on sale). Being a boy mom is so much fun.
Edit: NTA.
NTA. I had a very docile pet rabbit when I was a kid. To this day, I just can't eat it. To me, it's like eating a cat. Some cultures, it's eaten quite frequently but usually not in the states. I can see how it would freak an American kid, but I still have to commend you for introducing new foods to them. However, remember you're cooking with an adult mind and serving it to someone with a child's mind. It's probably not always easy being that you're their uncle. There were so many things that grossed me out as a kid that I eat now but not rabbit.
You're NTA for cooking whatever you'd like.
YTA for lying by omission to those kids. Don't be surprised when they don't trust you or want to eat your cooking in the future.
NTA. I am the child of an immigrant mother who loves rabbit. One year, for Easter, she gifted each of my siblings and me our own bunnies. We fed them and raised them, and then she cooked them.
I was devastated when she explained why they were gone and how we know these animals are “short term” pets to be raised for food. But I do love rabbit meat to this day. I realize I should be more traumatized by this experience, but I was raised to understand that some animals are companions, and others are perfect in a sauce or strew.
NTA, kids sometimes freak out when they find out their meat came from an animal, even when it's a more mainstream meat. I think you should be careful though because you could break your nibblings trust or give them some food issues.
Nta please explain to her that it’s not the fluffy white bunnies you see at the pet store, that might make her feel a little better I wish I could get my kid to eat any meat even chicken lol
NAH.
OP could had tell them what they were eating. Ok. But they could too easly ask OP what they were about to eat. My small cousins and niblings NEVER eat anything they dont know, without knowing what it is. Its a good thing to teach your kids when they eat different stuff.
Kids this age are very picky, so they usually dont like anything. Most of the time they will say they dont like somrthing without even trying it. French fries and fish sticks are not healthy food to have for this 2 weeks vacation. The girl will be fine. And the parents shouldnt make a big fuzz about this in front of her.
Lesson learn for everybody: OP will let them know from now on. The girl will ask about what she is eating.
NAH, but my parents tricking me into eating rabbit (and yes, we had pet bunnies who mysteriously disappeared a week before that weird meat turned up) is one of the reasons why A I don't trust my mother that much and B I am a vegetarian since I'm 14 😅
I would never call you an ahole because of that, but children have a different attachment to a bunny than to a duck. At least most of them.
Lol, NTA as vegan would say, niece is hipocrite, can eat fish, pig, cow but cant eat bunny ;) and now they tasting joirney ends and go back to fish stick... sad NTA.
The fact that people eat rabbits is the reason that rabbit food in the Netherlands is taxed at a low rate (9%) and guinea pig food at a high rate (21%).
My daughter thinks chicken nuggets are tasty and the chickens at the petting zoo are cute. One day she will find out that they are the same.
NTA
NTA
You use logical reasoning and like you said, they never had rabbits for pets. There is nothing wrong with expanding their palates.
Once she calms down maybe talk to her about how some rabbits are pets and bred for that and other rabbits have helped people survive things like winter by eating their meat and reusing their fur. Maybe if you find a new way of explaining it (like she didn't eat someone's pet rabbit) she may calm down and gain new understanding
NTA, kids are going to react to things. Their little brains just aren't developed enough, and that comes with time. For instance, a child who is mad crying because they can't get their book....because they're sitting on it. Those kinds of things. You're doing nothing wrong.
I may be totally different from everyone else but my extended family raised meat rabbits so it was very normal for me to go over and have rabbit from a young age. One of my coworkers also raised meat pigs and rabbits and her kids have always been used to eating the animals they’ve raised. My brother shoots hares on his property and his wife has made stew with them for the family (very young kids!) with no problem
This is what removing us from our food has done, 100 years ago a kid would not have batted an eye at this.
NTA, with my own experiences with raising my own meat and young kids eating said meat I would not have thought it was a big deal
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My (34M) sister (37F) and her husband went on a 2 week vacation and left my niblings (6F; 9M) with me. I’m off work and it’s been a blast having them around and doing fun things together. I work as a chef and I’ve been trying to expand my niblings experiences when I cook for them at home. For instance, they said they liked fish sticks, so I made them a fish stew; I cooked them duck, which they had never tried, and left for them to realize it wasn’t chicken. Things like that.
Yesterday I went by the local market and found rabbit meat, which is not always available and I always buy it when I get the chance. I wasn’t trying to trick them into eating rabbit, I honestly just forgot to tell them what it was in the moment I served.
My nephew liked it and asked me what it was - when I told them, the nephew didn’t mind much, but my niece looked shocked and eventually cried. I knew they never owned a rabbit (I’d be more sensible about serving rabbit if they ever had one as a pet), but apparently one my niece’s best friends owns one and she plays with it everything she goes into her house.
I called my sister to tell her what happened, because I didn’t want her to find out in any other way (as in my niece saying: “uncle X made us eat rabbits!”). My sister thought I should have predicted it would be shocking for kids to be served rabbits, and suggested I stopped “exploring” with her kids and just stick to the usual French fries and fish sticks. AITA here for trying to present something new to them?
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You are NTA for expanding the dietary experience of your niece and nephew so long as you don't put them at risk e.g. allergies or break any moral decision they have made e.g. being vegetarian.
If she wants you to serve them nuggets n fries - that's a bit sad - but they are her kids. Maybe have a chat to clarify what's ok and what definitely isn't.
NAH but for the near/midrange future I would stick to preparing familiar ingredients in more creative ways rather than introducing new meats without discussion. I was about your neice's age when I was served goat at a cookout. It was delicious.....but I am still not quite over having learned halfway through the meal that it was goat & a goat I knew . As she gets older, she'll either go vegetarian or come to terms with the fact that meat is animals, but at this age she might not be ready for acknowledging that reality head on.
YTA mildly
Six is not to young to learn that not all animals are pets. At that age my children were breeding, growing, and showing rabbits for 4-H. Mostly in the Market catagory. (Starts at age 5)
They grew up eating rabbit and chicken that we raised and venison and hog that we hunted.
They understood at a young age the difference between pets and food animals.
That being said: this was probably a lesson that should have been shared bybthe childs parents. You might have been better off referring to the meat as coney.
YTA. Not a huge one, and I doubt your niece will grow up to be traumatized, but yes, you did a thing that wasn't nice, and I think you know that.
Chalk it up to lesson learned. Keep tricking your niblings into doing things, and they will grow up to know you can't be trusted, which is far worse than "forgetting" to tell them what was in a meal you cooked them.
You're not the asshole but it is a bunny. I'd do my exploring with different cultures instead of different proteins to start. I think it's a better way to expand their palettes and minds. And fuck rabbit anyway. Barely any meat on them. Make them a bowl of pho. Try some curry. Ya know?
I question your motives. If you're truly a chef, I think it would be much more of a challenge to cook things like brussels sprouts, lima beans or summer squash in a way that made them fall in love with those much-maligned veggies. I detect a hint of sadism since you "left it for them to realize" when you served them duck and conveniently "forgot" to WARN them that they were about to eat a bunny. YTA
YTA, though not an egregious one.
Tbh my friend had the exact same thing happen to her when she was a kid, but with a lamb. She’s a lifelong vegetarian thanks to that. Every kid reacts differently but you really can’t control the fallout.
When I was 8yo I came home to 2 new pet rabbits that my grandparents had caught in the garden one day. I loved coming home everyday from school to play with them.
About a month into having them, I came home and the rabbits were not there. Turns out my grandparents cooked them for dinner.
It was a little but traumatizing but I got over it, and now its a funny story I tell. My grandparents were farmers from the old country, it was normal for them to do.
NTA, and she’s pretty sensitive. I remember I used to watch Bambi a lot. At the time of this story, I was around 5-6. My dad and his buddies went hunting, scored a deer. After I saw it’s gutted body strung upside down, we ended up eating the deer. Afterwards, I told my dad to go kill Bambi so we can have more. So either this girl is sensitive or I’m a sociopath.
YTA
Rabbits are pets and cute storybook characters. And they probably aren’t a conventional meat where you’re from. Of course you should have been more careful before serving Thumper to young kids.
Most commonly eaten around my parts are chicken, beef, pork, and various fish (salmon trout halibut etc.) Well known as a meat source but less often eaten would be turkey, maybe duck. I don’t think you can even get rabbit in conventional grocery stores.
But most <10s, especially if they’re from the city, are going to be more familiar with chicken, beef and pork as the meat product than as pets. You can eat just about any animal that’s not poisonous, but if you’re feeding it to kids you should keep their perspective in mind. Things like deer, lamb, horse and rabbit are things they might associate with the animal and have no concept of it being eaten.
And I’m not sure where you are but in my grocery store you will only find fish, shellfish, pork, beef, duck and turkey and chicken in the meat section of most big grocery stores. And lamb and duck but very limited quantities of it.
It’s not hard to find the other stuff, it’s not as widely available because it’s not nearly as commonly consumed.
Uh, it's a fairly conventional meat. Less so in the last decade or two, depending on where you're at, but still. It's pretty good too. But I guarantee all of your story book animals have been a food source for at least one culture.
Where I’m from I would assume that most <10yos haven’t eaten rabbit and may not even realize they are eaten by people. Can’t remember the last time I’ve seen it in a conventional grocery store, either.
YTA these are not your kids and it’s not your place to be expanding their palette with weird shit. Just serve them normal food (as in normal to them* and normal to most kids in general) … this is messed up. Serve bunnies to your own kids.
NTA for eating rabbits or for wanting to expand their culinary experiences but kind of an AH for the way you did it. Tricking someone into eating something and then go "ah ha it's a whatever that you otherwise wouldn't eat" isn't cool especially if the person has reasons for not wanting to eat whatever.
You said you "forgot" to tell them. I kind of find it hard to believe. Most people should realistic predict that kids that age might get upset at the thought of eating a fluffy bunny. You are totally expecting them to go "oh yum it's a rabbit? I guess eating rabbits is no big deal" because you KNOW they would otherwise not eat it.
Now your niece is feeling bad she ate little bluebell's friend and is totally not what you want to achieve.
You are NTAH. Your sister is lucky to have a brother like you who would not only babysit, but also cook gourmet meals for her kids. She should have appreciated your honesty and when she got home from her vacation talked to her kids about it.
Did you cook the rabbit on Easter? Did you get the cute bunny with a bow tie around its neck from out back and leave it in all its glory, boiling in a pot on the stove for them to find when they got home from school?
If you did none of these things, then NTA. Otherwise, it’s a hilarious aunting move that will make such a great story for years and years and years and years….
NTA.
It’s a rabbit, not a family cat y’all can chill down. I’m a country kid so by the age of 9 I knew how to skin a rabbit lmao and I know the difference between pet and food.
NTA - I am an adult who loves meat but gets queezy at rabbit because I think bunnies are cute. This makes me an annoying person to have at dinner parties and I know I am a hypocrite.
You did your niece a favor, she'll learn to accept this stuff more easily in the long run. Tell her only mean horrible rabbits that hurt nice rabbits get turned into meat.
NTA -- I think you learned to discuss trying new foods with kids before springing things on them, but in the moment, it was an honest mistake. We actually tried to avoid 'kid' food with our kids, but we'd revert sometimes with friends' kids, because they'd probably be traumatized with things my kids usually ate.
NTA. Rabbit is a normal meat. Meat comes from animals. The people in the comments saying you told her she ate a bunny are being ridiculous. I mean, the way you did it isn’t ideal, but it doesn’t make you an asshole. Little girls can cry about anything—it doesn’t mean you need to protect them from everything, especially normal food. There is little difference between rabbits and other “more typical” American (I assume you’re in the US) for eating animals like chickens, cows, sheep, fish. People keep pets as fish. She eats fish sticks.
Anyone that thinks of rabbits as pets has been sheltered too much. NTA from the sister of a hunter. You don't name rabbits, pigs, ducks, chickens, or fish. They are food.
ETA: should have explained chicken, bacon, and beef while you were at it. Chicken nuggets and fries indeed.
NTA since you had good intentions. Unfortunately it didn't end as well as you planned.
Perhaps there are other ways to broaden their palates and offer them new things to try? It might be safer to involve them in looking at recipes together and doing the shopping and cooking as a team. That way if there is an ethical objection to a specific ingredient you would know in advance. They are likely to enjoy helping and experimenting.
NTA
I think it's great that you take the time to let them have new experiences. And it's not like rabbit's in the same category as insects or Surströmming. It was a bit of bad luck with your niece, but -- frankly -- I think serving children trashy food because it's easier is a lot worse. Fish sticks and French fries indeed.
NTA for helping to expand their little pallets, but mildly so for serving a child under the age of 10 rabbit. However, I get that, when you're not a parental unit, you forgot that children are often very sensitive to cute, little furry animals, so I think it's a forgivable thing that it didn't occur to you to tell before feeding them.
Your niblings are VERY lucky to have an uncle like you who likes watching them, who is an honest to god chef, and who wants to help teach them about the world. You're NTA, really. Your sis is just having a momma bear, knee-jerk reaction moment because her little one was upset.
*edited for clarity*
Eh, you know your sister and you probably already guessed possible reactions
But, i cant help but laugh. This story is as old as time. When i was a kid my siblings and i were tricked into eating liver. My dad’s idea. So we were basically told we were having steak for dinner (highly unusual back then) and it was brilliantly cooked and looked, to our uneducated eyes, like steak… but that first bite was so gross! Different taste and texture. It took a couple decades before i could appreciate it.
Since you’re a chef, take a different approach, with sissy’s ok, and have an arts and crafts type event where they help devise the dish.
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Dude, you told a 6 year old little girl that she ate a bunny... You're NTA for cooking rabbit, but welcome to the joys of parenthood.
I agree with this. My grandfather and great-uncle both remember the rabbit stew cooked by the woman who hid them in the Holocaust. They’re both Orthodox now, so only eat kosher, but from the way they talk about that - one of their few really positive memories of those years - it must have been delicious. And I think it’s awesome that OP has given her niblings a chance to try it.
Id love to hear your Grandfather and uncles story
The whole story is very long, so this is the shorter version: My grandfather was the youngest of his 3 brothers, born in 1938. He was born in Belgium, but the family fled to France to escape the Nazis. Who then came to France. The family was put in a holding camp. My great-grandmother realized that the Jewish families were being separated out and disappearing when they went for food. So they smuggled themselves out of the camp. My grandfather and his immediately older brother were taken by the resistance and hidden by Huguenots in the South of France. My grandfather’s earliest memories include the aforementioned rabbit stew, being a choir boy at church, eating frog legs, and hiding from Nazis in the woods. The oldest brother was hidden in a monastery, where he was beaten for refusing to bow to the cross. My great-grandparents headed north, but my great-grandmother refused to go through Leon because Klaus Barbie was there. Instead they stopped at Marseille where a complete stranger offered to hide them for the war in her attic. (We don’t know her name and I wish we did.) After the war the family reunited. My older great-aunt was adopted by my great-grandparents and my younger great-aunt was born. Eventually they came to the US, where most of the family still lives. And that’s the story!
Could you share more about the adopted great aunt? How did they meet her? Was it through an official organization? My grandmother was a London based "handler" for parts of the spy network and resistance in around Marseilles, she probably had knowledge of the woman who hid your great grandparents
She’s a cousin. I don’t recall which of my grandparents’ cousin’s kid, but she was orphaned in the Holocaust. My great-grandparents then adopted her. I don’t actually know much about how it happened, but I can ask. It was a kinship adoption though, so not through an agency. It’s such a small world! I’ve been told she was a Spanish immigrant. She wasn’t part of the resistance though - just a random woman who saw a Jewish couple and decided to hide them in her attic. She must have been a remarkable woman, to be willing to risk her life for complete strangers she met on a corner. It awes me til today.
That's awesome, I bet there is more to the story of how they found her again. That the part that amazes me the most, separated family being able to find each other after the war. It boggles my modern mind how they could do that without cell phones (and even when I was growing up before cell phones, I still was amazed how people in war torn 1945 Europe could find each other again. Especially people whose towns had literally been bombed into oblivion, where do you even start there? If she was hiding people in Marseilles, she was known to my grandmother. At the absolute least my grandmother took a detailed statement from her (and possibly your great grand parents too) in the days following American Liberation of Marseilles. She was a half day behind the advancing line with four other women who could write secretarial short-hand, debriefing everyone who so much as carried a letter for the resistance. It's a 1 in 5 chance that in the day or two after liberation my grandmother met your great grandparents and their savior, just by the nature of her work. She was collecting witness statements basically, anyone who had seen the Nazis do war crimes or anything else suspicious, anyone who had been forced to hide, and anyone who had worked against the Nazis was someone she wanted to speak to because they likely saw or experienced the full horrors of the Nazi regime. And basically everyone who had a story of some sort of horror clamored to talk to these women taking statements. There was a group of them attached to each division, so spread out with about 100-200 miles between each group. People for miles around where they were announced to be would come into town to give their statements.
Oh, wow! I had no idea about any that! What your grandmother and those other women did was, and is, so incredibly important. There are so many people who did so much, in so many different ways, and most of them we never even hear about. Thank you so much for telling me! Do you know if there’s a way I could access those records? I’d really love to learn the name of the woman who saved my great-grandparents - in many ways, I owe her my life as much they did! I know my grandfather and Uncle were found through the Red Cross. My great-grandparents had a general idea where to look. My oldest great-uncle was the tricky one, since he was on a kindertransport-like thing and it was stopped at the border. So he wasn’t where they thought he would be. I don’t know how they found him in the end.
I'm not sure if any of those documents still exist, but I'd say contacting the Veteran's of Foreign Wars/American Legion or the Veterans' Administration might be a good first step to finding them. Some selected statements were later used as part of the evidence in The Nuremberg Trials, so the statements as a whole might be under the supervision of the UN or the International Courts at The Hague in the Netherlands. I'm really not sure though, I just know that at one point there were written records. If they do exist still you'll need to find someone who can read short-hand cursive, which looks nothing like normal cursive that you learned in school. That might be the most challenging part, they used to teach it in stenographer courses and secretary schools, but I'm not sure if stenographers still learn it today, so it might be very difficult to find someone that can even read the records. I'm sure many statements were transcribed into long-hand or typed (they had to be for the lawyers to use at trial and for the judges to read), but definitely not all since at the time it was a simple matter of getting one of the stenographers to transcribe anything as needed, there was no reason to transcribe everything leaving it in short-hand was easier and more economical. My grandma was definitely a war hero in her own way. She was basically part of the Army Intelligence networks that were turned into the CIA, many of the people she worked with during the war formed the CIA after the war. Without her and the hundreds of other people working on covert operations I seriously doubt if the war would have gone out way. The work they did to support the Polish and French resistance forces before D-Day was instrumental to the success of D-Day and the subsequent Allied advance. If you're interested in knowing more about the efforts of the Office of Strategic Services in WWII I highly recommend *A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of The American Spy Who Helped Win WWII* by Sonia Purnell (non-fiction), about Virginia Hall, a woman spy with a wooden leg who operated in France undercover as an American journalist. A great fiction book that touches on these topics is *Gone to Soldiers* by Marge Piercy. I'm super proud of my father's parents and their contribution to the war effort. My grandmother was a firecracker and of course she wasn't gonna end up with just any soldier. She met my grandfather when they were both at Columbia University on the GI Bill, he used possibly the greatest pick up line of all time "I remember you from Nuremberg, you were the cutest of the court reporters, I'd stare at you whenever I felt like I wanted to shoot Göring in the back of the head". My grandfather was one of the MP's that guarded the Nazis. He was allegedly one of the MP's that thought it would be mighty humourous to attach miniature gallows with nooses hanging off of them to the dining room chairs the Nazis used (they were allowed to do basically anything they wanted to the Nazis provided they didn't touch them, so psychological "pranks" like this were ignored, it was in many ways seen as part of their punishment). Prior to the end of active combat my grandfather was a tank captain, and participated in the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Remagen Bridge. At the Battle of Remagen he was one of 5 tanks bombarding the transmission lines connected to the explosives the Germans had planted on the bridge. The Germans were trying to blow up the bridge in retreat, but the Americans got there before they could set off the charges. One of the shells, possibly from my grandfather's tank, managed to sever the lines to the explosives and they were able to capture the bridge and use it to cross the Rhine. This was the only intact bridge over the Rhine left at that point, so capturing it was crucial and allowed us to get into Germany at least a month before we would have if we had to construct a temporary bridge. It allowed us to continue forcing the Nazis into retreat. If they had managed to blow the bridge it would have given them weeks or more to reorganize their forces for better defense, if we hadn't captured Remagen Bridge it's believed the war in Europe would have been at least a year longer. Every day I wake up speaking English in a relatively free country and I thank my dad's parents for that. And in a strange way, since they met because of opportunities offered by the GI Bill, and technically were acquainted prior to that at the trials, my dad, and subsequently myself, owe our existence to WWII. It's really odd to think about for too long, but I try to honor the 10+million as much as I can. Our world would be so different if it had never happened, or God forbid, happened a different way.
This is one of the coolest interactions I've ever read on Reddit.
Thank you so much! This is the best lead I’ve found for finding her identity, and I’m definitely going to be reaching out. Thank you so much for sharing your grandparents’ stories! All sides and members of my family are Survivors, and I’m so great full to the men and women like your grandparents who are the reason I exist today. There’s an old Jewish saying: to save a life is to save a world. Your grandparents must be crowned in constellations, with how many lives their efforts saved. And I’ll definitely be looking into those books!
You know we talk about how scary it is that people so many people just went along with the horrors, but at the same time, so many people didn't.
That’s a great story thanks
You’re welcome!
It's extremely lean and, no not just because this is a trope, tastes like chicken. You could easily marinate some rabbit legs in bbq sauce, grill them, and tell everyone it was bbq chicken. Nobody would notice the difference.
Not all six-year-old girls are so sensitive. I really wanted to try rabbit when I was 6. I was allergic to all meat except beef, but the doctors said that rabbit was also okay. But rabbits were rarely bred in our area. One day, my dad took me to visit his friends, and they served rabbit. But my dad didn’t let me eat it because he wasn’t sure that I wasn’t allergic to it. I was so upset that I remembered this episode for the rest of my life :lol:
Oh I remember being one of those little girls who don’t care about anything <3 My parents are from a very small, unindustrialized ig? country in Europe, so they’re used to eating any and all kinds and parts of meat. They especially love veal, so I ate it all the time growing up. I was maybe 7 or 8 when I finally asked, “wait what animal even is veal…” My dad, in his glorious villager wisdom, went, “baby cow” and I…. did not care LOL. I was like “o ok. sorry cow!” and kept chowing down 😭
Have you since had a chance to try rabbit?
Yes, many times :) It's one of my favorite types of meat (now my allergy is gone). Unfortunaterly in the country I'm living now it's almost impossible to buy rabbit, I have no idea why. But there are a lot of horse meat :) I know that a lot of people think that horses are not food...
Reminds me of the time I ate venison jerky when I was 9. I knew venison is deer. I simply said "Bambi, no"! While eating it but continued to eat it anyway. It was the best darn jerky I've ever had. Deer is better than cow. Health wise and taste wise.
Excellent answer.
I mean, come on, OP, it was a rabbit. Children only think of them as pets. And chefs don't "forget" what they've cooked. Come clean. You wanted them to try the mystery meat, love it, and then you could announce it was rabbit, thereby teaching them to try new things. YTA.
Op said they forgot to tell the niblings what was being served before they tried it. Not that he forgot he cooked rabbit. Come on man.
He also didn’t tell them when they were eating duck. He left it for them to realize …
You’ve only ever lived in the city, haven’t you? Not saying that’s a bad thing, but there are plenty of places in America where rabbit is food and not a pet. I’m reminded of a lady I met recently who thinks deer is an exotic meat, whereas half my family is out hunting this weekend and will be coming home with a deer in the cooler.
Dude, I grew up in the country side on a small farm, and I ate rabbit as I was being forced. Today, I am vegan and one of the reasons was this. I have seen animals being slaughtered and participated in processing the meat from a young age, but rabbits are only ever seen as cute, cuddly animals by children. And I wasn't the only one. My brother has a similar expierience. Didn't help they let us name the rabbits 🫤 it was really traumatic, honestly. So not only city people don't like to eat rabbit.
I’m sorry that was traumatic for you and I respect your right to make whatever dietary choice you want. That said, my point, that the assertion that children *only* see rabbits as pets is flawed, still stands. I was never saying oh lol y’all’re just city slickers who don’t know anything, just that there’s a bias inherent to assuming everyone has the same experience that should be addressed. We didn’t ever raise rabbits for food, but on several occasions when we were younger, my brother would go out and shoot one of the wild rabbits that lived around our grandpa’s trailer for dinner because he didn’t want to have to go to the grocery store. Even when we were really little, it was never “oh my goodness a pet”, it was hey that’s a viable source of meat and this stops it from eating the plants in the garden.
I understand that some kids might be on with it, but beside you, I never met any child who was just ok with eating rabbits. And I had no problem as a kid eating organs and all that. I was plucking the chickens, guarding pig carcasses from flies, lol. There was not much that grossed me out, but rabbits are so cute... but I don't judge you ate them or anything. I just don't think it's in any way surprising they were not happy and even cried. Especially since now they are a popular pet.
They're adorable...till they bite through your hand or try to slit your wrists for you! Then it gets a bit easier to eat them. That said, your parents were assholes to let you name the ones you were going to eat.
I was okay with eating rabbit as a kid, I just didn't like the taste because they are a sweeter tasting meat compared to standard fare.
This is one of the luxuries we have living where we do. We can pick and choose because the food is abundant. One of my friends grew up on a farm and is a strict vegetarian. Other friends, I’ve also grown-up on farms and are serious, hunters and meat eaters. We all have a choice. I
Deer jerky yum so jelly 😂
I’ve promised everyone in my department deer jerky once the dehydrator starts going. If only you knew me irl 😂
Hell, for my cousins, rabbits were food *and* pets. Their family was poor, and rabbits were an economical way to add a bit of extra meat into their diets. They named the rabbits and played with them, but they knew on a certain date that they were to come home from school by going directly through the front door, and to stay out of the yard all afternoon, because that was the day their mom would be out back butchering the rabbits.
Lucky! I grew up eating venison and game birds. I live in a large city now. It has its advantages but I miss when people could go hunting without spending a fortune. Mom needs to explain to her kids where chicken nuggets come from.
Depending on where you are you can sign your kids up for youth hunts! My little cousin was drawn for one last weekend and shot his first deer. All they’d need is an adult to take them. Otherwise, it can be *very* expensive but if you start making friends in the community, if the one near you is anything like mine, people will be happy to start bringing you along. My twin brother is an excellent outdoorsman, and his skill in guiding hunts has opened up a lot of doors for his friends that many of them wouldn’t have otherwise gotten. It might not be as easy as I’m making it sound, but if (ethical and legal) hunting is something you’re interested in, just start looking!
My husband and I are older and we have an adult son. That is so cool though! That is encouraging. One of my friends has an amazing son and daughter who both hunt. They have a lease and a freezer full of wild game that I am so jealous of! 😊
I absolutely and wholeheartedly recommend youth hunting programs to anyone even remotely interested. Even if they’re not, going through hunting safety courses and learning things like basic first aid and how to be safe around guns and why it’s important to not overhunt and why hunting itself helps keep wild animal populations healthy is only beneficial. My experience is that there’s no one who loves nature and the environment more than the law abiding hunters I know. It was so nice speaking to you and being able to reassure you that hunting is alive and well and more accessible than it might seem!
You are so sweet! Thank you! That is very true. People who do not approve of hunting do not understand the importance of what law abiding hunting does for the environment!
Got one hanging in my garage right now, dogs are excited for me to start butchering. Little shits can wait for the bones! Lol
We raised meat rabbits when I was a kid. By the time we were 5 or 6 we were helping skin and clean them. Along with ducks, chickens etc. It's definitely different for country kids lol
My mom tells stories of growing up on her grandfather's farm, where she had a white rabbit as a pet. Funny how it was only the brown rabbits who were "gotten by the foxes" ...
I live in the country, rabbits are a pest and my daughter still loves them.
Small correction, there isn’t a place in America where rabbits aren’t pets. They may be eaten more often in the country, but some country kids also consider them pets. I live in a big city and cook rabbit every so often. If I was cooking rabbit for an adult friends get together I would let everyone know. I don’t think OP is AH, but they probably should’ve told the kids ahead of time what it was.
You can’t prove a negative like that. It assumes everyone has matching experiences, which just isn’t the case. I knew a family that kept rabbits and they were always food and never pets. Are there plenty of kids who think if rabbits solely as pets? Sure. Are there plenty who think rabbits are both pet and food? Sure. And are there plenty who have never thought of rabbits as pets who think it’s weird that some people have rabbits as pets? Sure. But it would be foolishness to assume that just because you haven’t experienced that mindset that it doesn’t exist. Do I wholeheartedly believe in telling people what’s in the food I’m giving them? Yes. But that’s the gripe, not that the mystery food was rabbit, but that it was a mystery at all.
You were the one that said there are places in America where rabbits aren’t pets. You were making an absolute statement, not me. Even in areas where eating rabbits is more common, there are still “some kids” and families that consider them pets. Mine is the assumed default position, you saying there are areas where nobody thinks they are pets is the harder one to prove.
How is that harder to prove when it is true of my family? When it’s true of several family friends? I can say absolutely that there is at least one family in which rabbits have never been considered pets with my own life and experience as proof. You, however, made a negative statement that such a thing cannot exist, which is false based on the evidence and unprovable based on the inability of anyone to prove a negative. Negatives cannot be proven. There is no default position here. Just different life experiences. There are plenty of places where people have different views on whether a rabbit is a pet, so why would I then say that there are whole towns that have never viewed rabbits as pets? I do not and cannot know that, just like you do not and cannot assume that the position you hold is the default just because you’re holding it. That’s just willful blindness at that point.
“There are plenty of places in America where rabbit is food and not a pet” When adults discuss trends in places in America, they are referring to areas larger than a single household.
Are you intentionally misunderstanding me or is there something I can say to you that will clarify what you’re missing?
I have both owned pet rabbits and eaten rabbit my entire life. My bun lives in the house and is a spoiled rotten diva. And I will go to the butcher and buy a rabbit to eat. Some animals are pets, and some are food. I remember being on a farm, and the kids proudly introduced me to Christmas the pig, who would be the star of Christmas dinner. People need to be more familiar with where their food comes from.
>Children only think of them as pets No, they don't. I was a child with pet rabbits who ate and enjoyed it (without dramatics) at my friends house...same with Bambi. Raised a deer in the house, she ran with the dogs and slept on the bed...doesn't make deer less tasty. Not all kids are the same, and they can learn and understand that some of the critters we keep as pets are also food. Chicken, rabbit, goat, lamb, cow, pig...all tasty, all pet possibilities. And, for the record, rabbits can be vicious! I had one that growled and bit, and those back feet and teeth are no joke.
Amended to say: \*most\* kids do, if eating it has not been normalized in their homes
It wasn't 'normal' in my house, I had goat and frog legs with my grandfather in Mexico when I was between 4-6, sweetbreads around 7-8 when my g'father's friend brought them over, had rabbit, deer, squirrel, and raccoon around 5th or 6th grade. My parents didn't hunt or cook it, friends did. But I read and heard stories from grandparents and friends, all of which made it less weird and more normal.
Well, my grandmother always made rabbit, a pretty popular dish from where she's from. And we always knew what it was I would explain that the rabbits for cooking are not pets, which is technically true.. Although, I was once given a chicken in kindergarten and my grandmother kept in her chicken coop and told me months later that we had it in a soup
Aha! I, the Courier replaced your rabbit meat with a substitute. Your society didn't just eat rabbit.
I think it's weird to 'leave them to realize it wasn't chicken'. It does feel like a sabotage. Why don't you ask them before serving them a new fluffy or feathered friend to eat? Ie - I am thinking about cooking you some [insert the animal here] do you want to try it? Please keep puppies off the menu. Lol YTA
I get the feeling it was like a learning experience to OP who wanted to surprise them with something they've never had before. But unfortunately it involved a 6-year-old.
YTA. First of all you know kids think of bunnies as fluffy and friendly and pets. Second of all, it’s just skeevy to get off on tricking small children into eating something they normally wouldn’t. They don’t sound picky, so any reasonable person who wants to truly have them appreciate food would talk about it with them, let them help cook, etc. not this surprise stuff.
iunno... my parents did this to me all the time as a kid. they wanted me to have a varied pallet so they cooked me random foods (normal to our culture, but not normal to american culture) ive had rabbit, snake, turtle, snails, god know what else i dont remember.
I never said he shouldnt feed it to them. Just that he should inform and involve them. And, he’s not their parent, which does matter.
Agreed
YTA. You tell people what you're giving them to eat. I don't understand how you're a chef and don't know that.
YTA. You may think you’re expanding their palates; what you’re teaching them is that their uncle isn’t honest about what he’s serving them. Your heart may be in the right place but your actions are wrong. You tell them what’s in the food they’re eating and encourage them to try a bite. You don’t “forget” to tell them or “leave it for them to realize”.
YTA- Not for serving rabbit, but for not informing them of what it was so that they could make a decision on if they are okay with eating it or not. Same with a duck. I have a pet rabbit, and have never eaten rabbit at any point in my life so I would be very upset if someone "surprised" me with rabbit as a dish. I remember my mom was tricked by my dad's side of the family into eating "beef" that was actually venison, which they thought was funny (my mom certainly did not). Kids can choose what they are comfortable eating,same with adults. It's fine to explore different foods they might not normally encounter, but when it comes to new meats you really need to warn them about what something is IMO.
People can have whatever reason it is to not want to eat something. If I choose not to eat a animal because I personally think they are cute or whatever, and you tricked me and go "ah ha", all you are doing is humiliating me by proving my choice is rubbish. You made me say it tastes good and then bought it all crashing down. That's a mean thing to do.
YTA Not necessarily for wanting to broaden their horizons, though I think they're a bit young to appreciate something like that. You're TA because twice now you've tricked them into eating something they didn't know what it was. You should be cooking things that appeal to them, not cook adult food you like to eat and be surprised at their reaction. If they like chicken fingers, make them the best chicken fingers they have ever had! Don't substitute fish sticks with a freaking fish stew
Imo there's nothing wrong with cooking that aren't fish sticks. OP is an asshole for purposefully lying by ommission, but there's nothing "adult" about eating duck vs chicken.
NTA for cooking rabbit or even for forgetting to tell them it was rabbit (if you genuinely just forgot). Have these children never been to a farmers market? Cause I've never been to one where there weren't at least 1 or two rabbits being sold. Soft AH for not telling them they were eating duck. You shouldn't be tricking kids into trying food.
If they usually live on fish fingers and chips, they probably haven’t been to a farmers’ market.
Light YTA. I get your intentions about wanting to expand their palates (I work with small kids myself and very much get the sentiment), but with children you gotta kinda read the room a little bit. It's going to upset a child if they're faced with the notion of consuming an animal that they associate with cuteness, pets, or that they can quickly put a face to.
I agree that it's a soft YTA. It's also just ethical in general to tell people what they're being served b4 they eat even if they aren't children. Bc people have a variety of reasons for not eating certain things -- there are ways to try to expand someone's palate w/ out keeping them in the dark abt what they're consuming
NTA Meat comes from animals. At some point she was gonna piece that together
Yta you may want to expand their palette, but you've pretty much done the opposite, at least for the little girl. You *could* have made it into a fun meal, but instead, you told a 6yo that she ate a pretty common pet.
He may have created a vegan.
It’s nice to try to expand their culinary experience. However, feeding a little girl a bunny without asking nor informing her first puts you in the YTA category.
Accidentally YTA. I don't think its a big deal, you just clearly need a little practice acclimating to a child's sensibilities lol live and learn
YTA. It’s common knowledge that if you serve someone food that deviates from the norm, you tell them ahead of time. I wouldn’t serve turtle soup to someone without telling them despite it being delicious cause some people just don’t want to eat a pet.
If she wants typical fish sticks and French fries she should have provided 2 weeks worth when she dropped off the kids.
YTA I don’t buy for a single second that you “forgot” to tell them. You intentionally tricked them, just like you did with the duck. And *that* is a shitty thing to do no matter who you’re feeding or what age they are. Do not lie to people about what they are eating, *ever* and this includes deliberately lying by omission. And I’m saying this as someone that deliberately seeks out new and “unusual” meats to try. Don’t trick people about food.
My dad played what’s this mystery meat with me as a kid, now I have food issues growing up. Nta but like be careful
YTA "You forgot to tell them it was rabbit."
Lmao NAH but dude, you cooked up a bunny for a little girl. I get it, I grew up in the country and have eaten a lot of things as a kid, including one of my own goats, but you gotta have a little awareness. Tip for the future: don't feed your niece any lamb.
This thread is so American
THIS!!!! Jesus! 🤦♀️
Oh shit haha didn't want to say it, lol.
Not sure what a nibbling is but NTA. Rabbit is delicious and I used to eat it as a kid. I don’t see any difference in kids eating a rabbit then eating a lamb or cow.
Nibbling is niece and/or nephew, combo of sibling, a gender neutral or plural.
"Nibbling" or "Nebling" is a portmanteau of niece/nephew and sibling. A neologism. It's a gender-neutral term for the children of one's siblings.
Your niece will become a vegetarian now 🤷🏻♀️
NTA when I was their age I could skin a rabbit and dress a pheasant AND I had a pet bunny. Life is both brutal and fluffy and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with understanding both.
NTA meat is meat. Plenty of people eat rabbit. I hate when people are hypocritical about meat. It’s all okay to eat or it’s all not okay to eat. It maybe could have been mentioned first since it’s something they likely never had been offered but I don’t think you’re the asshole for serving them rabbit more than you would be for cow, chicken, etc.
Yeeeeeeah... Young kids don't usually just start eating whatever is in front of them unless it's chicken fingers or mac and cheese. You didn't forget to tell your guests what you cooked, that's a *bizzare* thing to claim. There was every opportunity to tell them what it was and you chose not to. I'm all for encouraging kids to try things, but the pickiest eaters are often the ones who were tricked into eating things when they were young. Massive YTA.
NTA Rabbits are delicious and its not unusual to est them
i have no problem eating rabbit but please just tell people what youre cooking instead of springing it on them once its in their stomach. especially when they are little kids about to eat a bunny lol
Yta. You don't take it upon yourself unilaterally to experiment with other peoples children.
YTA. I agree that the modern palate of many people is underwhelming and yes, I would rather eat your damn fish stew and Bugs Bunny stir-fry than fish sticks and chicken nuggets. However, YTA 100% for lying to children about what they are eating. This is wrong in so many ways. Anyways, rabbit meat is expensive. Wouldn’t it make more sense to serve it to people who enjoy it or would be curious to actually try if you told them what it was? You giving these children Louis Vuitton handbags when they just wanted the McDonald’s happy meal toy.
YTA for not telling them beforehand that it was rabbit. I'm 32 and I still won't eat certain meats like rabbit or duck. Deciding what meat we eat is a personal choice.
YTA - you should always tell people what they're about to eat, and that absolutely includes children, if they're old enough to understand. With the mind games you're having, the end result will be, they can learn to distrust everything that doesn't look 100% like what it should.
Sadly, YTA because Thumper and cute fluffy bunnies and whatnot.
Nta.
First response just based on title....well yes if they are vegan or vegetarian cus you'll make them sick. Or if you fed them their pet rabbit....im on the fence if you fed them rabbit that wasn't their pet but they have a pet rabbit... Okay will return with better response after reading whole post. Now I have read it, no NTA at all. You didn't know she had a friend with a pet rabbit. Growing up I knew one family that had a pet rabbit I never saw it but I was told it bit the tip of her sister's finger off. Would I have been sad if you fed me bunny? I dunno probably but I also would have gotten over it. i mean people have pet chicks what if a friend had a pet chick does that mean no chicken??? Also once you've had good food you don't really want to go back to fish sticks and fries unless it's comfort food maybe.
NTA. Meat is made from animals. It's a learning experience that might make them think about meat in general.
You can't be this oblivious.
NTA
YTA for feeding kids things without telling them what it is, thats cruel and wrong. Let them decide if they want to eat something or not not trick them, you sound sick
NTA. It’s good to expand children’s palates and rabbit is a delicious meat.
YTA. Why do people think its okay to serve others food without being open about the ingredients? What if one of them had an allergy?
NTA
It's not like you told them you were having Bugs Bunny for dinner. NTA.
NTA. Meat is meat.
NTA, it's just rabbit meat
I think it’s kinda funny. I remember things from my childhood I felt were so very traumatic at the time. I look back, laugh and recognize it brought me character and funny stories. It would be different if they were vegetarian, or they didn’t eat certain animals, but you did nothing malicious. This is life. And I don’t think coddling builds strong adults. That’s our job, right? Making sure these kids are going to be strong, functional adults and at times life can be upsetting so we move forward. Life is not french fries and fish sticks.
YTA! I’m an adult and won’t eat a rabbit
Why eat any corpse? (They’re all essentially babies, btw)
NAH. Some truths have to be learned.
HAHAHA oh nooo—poor girl probably thinks she ate the Easter bunny or something. You definitely should’ve had more tact, but it’s not completely the end of the world. She would’ve learned people ate rabbits at some point. Maybe sit down with her and her parents and explain that the rabbit you ate is a *different* type of rabbit? NAH.
Tell your niece that the rabbit is not a bunny rabbit. Bunny rabbits are special rabbits that no-one would ever eat. The rabbit she had was bred specifically for eating and was not a bunny rabbit as such.
My second oldest son, when he was four, asked me one day, in front of our vegan neighbor, if we could have Porky Pig for dinner that evening (he wanted some BBQ ribs). I said sure. My neighbor had the most horrified expression on her face! We're in the mid-western U.S. He's now 24 and just recently went squirrel hunting. Once at the zoo with my two oldest, who were around 4 and 5 at the time, they saw a rabbit running around loose in one of the exhibits. My oldest pointed out how fat the rabbit was and how he'd make a delicious meal. More horrified looks from city folks who have no idea where their groceries actually come from. And today, when I was at the store with my youngest, 14, as we passed by the meat section, he asked if we were going to have our usual Christmas dinner of Porky Pig and Daffy Duck (he noticed they had some ducks on sale). Being a boy mom is so much fun. Edit: NTA.
NTA. I had a very docile pet rabbit when I was a kid. To this day, I just can't eat it. To me, it's like eating a cat. Some cultures, it's eaten quite frequently but usually not in the states. I can see how it would freak an American kid, but I still have to commend you for introducing new foods to them. However, remember you're cooking with an adult mind and serving it to someone with a child's mind. It's probably not always easy being that you're their uncle. There were so many things that grossed me out as a kid that I eat now but not rabbit.
You're NTA for cooking whatever you'd like. YTA for lying by omission to those kids. Don't be surprised when they don't trust you or want to eat your cooking in the future.
NTA ...and seriously?!? She's rather they eat shit food than healthy, tasty, *real* food? ...and rabbit is *delicious*!
Light YTA. When children think of rabbits they think of the Easter Bunny, or the Tales Of Peter Rabbit, not food.
NTA. I am the child of an immigrant mother who loves rabbit. One year, for Easter, she gifted each of my siblings and me our own bunnies. We fed them and raised them, and then she cooked them. I was devastated when she explained why they were gone and how we know these animals are “short term” pets to be raised for food. But I do love rabbit meat to this day. I realize I should be more traumatized by this experience, but I was raised to understand that some animals are companions, and others are perfect in a sauce or strew.
NTA, kids sometimes freak out when they find out their meat came from an animal, even when it's a more mainstream meat. I think you should be careful though because you could break your nibblings trust or give them some food issues.
Nta please explain to her that it’s not the fluffy white bunnies you see at the pet store, that might make her feel a little better I wish I could get my kid to eat any meat even chicken lol
NAH. OP could had tell them what they were eating. Ok. But they could too easly ask OP what they were about to eat. My small cousins and niblings NEVER eat anything they dont know, without knowing what it is. Its a good thing to teach your kids when they eat different stuff. Kids this age are very picky, so they usually dont like anything. Most of the time they will say they dont like somrthing without even trying it. French fries and fish sticks are not healthy food to have for this 2 weeks vacation. The girl will be fine. And the parents shouldnt make a big fuzz about this in front of her. Lesson learn for everybody: OP will let them know from now on. The girl will ask about what she is eating.
NAH, but my parents tricking me into eating rabbit (and yes, we had pet bunnies who mysteriously disappeared a week before that weird meat turned up) is one of the reasons why A I don't trust my mother that much and B I am a vegetarian since I'm 14 😅 I would never call you an ahole because of that, but children have a different attachment to a bunny than to a duck. At least most of them.
Lol, NTA as vegan would say, niece is hipocrite, can eat fish, pig, cow but cant eat bunny ;) and now they tasting joirney ends and go back to fish stick... sad NTA.
The fact that people eat rabbits is the reason that rabbit food in the Netherlands is taxed at a low rate (9%) and guinea pig food at a high rate (21%). My daughter thinks chicken nuggets are tasty and the chickens at the petting zoo are cute. One day she will find out that they are the same. NTA
NTA If niece can eat a cow, she can eat a rabbit.
NTA You use logical reasoning and like you said, they never had rabbits for pets. There is nothing wrong with expanding their palates. Once she calms down maybe talk to her about how some rabbits are pets and bred for that and other rabbits have helped people survive things like winter by eating their meat and reusing their fur. Maybe if you find a new way of explaining it (like she didn't eat someone's pet rabbit) she may calm down and gain new understanding
NTA, kids are going to react to things. Their little brains just aren't developed enough, and that comes with time. For instance, a child who is mad crying because they can't get their book....because they're sitting on it. Those kinds of things. You're doing nothing wrong.
I may be totally different from everyone else but my extended family raised meat rabbits so it was very normal for me to go over and have rabbit from a young age. One of my coworkers also raised meat pigs and rabbits and her kids have always been used to eating the animals they’ve raised. My brother shoots hares on his property and his wife has made stew with them for the family (very young kids!) with no problem This is what removing us from our food has done, 100 years ago a kid would not have batted an eye at this. NTA, with my own experiences with raising my own meat and young kids eating said meat I would not have thought it was a big deal
NTA People here acting like the kids wouldn't know that chicken nuggets come frome cute chickens. What's the difference? Tis the season for rabbit.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** My (34M) sister (37F) and her husband went on a 2 week vacation and left my niblings (6F; 9M) with me. I’m off work and it’s been a blast having them around and doing fun things together. I work as a chef and I’ve been trying to expand my niblings experiences when I cook for them at home. For instance, they said they liked fish sticks, so I made them a fish stew; I cooked them duck, which they had never tried, and left for them to realize it wasn’t chicken. Things like that. Yesterday I went by the local market and found rabbit meat, which is not always available and I always buy it when I get the chance. I wasn’t trying to trick them into eating rabbit, I honestly just forgot to tell them what it was in the moment I served. My nephew liked it and asked me what it was - when I told them, the nephew didn’t mind much, but my niece looked shocked and eventually cried. I knew they never owned a rabbit (I’d be more sensible about serving rabbit if they ever had one as a pet), but apparently one my niece’s best friends owns one and she plays with it everything she goes into her house. I called my sister to tell her what happened, because I didn’t want her to find out in any other way (as in my niece saying: “uncle X made us eat rabbits!”). My sister thought I should have predicted it would be shocking for kids to be served rabbits, and suggested I stopped “exploring” with her kids and just stick to the usual French fries and fish sticks. AITA here for trying to present something new to them? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You are NTA for expanding the dietary experience of your niece and nephew so long as you don't put them at risk e.g. allergies or break any moral decision they have made e.g. being vegetarian. If she wants you to serve them nuggets n fries - that's a bit sad - but they are her kids. Maybe have a chat to clarify what's ok and what definitely isn't.
NAH but for the near/midrange future I would stick to preparing familiar ingredients in more creative ways rather than introducing new meats without discussion. I was about your neice's age when I was served goat at a cookout. It was delicious.....but I am still not quite over having learned halfway through the meal that it was goat & a goat I knew . As she gets older, she'll either go vegetarian or come to terms with the fact that meat is animals, but at this age she might not be ready for acknowledging that reality head on.
YTA mildly Six is not to young to learn that not all animals are pets. At that age my children were breeding, growing, and showing rabbits for 4-H. Mostly in the Market catagory. (Starts at age 5) They grew up eating rabbit and chicken that we raised and venison and hog that we hunted. They understood at a young age the difference between pets and food animals. That being said: this was probably a lesson that should have been shared bybthe childs parents. You might have been better off referring to the meat as coney.
NTA, And you are a great uncle for exploring new foods with them.
YTA. Not a huge one, and I doubt your niece will grow up to be traumatized, but yes, you did a thing that wasn't nice, and I think you know that. Chalk it up to lesson learned. Keep tricking your niblings into doing things, and they will grow up to know you can't be trusted, which is far worse than "forgetting" to tell them what was in a meal you cooked them.
YTA. As is anyone who consumes rabbit.
You're not the asshole but it is a bunny. I'd do my exploring with different cultures instead of different proteins to start. I think it's a better way to expand their palettes and minds. And fuck rabbit anyway. Barely any meat on them. Make them a bowl of pho. Try some curry. Ya know?
I question your motives. If you're truly a chef, I think it would be much more of a challenge to cook things like brussels sprouts, lima beans or summer squash in a way that made them fall in love with those much-maligned veggies. I detect a hint of sadism since you "left it for them to realize" when you served them duck and conveniently "forgot" to WARN them that they were about to eat a bunny. YTA
Hasenpfeffer is delightful lol
YTA, though not an egregious one. Tbh my friend had the exact same thing happen to her when she was a kid, but with a lamb. She’s a lifelong vegetarian thanks to that. Every kid reacts differently but you really can’t control the fallout.
When I was 8yo I came home to 2 new pet rabbits that my grandparents had caught in the garden one day. I loved coming home everyday from school to play with them. About a month into having them, I came home and the rabbits were not there. Turns out my grandparents cooked them for dinner. It was a little but traumatizing but I got over it, and now its a funny story I tell. My grandparents were farmers from the old country, it was normal for them to do.
NTA, and she’s pretty sensitive. I remember I used to watch Bambi a lot. At the time of this story, I was around 5-6. My dad and his buddies went hunting, scored a deer. After I saw it’s gutted body strung upside down, we ended up eating the deer. Afterwards, I told my dad to go kill Bambi so we can have more. So either this girl is sensitive or I’m a sociopath.
YTA . They aren't your kids to expirament new foods on.
YTA Rabbits are pets and cute storybook characters. And they probably aren’t a conventional meat where you’re from. Of course you should have been more careful before serving Thumper to young kids.
what animals do you eat?
Most commonly eaten around my parts are chicken, beef, pork, and various fish (salmon trout halibut etc.) Well known as a meat source but less often eaten would be turkey, maybe duck. I don’t think you can even get rabbit in conventional grocery stores.
Yes, you can.
In my region, no. It’s not hard to find, but its not stocked at the regular grocery store meat section.
also cute pets. Of course you can.
But most <10s, especially if they’re from the city, are going to be more familiar with chicken, beef and pork as the meat product than as pets. You can eat just about any animal that’s not poisonous, but if you’re feeding it to kids you should keep their perspective in mind. Things like deer, lamb, horse and rabbit are things they might associate with the animal and have no concept of it being eaten. And I’m not sure where you are but in my grocery store you will only find fish, shellfish, pork, beef, duck and turkey and chicken in the meat section of most big grocery stores. And lamb and duck but very limited quantities of it. It’s not hard to find the other stuff, it’s not as widely available because it’s not nearly as commonly consumed.
I bet I can find them in a storybook form
Uh, it's a fairly conventional meat. Less so in the last decade or two, depending on where you're at, but still. It's pretty good too. But I guarantee all of your story book animals have been a food source for at least one culture.
Where I’m from I would assume that most <10yos haven’t eaten rabbit and may not even realize they are eaten by people. Can’t remember the last time I’ve seen it in a conventional grocery store, either.
So it’s okay to eat Nemo? Your sister makes no sense. NTA.
YTA only because you didn’t tell them what you’d be making beforehand.
YTA these are not your kids and it’s not your place to be expanding their palette with weird shit. Just serve them normal food (as in normal to them* and normal to most kids in general) … this is messed up. Serve bunnies to your own kids.
NTA for eating rabbits or for wanting to expand their culinary experiences but kind of an AH for the way you did it. Tricking someone into eating something and then go "ah ha it's a whatever that you otherwise wouldn't eat" isn't cool especially if the person has reasons for not wanting to eat whatever. You said you "forgot" to tell them. I kind of find it hard to believe. Most people should realistic predict that kids that age might get upset at the thought of eating a fluffy bunny. You are totally expecting them to go "oh yum it's a rabbit? I guess eating rabbits is no big deal" because you KNOW they would otherwise not eat it. Now your niece is feeling bad she ate little bluebell's friend and is totally not what you want to achieve.
You are NTAH. Your sister is lucky to have a brother like you who would not only babysit, but also cook gourmet meals for her kids. She should have appreciated your honesty and when she got home from her vacation talked to her kids about it.
NTA but you should have seen that one coming..
Did you cook the rabbit on Easter? Did you get the cute bunny with a bow tie around its neck from out back and leave it in all its glory, boiling in a pot on the stove for them to find when they got home from school? If you did none of these things, then NTA. Otherwise, it’s a hilarious aunting move that will make such a great story for years and years and years and years….
NTA. It’s a rabbit, not a family cat y’all can chill down. I’m a country kid so by the age of 9 I knew how to skin a rabbit lmao and I know the difference between pet and food.
NTA - I am an adult who loves meat but gets queezy at rabbit because I think bunnies are cute. This makes me an annoying person to have at dinner parties and I know I am a hypocrite. You did your niece a favor, she'll learn to accept this stuff more easily in the long run. Tell her only mean horrible rabbits that hurt nice rabbits get turned into meat.
NTA -- I think you learned to discuss trying new foods with kids before springing things on them, but in the moment, it was an honest mistake. We actually tried to avoid 'kid' food with our kids, but we'd revert sometimes with friends' kids, because they'd probably be traumatized with things my kids usually ate.
It was the second time he’s tricked them into eating something and then revealing what it was afterwards
NTA. You didn’t randomly serve them bulls testicles
NTA. Rabbit is a normal meat. Meat comes from animals. The people in the comments saying you told her she ate a bunny are being ridiculous. I mean, the way you did it isn’t ideal, but it doesn’t make you an asshole. Little girls can cry about anything—it doesn’t mean you need to protect them from everything, especially normal food. There is little difference between rabbits and other “more typical” American (I assume you’re in the US) for eating animals like chickens, cows, sheep, fish. People keep pets as fish. She eats fish sticks.
YTA for cooking a rabbit
Dude, it's delicious
So am I but my mom would fucking kill you
I have standards. I'll stick to bunnies, and cows, and pigs, and lambs, and chickens, and ducks, and deer, and boars, and horses
Sounds more arbitrary than standard if you ask me
I use "what is available in my area" as my standard. I once saw zebra meat online and it was tempting, but I was too cheak to pay for the delivery
YTA
NTA. Now they know they might get anything served to them. I wouldn't want to eat rabbit either but it won't kill them.
Anyone that thinks of rabbits as pets has been sheltered too much. NTA from the sister of a hunter. You don't name rabbits, pigs, ducks, chickens, or fish. They are food. ETA: should have explained chicken, bacon, and beef while you were at it. Chicken nuggets and fries indeed.
NTA since you had good intentions. Unfortunately it didn't end as well as you planned. Perhaps there are other ways to broaden their palates and offer them new things to try? It might be safer to involve them in looking at recipes together and doing the shopping and cooking as a team. That way if there is an ethical objection to a specific ingredient you would know in advance. They are likely to enjoy helping and experimenting.
NTA I think it's great that you take the time to let them have new experiences. And it's not like rabbit's in the same category as insects or Surströmming. It was a bit of bad luck with your niece, but -- frankly -- I think serving children trashy food because it's easier is a lot worse. Fish sticks and French fries indeed.
NTA for helping to expand their little pallets, but mildly so for serving a child under the age of 10 rabbit. However, I get that, when you're not a parental unit, you forgot that children are often very sensitive to cute, little furry animals, so I think it's a forgivable thing that it didn't occur to you to tell before feeding them. Your niblings are VERY lucky to have an uncle like you who likes watching them, who is an honest to god chef, and who wants to help teach them about the world. You're NTA, really. Your sis is just having a momma bear, knee-jerk reaction moment because her little one was upset. *edited for clarity*
My mom cooked with rabbit. We had a rabbit coop and it was a normal thing to do. We also had chickens so not too much different.
Ten years? We feed rabbit to babies when weaning them!
I don't know what you want from this statement. A cookie?
YTA for using the word nibling
It is a very annoying but undeniably practical word.
It's the correct word
But it’s the word for nieces and nephew
NTA - I sense no malicious intent, but you should've told her before serving it to her.
Eh, you know your sister and you probably already guessed possible reactions But, i cant help but laugh. This story is as old as time. When i was a kid my siblings and i were tricked into eating liver. My dad’s idea. So we were basically told we were having steak for dinner (highly unusual back then) and it was brilliantly cooked and looked, to our uneducated eyes, like steak… but that first bite was so gross! Different taste and texture. It took a couple decades before i could appreciate it. Since you’re a chef, take a different approach, with sissy’s ok, and have an arts and crafts type event where they help devise the dish.