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8 ARMADILLO has become an iconic meat, finding its way into chili and barbecue at festivals in Texas and through the southeastern United States. In the Louisiana Cajun country, it would likely be prepared with a sauce piquante containing an aggressive amount of cayenne, black, and crushed pepper. The nine-banded armadillo consumed in this area is approximately two and a half feet long and weighs 12 to 17 pounds. The armadillo was only introduced to the United States in the 1850s, but its pop- ulation has thrived and has spread beyond the southern states, though it remains to be seen if it has become food in the new areas. All said and done, once its bony exterior is done away with, it is ready for various preparations and can be treated similarly to pork. In the Yucatan state of Mexico, and among some Mexican immigrants to the United States, it is considered a delicacy and is prepared pibil style, which is tra- ditionally a pork dish. It is rubbed with achiote (annatto seed), spices, and sour orange juice and roasted in an underground pit, or more commonly on a grill, with banana leaves, or braised with the same ingredients. In the states of Guerrero and Veracruz, and likewise among immigrants from those regions in the United States, the meat is seasoned with hoja santa, a leaf with an anise-like quality, and in Oaxaca it is roasted in a guajillo chili marinade. Slow roasting on sticks over open fire is a fine way to treat armadillo, and this is how they prepare it in Colombia. In the Amazon basin of Bolivia, it can be found simply boiled in its shell, then hacked into pieces before being coated in flour and flash-fried. Due to a great deal of fat between the muscles, the armadillo can be prepared successfully in many different ways. It is worth noting that the armadillo does carry some bacteria and is a known carrier of leprosy. Though this might dissuade the squeamish, as long as the meat is cooked thoroughly, there isn’t much concern. Alex Yellan Armadillo Pibil Ingredients 1 armadillo, shelled and butchered into 2-inch chunks 1 cup achiote paste Head of garlic, roasted 2 red onions, 1 halved and sliced, 1 diced 1 medium green cabbage, chopped 16 Seville oranges, juiced, about 4 cups 4 large banana leaves Salt and pepper to taste Directions 1. Mix achiote with 2 cups of orange juice, onion, salt, and pepper. Then mari- nate armadillo for 4 hours or overnight.