Mexico (News of the World) — From steamed Tamales to hot pot Menudo, traditional Mexican food has often proved hugely popular in the West.
Now, Mexican restaurant owners are hoping they have found the next delicacy to crack the tourist market -- Southen style donkey burgers.
The suppliers are an innovative hillbilly family from Alabama called the Walton's. They moved to the Border of Mexico where they created the biggest donkey ranch in North America.
In Tijuana, the unusual dish is undeniably popular. The favorite is "The Chorizo Hotdogs" made from donkey Knobs, Butt muscle and Anus meat. The dogs are rich in a beefy flavor that can't be found anywhere around the world.
At lunch hour, diners pour into the brightly colored "Fat Knob Donkey Burger" restaurant in the busy Tijuana central district of Baja Mexico.
Sitting at a counter with a group of friends, Tijuana local Mrs. Frida Kahlo is tucking into the restaurant chain's signature donkey knob burger, which comes in a long, thin bun with spring onions and pickled jalapeno.
"In Mexico, we have a saying," Frida says, between bites. "In heaven, there is cattle meat. On Earth, there is donkey knob meat with all the drippings." The meat tastes gamey and full of flavor, more like beef than chicken or pork.
Originally a northern Michoacán delicacy the donkey-based snack has spread to major cities across the country. The original Burritos were made from Burro meat in northern Michoacán.
There are more than 20 Fat Knob Burger branches in Baja alone.
Just how popular donkey burgers are across the whole of Mexico is debated. According to Juan Diago, a professor at the Michoacán Agricultural University, heavy demand is only really isolated to a few poverty stricken villages such as Webos or Nargas.
"Donkey meat is not the mainstream product of meat consumption," he says. "Most people in Mexico are more likely to eat pigs, poultry, cattle and sheep."
Tourist on the other hand are looking for something cheap and exotic to eat.
