I once went to a café that sold only rabbit.  The name of the café was Rapid Rabbit.

What people eat often demonstrates the economic laws of supply and demand.  In Texas, the illustration is graphic.  In Texas, you can buy all sorts of meats. Yak, ostrich, buffalo, frog legs.  I’ve had copperhead and rattlesnake meat. 

 You can even buy Texas Alligator meat.  The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department even has a guide that, among other things, shows you how to skin and butcher an alligator including several recipes such as “PawPaws Gator Meatballs,” “Alligator Stew,” “Alligator Balls” and Alligator Creole Piquant.”

So it caught my attention when 58 pounds of undeclared iguana meat was seized at the Texas-Mexico border.  The U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found the meat in two ice chests while doing a security sweep at the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge.

Allegedly, the meat was to be used for tamales.  I couldn't get too upset that officials felt the amount was more than appropriate for "personal use." 

 You certainly can buy iguanas as pets in Texas. There are Texas iguana breeders.  And there are dishes such as iguana stew on menus south of the Texas border, especially in Central America. And a quick check of the net shows that you can buy iguana meat for consumption.  Iguana filets imported from El Salvador, regular $100 for a 16-ounce steak, can be had at this writing for $60 a steak. 

Often the question of supply and demand is a chicken and the egg question.  Which comes first?  We know demand will create suppliers.  Yet supply often creates demand. For instance, see the iPhone.  None of us knew what an iPhone was 10 years ago.  Now millions of us live on one.

Alligators. Iguanas.  Suppliers. The demand comes.