Every year, the French consume about 4,000 tons of frog legs. However, almost all amphibian legs served on French plates come from abroad, as the wild collection of protected animals is practically prohibited and their farming is strictly controlled.
One of the few French frog breeders, Patrice Francois, supplies Michelin-starred restaurant kitchens and neighborhood bistros with frog legs.
However, the 100,000 animals raised in his aquariums in Pierrelatte in southeastern France barely make a dent in the demand for a delicacy that has earned the French the nickname “Frog” in the English-speaking world.
“Raising frogs is difficult!” Francois told AFP amid a deafening chorus of croaks coming from dozens of ponds teeming with marsh frogs, the specialty of his farm.
“It’s starting to work, but I’m not making a living from it yet,” said the 56-year-old, who founded France’s first frog farm ten years ago.
To make ends meet, he also runs a fish shop in Roanne, about 230 kilometers north.