Can Tadpoles Be Eaten Raw? An Analysis of the Safety of Eating Tadpoles Raw

Eating tadpoles raw is an old Jinan tradition, also known as "drinking them live," and it is a memory for many old-time Jinan residents. Put the tadpoles in a bowl, pour in clean water, optionally add a little vinegar, and then drink it all down in one gulp. So can tadpoles be eaten raw?

1. Can tadpoles be eaten raw?

According to the Compendium of Materia Medica: "It is customary on the third day of the third month to take tadpoles and drink them with fragrant water, saying that this prevents sores, and also carries the meaning of detoxifying and treating sores." This means that at the turn of spring and summer, there was a folk custom of drinking tadpoles along with water, which was said to prevent sores and also to expel toxins.

According to modern medical research, tadpole extract has the effect of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. However, this does not mean that tadpoles can be eaten raw at will. Expert studies show that if tadpoles have not undergone scientific, professional sterilization, eating them raw blindly not only fails to cure disease but also exposes people to parasites and other diseases.

2. The uses of tadpoles

Besides being eaten and drunk live, tadpoles are also often used to treat scabies. Old Jinan had many ditches, especially along both sides of roads in the suburbs, with drainage ditches two to three m deep. Adults would catch tadpoles from the ditches, put them in a garlic-pounding mortar, mash the tadpoles into a paste, and then apply it to children's scabies; within a few days it would scab over, and the skin would be as smooth as before.

Tadpoles can be eaten raw, but there is a risk of bacterial infection, and given that water pollution has been severe in recent years, eating tadpoles raw is not recommended.