Chefs say human thigh bones add extra taste to dishes

Some Ecuadorian chefs use human thigh bones to add extra taste to their dishes and attract customers, according to an investigation by a local newspaper.

Newspaper Extra has sparked a scandal by interviewing restaurant and café owners who admit to cooking with bones taken from cemeteries.

Chef Carlos Acosta has told Extra he has cooked with the leg bones, known as femurs, for 40 years and that many of his colleagues do the same.

He said the best way was to leave a femur in a soup or stew for half an hour. "Just before serving it, it's good to put the bone back in briefly to give it a final touch," he said.

Mr Acosta says the femur adds a special taste to food and has brought him lots of customers. He says the same bone could be used for months if it is kept properly.

The Ecuadorian authorities have pledged to investigate the practice. A woman from the capital Quito has recently been charged with using human bones in her restaurant.

Story filed: 07:25 Monday 4th November 2002

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