What It Means When You See 'Swamp Chicken' On A Menu In Florida

Each region of the United States has its own specialties that locals love and may leave out-of-towners scratching their heads. Residents of the Rocky Mountains dig into Rocky Mountain oysters; Southwestern residents enjoy rattlesnake. Alaskans nosh on reindeer and residents of the Upper Midwest enjoy lutefisk.

In Florida, that regional specialty is swamp chicken. In more common terms, it's known as alligator meat and you can find it on plenty of Sunshine State restaurant menus. The animal is an important symbol in Florida –- there are more than 1 million gators that live there, including renowned spots like the Everglades, the University of Florida's athletic teams are known as the Gators, and the school's football stadium is affectionately known as "The Swamp."

But Florida's beloved swamp chicken — which isn't chicken at all — is quite tasty to those who enjoy it, and it's a rite of passage for those who visit Florida. One of the most common offerings is gator bites — deep-fried, seasoned cubes of gator tail meat served with a dipping sauce — that's a perfect starting point for testing the gator dish waters.

Perhaps the most curious thing about this "swamp chicken" is that, to some people, it doesn't really taste like chicken at all. While gator meat is packed with protein, some have described it as tasting like chicken with a fishier flavor, hence its name. But to others, it doesn't really taste like anything, so this juicy, tender meat is said to take on the flavor of whatever it's seasoned with.

Floridians' affinity for all things alligator isn't limited to just gator bites. Around the state, foodies and curious travelers can find smoked gator ribs, alligator chowder, gator mac and cheese, gator sandwiches, gator jambalaya, and more.

While gator goodies can be found on many Florida menus, they can also be enjoyed at home in many ways. While it's most often enjoyed fried, it can also be cooked and incorporated into pasta, marinated in spices for a gator-inspired take on Nashville hot chicken, or cubed up and added to a pot of sauce for a Southern-style take on a shrimp boil.

Gator can also be an underrated alternative to beef on a burger. Because it's similar to chicken taste-wise, with a texture similar to pork and a fish-like flakiness, it offers a little bit of everything. Dressed with traditional Creole and Cajun seasonings, it offers a delicious combination of fishy and meaty flavors.

Alligator meat can also be the perfect centerpiece of your next outdoor barbeque. While it's not something you can find readily at your local grocer, sourcing the meat from an alligator farm will give you exactly what you need. If you're doing it for the first time, get a piece of tail meat to grill as it cooks quickly and easily and is oh-so-tender.