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Greater Rhea | Local Game From Chaco Province, Argentina | TasteAtlas
Greater Rhea | Local Game From Chaco Province, Argentina | TasteAtlas
Greater Rhea | Local Game From Chaco Province, Argentina | TasteAtlas
Greater Rhea | Local Game From Chaco Province, Argentina | TasteAtlas

Greater Rhea

(Rhea americana, Suri, Ñandú, Ema, Grey Rhea, Common Rhea, American Rhea, )

This flightless South American species of bird is the largest bird on the continent, and it is found in the savannahs, grasslands, forests, and mountains of its native habitat in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Greater rhea’s (Rhea americana) ovular body is covered by brownish-gray plumage, and males are known to be significantly taller than females.


An integral part of the indigenous and Creole people’s food culture, this wild bird has long been hunted for its meat, eggs, fat, feathers, and skin. These birds are nowadays also farmed for their by-products which are marketed on a smaller scale in Argentina.


It is from the mountains of Chaco Salteño that the indigenous Wichí people traditionally gather the large, oval eggs, which are then usually fried in fat and salted, although they can also be enjoyed in the form of an omelet, combined with ingredients such as meat, onions, and spinach.  Read more

Other common ways to enjoy greater rhea’s eggs include baking a huge batch of eggs in an underground oven or stuffing an animal’s bladder with a mixture of greater rhea’s eggs, fat, and salt before the combination is cooked over embers.


Agricultural expansion has led to a significant decrease in greater rheas’ natural habitat, which along with other factors such as illegal poaching, overgrazing, and the use of land for other purposes, have contributed to the bird’s current classification as a "Near Threatened" species by the IUCN.

Tapir

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Ecuador

Mistol

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Chaco Province, Argentina

Ñandubay

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Chaco Province, Argentina

Gran Chaco Wild Fruits

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Chaco Province, Argentina

Chaco Prickly Pear

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Chaco Province, Argentina

Provoleta

4.3
Argentina

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