Raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a wild game meat with a long history in North American food traditions, particularly in the rural southern United States. It was a common food source for Indigenous peoples and early settlers, and raccoon dinners remained a cultural tradition in some communities well into the 20th century.
The meat is dark, rich, and strongly flavoured, reflecting the animal’s omnivorous diet. It is almost always slow-cooked — braised, roasted, or stewed — to tenderise the dense muscle tissue. Raccoon is not commercially farmed or widely sold; it is obtained exclusively through hunting.
Raccoon meat is uncommon outside of North America and is not part of the Australian food supply. Where it is eaten, it is a niche wild game product tied to regional hunting traditions.
How it's produced
Raccoon is exclusively a wild-harvested meat. Animals are hunted using traps or firearms, typically during designated hunting seasons in North America. Hunting often takes place at night, as raccoons are nocturnal.
After harvest, the carcass is skinned, cleaned, and the fat is usually trimmed heavily, as raccoon fat can carry strong, unpleasant flavours. The meat is then typically soaked or parboiled before the main cooking process. There is no commercial raccoon farming industry.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for other red meat, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
What comes from this
Your household's take
One thumb per person, shared with your household — it steers what the wider-web shelf and the swap chips offer you. Tap again to take it back.
✎ Spotted something wrong? Suggest a correction
Checking who you are...