Squirrel isn’t a dish that routinely appears on the average American table—and it looks like we might be missing out on a good thing. Food experts point out squirrel is an environmentally responsible meal: a sustainable, healthy, and local source of meat with an appealing nutty flavor that comes from a life spent stuffing oneself on hickory nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, and almonds. What’s not to like about a tasty plate (or bowl) of squirrel?

Still, squirrel isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. Squirrels are rodents, after all, relatives of voles, shrews, mice, and rats. That bothers people.

Today squirrel is popular for the most part only among wild-game enthusiasts (check out these recipes); and in the hands of Montreal celebrity chef