The smoked crocodile, the New Year offer from one of the large Armenian trade chains, has found itself in the focus of the French media's attention.
Courrier International, which is a member of Le Monde, has dedicated an article "Du crocodile fume pour un nouvel an digne de ce nom" ("Smoked Crocodile for a True New Year Table") to such a strange gourmet item. The article mentions both the price of the smoked crocodile (380 thsd AMD, or about 730 EUR) and the average wages in Armenia (300 EUR monthly).
Courrier International also refers to the well-known Armenian cookery specialist Sedrak Mamulyan's interview to ArmInfo News Agency. In his interview, Mamulyan said that due to the desire to throw dust into the guests' eyes, the New Year has turned into a holiday of food. "Today they put a crocodile on the table, tomorrow they will put a dragon. It is extremely strange and has nothing to do with our traditions. Moreover, Armenians have never used predators in food", he stressed.
The article posted on the official Facebook page of Courrier International has caused big excitement among the Facebook users. Some users joke that people and crocodiles have exchanged their roles. Some others are indignant at the fact that people have started eating crocodiles. (Don't be snobs! In Africa people are starving!). The article has been shared for over 330 times.
To note, despite the criticism and jokes of Internet users, all the smoked crocodiles (3 in number) have been sold.