Smuggled cow brains reap a six-fold profit return on the Egyptian market, tempting enterprising Sudanese to smuggle the raw cargo from Khartoum to Cairo. When customs officials at Cairo International Airport intercepted three Sudanese travelers attempting to smuggle 420 pounds of frozen raw cow brains into the country, it was their fourth such haul in one week.
Cow brains are cheap in Sudan where buyers can purchase them for just one dollar per pound, selling them on in Egypt where the street value is six dollars. The drawback for would be smugglers is the amount needed to make a good return weighs a considerable amount. Brains are not the kind of item which a smuggler can readily pack around their person.
Naharnet reported that customs officials seized and confiscated the illicitly smuggled frozen brains, which will be burned in case they are insanitary.
Animal rights activists are outraged by the brains trade. Yousra Amr, an Egyptian who opposes animal cruelty, told
Bikyamasr "what we see on a daily basis is that people don’t care about the animals they kill." She added “culturally, Egypt is ready to understand the idea that food does not have to come from animals all the time and this is something that my group of friends is trying to tell people."
It isn't just in Egypt that cow brains are considered an appetizing delicacy. Deep fried cow brain sandwiches are popular at German-heritage restaurants in Indiana, considered a Cajun stir-fried treat, and can pop up in Indian curries.
No matter how popular cow brains are on Egyptian menus they are not for the health conscious. According to
Calorie Count they are packed with saturated fat, trans fat and absolutely laden with cholesterol.
