Alligator is the meat of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), a large freshwater reptile of the southeastern United States and a staple of Louisiana Cajun and Creole cooking. The prized cut is the tail — pale, lean, fine-grained white meat with a mild flavour that sits somewhere between chicken, pork and a faint hint of seafood, taking marinades and seasoning readily and best cooked quickly or stewed to avoid toughness.