Interested in cooking exotic and wild animal meat but worried it’s unethical? Here are the facts, so you can make an informed choice.
Put simply, it’s a way to use up food that would otherwise be wasted. Wild zebras and antelopes are culled to preserve their species, as overpopulation can be disastrous for the ecosystems they inhabit, and crocodiles are farmed for their skins. If it’s not eaten, the meat is wasted. Wild game is also free-range, and incurs none of the environmental damage caused by farming. Buy from a company that adheres to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) agreement.
And the taste?
Blesbok and kudu (two species of antelope) are lean and flavoursome like venison, while wildebeest has a richer taste. Springbok are small antelopes that live on herbs, giving their meat a unique flavour. Australians love their kangaroo steaks, and the light, grassy flavour of zebra makes it a popular alternative to beef. Crocodile might sound daunting but it looks like monkfish, although marbled with fat.
In this country, the principle of not wasting meat also applies: male goat kids and buffalo calves are of no use to our dairy industry, but goat’s cheese and buffalo mozzarella mean they’re not in short supply. And while kid goat might seem a bit Bambi, it tastes astonishingly good.
To buy, look in farmers’ markets, but there are good suppliers online – alternativemeats.co.uk is a safe bet. It even has its own recipe book:
The Exotic Meat Cookbook, £20
Buy it at Waterstone's