Taboo Meat! Would You Eat These Animals Served in Other Cultures?

How Do We Decide What Meat Is Taboo?

If people get hungry enough, they will eat almost anything. But given a choice, each culture avoids eating certain animals. Here are some of the reasons why:

• Religious traditions (kosher or halal foods)
• Perceptions of some species as dirty or disease-carrying (rats, vultures)
• Protecting rare and valuable species (pandas, tropical fish)
• Repulsion by the appearance or texture of the meat (insects, grubs)
• Individual phobias about certain species (spiders, snakes)
• Pet animals that have become “honorary humans” (cats, dogs)

Now, in no particular order, here are some “taboo” meats for your consideration. Which would you be willing to try?

1. Nutria

These big water rats weigh about 20 pounds. They come from South America, but they’ve been introduced to Louisiana, Europe, and other places for their fur and tasty meat. When boiled, nutria has the texture and color of dark meat chicken, but the taste is similar to roast beef.

2. Frog

The French eat frogs as a delicacy. In the United States, they are mostly popular in the rural South. The only parts with any substantial meat are the legs. They can be grilled, stewed, fried, baked, or boiled. The taste and texture lie somewhere between chicken and fish.

3. Ants

People in Africa and Asia eat ants. In large enough quantities, they can be a good source of protein. They can be roasted and eaten like popcorn, baked into bread or cookies, or covered in chocolate. Ants can be an inexpensive snack for children and help combat malnutrition. Surprisingly, they have a flavor reminiscent of lemon and nuts.

4. Donkey

In most of the world, donkeys are used as pack animals. In South America, Africa, and Asia they are also a food source. The flavor and texture depend a lot on how the meat is cooked and seasoned. It can be very tender and have a slightly musty, Old West taste.

5. Alligator and Crocodile

Alligators live in the U.S. and China, while crocodiles thrive in Africa and Australia. The ribs, tenderloin, and legs are the choice parts to eat. They can be baked, grilled, fried, smoked, served in stews or jambalaya, and ground together with pork into sausage. Many Cajun people in Louisiana have a fondness for alligator. The taste is similar to quail, with a fishiness to it.

6. Ostrich

Native to Africa, ostriches have been a food source for people for millennia. Now, there are ostrich farms in the United States that raise these enormous birds for their leather, meat, and feathers. It’s considered a red meat that is lean, healthy, and tasty. Prepared as a burger, the flavor is not much different from a turkey burger.

7. Pigeon

For most of history, people have considered pigeons a valid human food. Today, the U.K., France, and Egypt are some of the few countries where they are commonly eaten. In Egypt, pigeon is a popular dish, stuffed with rice and spices and cooked to a golden brown. It tastes a bit like duck or dark chicken meat, but some people find the gamey flavor a bit too strong.

8. Wasps

Believe it or not, the Japanese put wasps into a particular kind of cracker. To make them, you boil and dry the wasps, then combine them with rice cracker mix, and stamp the crackers out with a hot iron cutter. The cracker is sweet and savory, and the wasps taste bitter, like burnt raisins.

9. Locusts

Historically, locusts have been a huge pest, but also an important source of food. People who like them may fry, boil, smoke, or dry them. And for dessert, you can cover them in chocolate. They have a shrimpy, nutty flavor.

10. Camel

Camel meat is popular across much of the Middle East and Northeast Africa. It is one of the leanest of all the red meats. The taste and texture are similar to beef, with a sweet aftertaste. A popular way to prepare camel is to grind the meat and cook it as burger patties.

11. Moose

Moose are the largest members of the deer family, so they’re really not such an odd animal meat for humans. Interestingly, Alaskans and Canadians eat jellied pickled moose nose! When properly prepared with vinegar and spices and chilled, moose nose turns into a sort of meat jelly with an earthy, nutty flavor.

12. Auk and Seal

While Americans eat turkey or ham during holiday celebrations, in Greenland, a special occasion merits stuffed seal. And what do you stuff it with? Auks of course. These flightless birds related to penguins range in size from 3 ounces to 2.2 pounds. After stuffing, you wrap up the seal so its airtight and let it ferment for three months. The result? A foul-smelling dish that tastes like aged cheese or licorice. Perfect for the holidays!

13. Fruit Bat

People in South America, Central and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands often eat fruit bats. Some researchers think eating bats and some other kinds of exotic animal meat is the source of viruses like Ebola and COVID, but research is still ongoing. Cooks prepare stews, soups, or curries from bat meat. They also grill or stir-fry it. The flavor is similar to chicken.

14. Silkworm

In parts of Asia, silkworms are a delicacy. Chefs fry, boil, or steam them or cover them in chocolate, sweet and sour sauce, or soy sauce. These dipping sauces help conceal the natural flavor of these worms; they taste like dirt and green beans and may burst unpleasantly in the mouth when you bite down on them.

15. Monkey

Many different species of monkeys, including spider monkeys and gorillas, are a staple of indigenous people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that the similarity of monkeys to humans makes it healthy to eat them. Western medicine, on the other hand, points out that the genetic similarities mean that monkey meat can pass diseases easily to humans. As for the taste? Sweet and succulent.

16. Bear

Native Americans, pioneers, and trappers routinely ate many kinds of animal meat, including both black bears and grizzly bears. Some people still consume these animals, reporting they taste like beef, only sweeter. Generally speaking, though, many people don’t like it as it has a stronger, gamier flavor than most other game meats, especially if the bear in question recently ate fish.

17. Guinea Pig

Roasted or fried guinea pig has been a traditional dish in Peru and other Andean countries for over 5,000 years. Tourists consider them a “must-try” dish when they vacation there. The flavor is mild, slightly gamey, and comparable to pork or chicken.

18. Cat

Cat meat is on the menu in some countries of East and Southeast Asia, but others, like Taiwan, have banned it. Because of their size and shape, skinned cats with their heads, tails, and paws removed can look like rabbits, making unsuspecting meat-market shoppers more likely to buy them. The flavor is mild and indistinct, sometimes compared to pork, but sweeter.

19. Dog

Dog meat is a traditional food people serve in roadside restaurants in East and Southeast Asia. In 2023, South Korea announced a plan to phase out dog meat production within three years, a plan that will save the lives of one million dogs a year. Those who eat the meat like it grilled, fried, or in a stew. It is a red meat with a high fat content and a strong odor. The closest flavor comparison is a cross between beef and mutton.

20. Snake

Snakes are a delicacy in several parts of the world. In the American Southwest, rattlesnakes are often cut up into chunks, battered, and fried or grilled. Chinese people slow-cook pythons and other snakes for six hours to make traditional recipes. The Vietnamese drink snake wine: a mixture of rice wine with fresh blood from a venomous snake. Like some other kinds of animal meat, a snake has a “fishy chicken” taste.