Many people go through all of their lives without eating any organ meat.
Granted, you might have consumed maybe a liver, heart, the spleen, or the intestines as sausage.
But not many of the readers may have tasted brain.
What you don’t know is that eating brain serves as good nourishment.
Because of its limited supply, brain is gourmet food in the culinary arts.
The taste of the brain is unlike any other animal. It is very creamy but firm. It is not like eating meat, but you are eating meat.
It is not gamey like eating a kidney but has a buttery undertone with a savory flavor.
What is the Brain?
The brain is a delicacy in many cultures. It features in French cuisine, Asian cuisine and is a staple diet in the United States.
Many Americans consume brains for their breakfast every day.
The brains are called ‘superfoods’ because of their rich source of nutrients and proteins.
Eating brains on a daily basis can also improve your nervous system and protect your brain from damage.
The brains of pork, beef, and goats are the most popular dishes. All cultures use the brains of different animals as a delicacy.
While eating brains, people notice that it possesses an animalistic flavor similar to tofu that is curdled.
What Do Brains Taste Like? Do Brains Taste Good?
As we mentioned in our introduction, the taste of a brain is unlike any animal meat you will eat.
Also, the brains of every animal differ according to taste and texture.
The brains of a fish are runnier than the brains of a cow or pig. The brains of a cow or pig are more firm in texture, like scrambled eggs.
Even the taste of all the brains is quite different. Alastair Blaind from NPR describes the brain of a fish as fat oozing from the head.
They are nutritious and contain a high amount of omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, zinc, and iron.
Pig and Lamb’s brains have a savory flavor. The texture is relatively smooth and is very tasty.
Pig and Lamb’s brains are the most popular brain meat that people like to consume.
Pig’s brains consist of high cholesterol, so it is very beneficial for people with a low metabolism.
Lamb’s brains contain antioxidants, which are helpful for protecting the nervous system.
Nate Teague at Cuisine Vault, an online cooking website, describes that a goat and cow’s brains are a little bland in taste.
If you are going to eat brains for the first time, we recommend trying either the brains of a pig or Lamb since they are tastier.
Moreover, there is a low chance of contracting Mad Cow Disease from eating cow’s brain.
So we recommend you to eat cow’s brain only if a professional chef prepares it.
How to Cook Brains?
For starters, buy sweetbread and try it out first. Sweetbread contains not only the brains but also the throat, stomach, and belly of an animal.
If you are buying brains from your local supermarket, we recommend you soak the brains in salted water for several hours.
Soaking the brains will drain out the excess blood. If you don’t soak it, the brains quickly turn grey if it’s not a fresh one.
Scrambled Brains is also a good dish if you are going to try out brains for the first time.
It is easy to cook and does not need a lot of time for preparation. Check out Chichi Wang’s Scrambled Brains recipe at Serious Eats.
Click here for the recipe.
A popular favorite is consuming the brains with the tongue. It also has a different texture and taste compared to other meat.
Brains and tongue blend well for any dish.
Maghaz is a popular dish that uses the brains of cows, goats, and sheep with gravy.
It is prevalent in India, Pakistan, and other Indian subcontinents. Head on to The RecipesPK for a simple Maghaz recipe by food blogger Abirsh.
Click here for the recipe.
Conclusion
Brains are good nourishment for you. They provide so much energy and protein for your body.
It’s not the taste but the appearance of brains that usually scares off many new first-timers.
But, once you get past the appearance, the taste will not hold you back.
It will be worth your time and money once you get the aesthetics of savoring brain meat.
What Do Brains Taste Like? Do Brains Taste Good?
Ingredients
- Brains
- Ingredients from your favorite recipes
Instructions
- Depending on the recipes you choose, the taste can vastly differ.
- For authentic results, it is important to choose a recipe that will highlight the original flavor.
- Have fun experimenting with different recipes and taste tests!
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