Elephant meat is not something you typically see on a dinner table, but because it is so rare to find.
However, in Africa, it’s not uncommon for people to eat an elephant and enjoy the flavor of this large mammal.
However, if you live in North America, chances are you will never be able to try eating an elephant because it’s illegal to hunt them or import their meat into the country.
This blog post will talk about what elephant tastes like and what you need to know about this exotic meat.
What is Elephant Meat?
Elephant meat, or called bushmeat, is hunted and eaten in Africa.
Elephant meat includes the flesh and other edible parts of elephants, like their tails.
The meat of an elephant is not the most common type of meat eaten around the world.
It’s not even one of the most common types in Asian countries where it may be available.
Elephant meat was eaten by the Romans when they conquered Egypt, but it has not been a popular food item on menus for centuries since then.
Many countries around the world have banned elephant hunting because of conservation efforts to protect their dwindling numbers.
It’s also illegal to import or export any ivory from an African elephant anywhere in the world under CITES regulations.
Health and Nutritional Benefits of Elephant Meat
The African elephant is a strong animal that has been hunted for its meat by locals in parts of Africa.
The meat of an elephant is surprisingly lean, the fat content is about the same as a pig, and it’s low in cholesterol.
The elephant has more B-vitamins than other animals because of its diet, including nuts, grasses, fruit trees, and shrubs.
Elephant meat is very high in Iron, with 46% higher levels than beef.
It also contains more potassium and vitamin C than beef, pork, or chicken.
It is also high in zinc which helps to boost the immune system.
Elephant meat is a good source of protein with more overall grams per 100g than any other animal product, including beef.
The elephant’s diet of mostly grass makes it a low-carbohydrate food, making them an ideal choice for people who have trouble with high blood sugar levels due to diabetes or following the ketogenic diet.
Additionally, their bones are said to have healing powers to be boiled down into stews that will then go on to have medicinal effects on people who consume them.
Is Eating Elephant Illegal?
Eating elephants has been outlawed in some countries due to the substantial demand for ivory tusks.
It is illegal to consume or possess any animal with a horn in Kenya, including rhinos, buffalo, and hippos.
- Ivory trade was banned under CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species) which forbids international commercial sale from member nations where trading could threaten species survival.
- The African elephant is protected under the ESA (Endangered Species Act), which prohibits importing or exporting any part of a live or dead animal.
Since it’s illegal to import and export raw ivory, it would be difficult for someone in the United States to consume fresh elephant meat.
However, as long as you are not importing an endangered species into your country, you may have access to canned or cooked food containing game meat from many animals, including elephants, imported before 1997 when CITES banned commercial trade.
What Does Elephant Taste Like?
Although elephant meat is hard to come by, it has been eaten in Africa for centuries.
Elephants are herbivores, not meat eaters, and from what I’ve heard, they most often feed on fruit or grasses, which would be fibrous in texture rather than sinewy.
Elephant meat is thought to taste similar to beef or veal, but it has been noted that elephant tastes gamier than its domestic counterparts.
Elephant meat is dense and fibrous, making it hard to chew.
As a result, it tastes mildly of pork but has a more robust flavor than beef or lamb because its muscles get less exercise.
The taste is often compared to venison.
To make the taste more palatable, it is usually served with a sauce or marinade.
The most common ingredients used in these sauces are garlic and onions, which help erase any gaminess from the meat.
How to Cook Elephant Meat?
Hunters kill elephants and then cut off the ivory.
The meat is smoked for a day over grills fueled with tree branches before being char-grilled to eat while they are on their trek back to town.
When preparing elephant meat, it is necessary to debone and cut the meat before cooking.
For example, it can be roasted using an open grill and laid sideways on a metal stand.
There are various ways to cook elephant meat, but the most common cooking methods focus on boiling or stewing.
The dish improves with spices like salt and oil.
An exciting characteristic of elephant meat is that it has no natural fat because it has a low metabolism rate due to its large size, which means that it generally tastes bland with a hint of gamey.
Like other red meats, elephants can be grilled or casseroled with several seasonings: garlic, basil, cumin, oregano, rosemary, and sage.
Conclusion
So, elephant meat is a relatively uncommon delicacy, especially in the U.S, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a delicious one.
It’s essential to understand what elephant meat tastes like before deciding whether or not you want to support this.
Once again, we have no intention of eating it ourselves, and we would never endorse it, but if you want to know what elephant meat tastes like and how it’s prepared, this is the information for you.
What Does Elephant Taste Like? Does Elephant Meat Taste Good?
Ingredients
- Elephant meat
- 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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