Have you ever tasted turtle meat? Ever wondered what does a turtle taste like?
If you haven’t tried turtle, don’t worry. Not many have tasted turtle.
Before we get to how it tastes, let us understand why turtle meat is a popular choice. It is indeed the ultimate survival diet.
In 1971, the Robertsons set out to sail on the Pacific on their 34-feet wooden schooner.
Their voyage took a horrific turn when a pod of killer whales attacked their boat near the Galapagos Islands.
The six family members were forced to abandon their vessel, huddled up on a 10-feet dinghy, and were left adrift with no food.
Their only source of sustenance then was turtle meat that kept the family alive before they finally found help.
What is a Turtle?
Turtles are amongst the oldest living species on the planet. They are even older than snakes and crocodiles.
They are characterized by a special bony cage or cartilaginous shell that is an extension of their ribs and acts as protection from predators.
Turtles fall under the amniote family along with other mammals, reptiles, and birds.
Amniotes are species that you can differentiate by its fetal tissues, aminion.
They lay their eggs on land or retain the fertilized egg within their body. Many turtle species live in water but lay their eggs on land.
What Does Turtle Taste Like? Does Turtle Taste Good?
To tell you exactly how a turtle tastes like is a challenging task. There are 360 extant species of turtles, some of which are endangered.
From the experience of those who have eaten turtles, the taste seems to vary from species to species.
As there are a large number of species, the taste can range from fishy to beefy.
The taste also varies depending on how you cook it.
Sea turtles have plenty of savory fat and are often compared to veal in texture and taste.
Freshwater turtles are known to be ‘fishy.’
Though the taste seems to vary from species, one thing is sure. It is delicious and healthy meat rich in various micronutrients and proteins.
Nutrition of Turtle
According to nutriotionix.com, a 3-ounce or 85grams serving of turtle meat provides 76 calories, 17grams of protein, 3.8 calories from fat, and no carbohydrates.
The total fat is 0.4 grams comprising 0.1 grams each of saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and monounsaturated fat.
A 3-ounce serving has 43 mg Cholesterol, 58 mg Sodium, and 196 mg Potassium. It also has 1.7 percent of Vitamin A, 7.7 percent of Calcium, and 6.6 percent of Iron.
It also has other essential micronutrients like selenium, vitamin B12, thiamine, riboflavin, and zinc.
How to Cook Turtle?
The simplest and perhaps the most popular way of cooking turtles is in the form of nuggets.
You would need just the basic seasoning and homemade Bisquik batter. Mix the seasoning into the batter, add the turtle meat pieces and fry them until it turns golden brown.
Other ways to have it is the ‘deep fried snapping turtle’ cooking style or even simply barbeque it with seasoning.
You can also prepare turtle stew, much like the way you prepare rabbits. All you need to do is to cook the meat in advance.
Then, you can use beef broth and vegetables of your choices along with spices for seasoning, and your turtle stew is ready.
As a soup, you could also try the creole turtle soup recipe. There are, in fact, many different ways to cook turtle in a stew or as soup.
If you search the internet for ways to cook turtle as curry, you would observe that turtle meat has a different style of cooking the world over.
To name a few: the Thai style turtle and potato curry, which is like a stew but much richer in flavor.
There is also the Indian style of preparing it, which is spicy.
If you find the same old beef burger boring, you could try replacing the beef with the meat of turtles.
Conclusion
Turtles are a refreshing choice of meat if you want a change from the usual beef and pork. Not only does it taste delicious, it is also healthy.
If you are diet or health-conscious, it is the perfect choice of meat. It has all the essentials nutrients and is low on fat and carbohydrates.
What Does Turtle Taste Like? Does Turtle Taste Good?
Ingredients
- Turtle
- 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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