You may be wondering, what does emu taste like? Well, the meat of this exotic bird is rich in protein, low in fat and cholesterol, and it is delicious! While emu has a slightly different taste from beef, it is great for a midweek stir-fry. If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to beef, emu meat is also high in iron and vitamin C. If you’re looking for a meat substitute, the emu is an excellent option. If you’re not sure what emu tastes like, check out the below details.
This meat is rich in protein and is known as ‘juicy and rich.’ Its skin and legs are small, so it can’t proliferate and is low in fat. It is similar in texture to beef and lamb and is considered a low-fat alternative to steak. While it is expensive, you can find emu meat in restaurants and supermarkets throughout Australia. The meat is sold in many parts of the country.
What Is Emu?
The emu, native to Australia, is the world’s second-largest living bird in size (only the ostrich stands taller). Emus, like the ostrich, has been touted as a possible alternative protein source suitable for farming and ranching in many parts of the world.
In fact, there was a massive push in the early 2000s for Americans to start eating emu meat. And, while emu meat isn’t yet a famous sight at the dinner table, once you’ve had it, you might want to start including it in your weekly menu.
We spoke with chefs and farmers to learn more about emu meat, from its distinctive flavor to its health benefits and how to prepare it. All of this and information on the life of an emu and a few recipes will be covered in this article. Then we’ll direct you to a store where you may purchase emu meat to taste at home. You’ll be a relative emu expert by the time you’ve finished reading.
What Is The Taste Of Emu Meat?
Emus (and the closely related ostrich) have red meat, not white meat, unlike other birds. This is due to the presence of myoglobin in their tissues, which gives their flesh a particular flavor, texture, and color.
The taste of any animal’s meat is determined by three factors: the animal’s genetics, the environment in which it was raised, and how the meat was prepared.
Emu has red flesh tissues, so it tastes like beef or lamb, but its diet and exercise are drastically different, so it has lean meat and is lower in cholesterol and sodium. For health-conscious diners who nonetheless wish to eat red meat regularly, this is a huge bonus.
“[Emu meat] tastes a lot like beef, even though it’s a bird,” said Todd Green, a naturalist at Oklahoma State University, in an interview with National Geographic. This claim is backed up by Sugar Maple Emu Farm in Wisconsin, claiming that it tastes like a lean cut of beef.
Somewhere in an interview with ABC Australia, butcher Tim Driscoll goes even farther, suggesting that the taste of emu meat is “in-between [beef] rump and maybe duck… It’s really delicate and high in protein.”
Nutritional Values Of Emu Meat
Uniquely Emu Products, Inc. strongly supports the bird’s full potential, from eating its meat to using its oils and other products. For a 100 gram serving of ground emu meat, they’ve provided the following nutritional information:
- 130 calorie diet
- There is only 1 gram of saturated fat in 4 grams of total fat.
- Protein content: 22 g
- There are 45 milligrams of cholesterol in 45 milliliters of blood.
- sodium 40 milligrams
All of this is on top of a wealth of B vitamins and minerals, making emu one of the healthiest red meats available. It’s practically a superfood! Emu meat is now considered a healthy alternative to beef by the American Heart Association. Even better, American emus are raised without antibiotics or hormones in a free-range environment, making them a healthy choice in every way.
Where Can I Get Emu Meat?
Unless you live near an emu farm, there’s a strong chance your local butcher store won’t have it. But have no fear: there are many places to buy emu meat on the internet.
In the United States, Amaroo Hills is my preferred option for emu meat. They have a superb selection of emu meat products at highly reasonable costs. Start with their ground emu and emu flat fillets if you’re unfamiliar with an emu. But once you’ve had your fill of this magnificent bird, try their emu pastrami and emu jerky, which are made with incredible recipes that infuse the flesh with plenty of flavors. Basically, you can’t go wrong with anything you purchase from Amaroo Hills.
Exotic Meat Market has a large assortment of different cuts of emu meat. They sell a variety of emu steak and roast cuts and ground emu and emu sausages and even emu eggs! Emu eggs are renowned for their beautiful blue hue and are frequently sought after for use in arts and crafts projects, in addition to making the most enormous omelet you’ve ever seen.
You can get a taste of emu at Vidalia in Washington, DC. The owner, Jeff Buben, has been studying emus for the past 10 years and says that emu is an excellent addition to any dish.
Emu Meat Cooking
Because of their size, emus may be chopped into nearly as many different slices of meat as beef. This, combined with emu’s pleasant flavor, implies that you may use it in a wide variety of recipes instead of red or white meat. In this part, I’ll give you some ideas for “no-recipe” recipes that feature emu meat as the main ingredient.
Despite its lean size and short legs, emu meat is similar to beef but lower in calories and fat. Its red flesh is similar to beef and has a similar texture. It has a high protein content, so some people enjoy emu. And it also has a low fat and cholesterol content, making it an excellent choice for people with high cholesterol levels.
Delicious Recipes You Can Make From Emu Meat
- Emu Burgers
- Emu Steaks
- Emu Tacos
- Emu Roasts
- Soups, Stews, and Chili
- Casseroles
- Kebabs
- Chicken Fried Emu
It has a high-fat content, making it an excellent choice for people allergic to beef. It can also be cooked in a crockpot in the meanwhile, and this meat is a lean choice. Most emus are sold alive, so eating emu is impossible.
While emu is not as common as beef, emu meat is excellent for stir-fry. Its lean meat is low in fat and has a great flavor, but it is drier than beef. Luckily, the emu is easy to cook and can be eaten at any time of the year. In addition, the emu is very versatile and can be substituted for beef in many recipes.
Is The Meat Of The Emu Similar To That Of The Ostrich?
Youngstock can also be bred for resale, and eggs for hatching can be sold. Emu meat, like ostrich meat, has a texture and color comparable to beef, and it has more iron, protein, and vitamin C than beef. Beef, chicken, and turkey all have more sodium than low-fat meat.
Commercial value exists for ostrich meat, hides (leather), and feathers. The meat is low in fat, calories, and sodium and has a texture and color similar to beef. Beef, emu, chicken, and turkey have more calories, fat, and cholesterol, and it also contains a lot of iron and protein. Eggshells can be carved into ornaments, used as containers, or turned into jewelry. The ostrich farmer can sell eggs for hatching or produce the young animal for resale.
Emu meat has a rich flavor and is low in fat, and it is comparable to chicken, and it packs a punch in flavor and nutrition. Cooking emu meat in a slow cooker or crockpot can help you save money on the emu meat you’d otherwise have to cook for hours. And the best part is that it can be frozen so that it will last you a long time!
What Does It Taste Like To Eat Emu Eggs?
Farmer Stephan Schmidt stated because the emus were reared and fed grain, the eggs taste pretty similar to chicken eggs. “Don’t compare it to a duck egg; compare it to a chicken egg,” he explained. “Except it’s a free-range emu, and we feed them like a chook.”
It resembled a pterodactyl egg. They are one of the most remarkable eggs globally due to their gorgeous emerald color. According to Lou Braxton of Roaming Acres Farm, an ostrich farm in New Jersey, the blue-green color is camouflage. Emus deposit their eggs in the grass, where the color hides them from predators.
Conclusion
The emu meat is red, and it tastes similar to beef but with much lower fat and cholesterol than beef. It has a similar texture to roast beef, and it’s low in calories, but it’s a bit pricier than beef. Despite its high cost, the emu is an excellent alternative to beef. A steak of emu can cost anywhere from $25 to $100.
The meat of emu is rich in iron and vitamin C. Its skin and feathers are turquoise-blue in color, and the meat is best served grilled or pan-fried. Its meat is low in saturated fat and sodium, and fat. The texture of emu meat is similar to that of chicken and duck meat, but it can vary depending on what is fed.