Things That Really Do 'Taste Like Chicken'

What does chicken taste like? Try and describe it and you will probably find yourself saying words like pale, flavorless, or just "Chicken tastes like chicken." I can remember staring suspiciously at a mystery meat on my plate as a child and being coaxed into trying a bite with the all-too-common trope, "Try it. It tastes like chicken" — only to find out that, of course, it didn't always taste like chicken at all.

But all kidding aside, some foods really do taste like chicken. Which raises the question, how can it ring true for such diverse breeds of animals from amphibians to fowl? 

According to Joe Staton from the Museum of Comparative Zoology, evolution is to blame for this phenomenon. In his paper, "Tastes Like Chicken?" he claims that evolutionary traits are either adopted from many generations of ancestors or are developed later in the evolutionary process.

Birds share a similar flavor because they are all birds; they share evolutionary traits; whereas, reptiles share a common ancestor with chicken, dinosaurs.

Just because these meats taste like chicken, doesn't mean you can use them freely in chicken recipes. Want to trade roast chicken for roast squab? Or swap out grilled chicken breasts for rabbit saddle? Handling these unusual meats will require some extra attention.

You still have to wonder, if all of these exotic foods taste like chicken, what does chicken taste like?

Next time you have a hunkering for ribs, try grilling alligator ribs instead of the more traditional pork and beef ribs. Marinate the ribs in bright citrus and rich butter with just a pinch of salt. This Florida delicacy will not disappoint.

For the Grilled Citrus Gator Ribs recipe, click here.

Close your eyes and taste these deep fried frog legs. You might be surprised at how much the flavor resembles that of chicken.

For the Deep Fried Frog Legs recipe, click here.

This quail recipe mimics the great taste of Thanksgiving turkey in a tiny quail package. The cornbread stuffing place just under the skin protects the delicate meat from drying out while the skin crisps in the oven.

For the Quail with Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing recipe, click here.

This rabbit dish is cooked similar to a pan sautéed chicken breast. The sweet and spicy marinade adds lots of flavor to this rabbit dish.

For the Saddle of Rabbit in Cocoa Mustard Recipe, click here.

A recipe from the "Great American Writer's Cookbook" suggests slicing the snake, soaking it in vinegar with a hint of tobacco, then coating the meat in flour, salt, and pepper, and frying it in oil. Here we have a similar recipe, except that it calls for soaking the snake in buttermilk to tenderize the meat.

For the Southern Fried Rattlesnake recipe, click here.

This squab is prepared with a simple rub of fresh ginger, ground cloves, salt and pepper, and served with a side of Asian slaw.

For the Asian Grilled Squab with Vegetable Slaw recipe, click here.

Test out your palate, and see if you can taste the difference in this spicy, Creole-style turtle soup;

For the Creole Louisiana Snapping Turtle Soup recipe, click here.