Daily Meal Unearths Which Wild Game People Are Most Curious To Try - Exclusive Survey
If you're an adventurous eater, wild game is definitely something worth trying. It's more interesting than the typical meats we include in our diets, with that rich, "gamey" flavor that you can really only understand if you've experienced it. And it's certainly not an everyday menu item for us, which makes it even more intriguing.
"Wild game" is a pretty broad term. According to the BBC, it refers to any wild animals that can be hunted and eaten, and it's categorized by feathered game (aka, birds) and furred game. There are more game meat options available than you might think — it's not just bison and rabbit, but ostrich and kangaroo, too. When it comes to wild game, you can go as exotic as you'd like.
While a lot of people have never tried it before, many are curious. And we are, too. So we asked our readers which type of wild game they're most interested in trying.
Furred game for the win
It turns out, people are much more interested in furred than feathered game, opting for the large, meaty wild animals that roam the fields. Daily Meal's survey gave 567 readers a choice of six wild game meats, and there were two clear winners that came out ahead of the rest: wild boar at 24.16%, followed closely by venison at 23.1%.
Readers are onto something — wild boar has a unique flavor. The Rustic Elk says that its flavor is hard to compare to other meats, with a strong nuttiness to it that doesn't quite taste like anything else. Venison, which typically refers to most types of deer, is one of the more common game meats that's usually pretty easy to access. Like most game, it's leaner than domestic red meat, and it has a rich, earthy flavor. Wild boar is a great substitute for pork, cooked low and slow, and venison is a delicious alternative that's cooked similarly to beef.
Which wild game were people least interested to give a go? It was another close call between two meats: antelope came in dead last at just 10.05%, right below grouse (a plump game bird) at 10.23%. Rabbit and ostrich fell in the middle at 17.11% and 15.34%, respectively.
Wild game meat is more accessible than ever these days, and the interest is there — all that's left to do is take your pick and give it a try.