You probably didn’t think that the minute you store home cooked dish so you could eat it later, you realize that you are getting worn out from eating that same meal set for a week, yet you are still hungry. Maybe you are hungry for something new? Ever wonder what eating game meat feels like?
Though you might not be able to taste one in Malaysia, at least you can get to know a few types that you can eat if you travel overseas and that country has places that serve game meat. Don’t confuse game meat with wild meat, because game meat straight from the wild aren’t served in restaurants at all as part of regulations.
Pheasant
Pheasant is a very common game bird that is basically similar to chicken in terms of size, but the meat has lower fat and cholesterol. It also contains more protein than chicken, and it is one of the most manageable game birds that can be served as an alternative to chicken or turkey.
So if you are unlucky this upcoming Christmas because there is only a pheasant for sale, that bird is fine too. Bon appetit.
Pheasant is subtly smokey and earthly in taste when compared to chicken.
Quail
Also known as “burung puyuh” in Malay, you may likely find this bird meat in night markets. A quail is smaller than a chicken, though there are larger species that can weigh more than the chicken. If you are eating quail, it would be your light meal or an appetizer due to its size.
Quail is slightly sweeter than chicken and is more akin to duck meat.
Venison
Venison, or deer meat, is meat from any species of deer or antelope. Although it is a common meal among both amateur and professional hunters, you do not find this often in most restaurants. Compared to beef, venison is less fatty and rich in vitamin B6, B12 and iron.
Venison is strongly gamey in flavor and has a tougher texture, but it is leaner and healthier than beef.
If you are wondering, venison is not elk meat, because elk is slightly different from deer. Between elk meat and venison, you would probably find the former more favorable since it has less fat than the latter, the fat which contributes to its earthly flavor too.
The taste of elk depends on the animal’s diet, but it is more or less similar to beef, albeit sweeter.
Wild boar
Wild boar and domestic pig come from the same swine family, but each is different from the other. The boar usually lives in woodland surroundings and is covered in hairy hides. Boar meat tastes sweeter than pork in addition to being leaner and darker in appearance too.
If you see boar meat as part of a restaurant’s menu, that boar is pasture raised and isn’t hunted from the wild. Unless you are an experienced hunter that knows how to safely handle boar meat, you don’t just butcher and cook it straight away. There is a chance that the boar was infected with a disease called trichinosis, which comes from a parasite called Trichinella.