Do People Eat Zebra? Meat Taste

Have you ever wondered do people eat zebras? It is neither a usual practice nor one has seen a lot of people feasting on the striped animal.

We do not see Zebras around as often as other meat animals like cows, goats, sheep, and camels. Being a wild animals, these are mostly found in zoos or the wild.

Zebras can not be domesticated or trained to live in confinement or on farms as they are quite aggressive and difficult to keep.

So, it may surprise a person if their meat is edible or legal to consume. Zebras do not live in harmony with other animals, therefore, are not raised on farms for meat consumption.

Still, one may wonder, if they are served with a plate of exotic zebra meat, should they eat it? Is it harmful? Is it legal to eat zebra meat? And most importantly, where to find it? Most meat lovers are known to explore different alternatives from eating donkeys, dogs, to other exotic meat options. If you have concerns about eating zebra meat, all the important information is available in this regard.

Do People Eat Zebra?

No People do not eat zebras as food. Do humans eat zebra? If it is dead and better cooked, humans can eat zebra meat. Out of one of the three Zebra breeds, Burchell from South Africa is only fit and farmed for meat consumption.

Even though you can eat this exotic meat it is encouraged not to as their population is already shrinking. It is better to stick to the usual meat options.

Zebra’s meat is not very popular, it is a delicacy available for consumption in a few countries.

You do not see people eating zebra meat often because it is not readily available and not a lot of farmers keep this wild and aggressive animal for consumption.

The only edible zebra meat comes from its hindquarters, the rest goes to waste. Being a delicacy or exotic meat, it is going to be expensive.

Why Do People Eat Zebra Meat?

Some people like to eat zebra meat out of curiosity as to what it tastes like. However, it is mostly consumed for fitness purposes rather than its taste.

It is very lean and has a robust texture and low-fat content. With virtually no fat (0.5g per 100g) it is a perfect option for fitness freaks.

It is the holy grail of nutrition with levels of protein, zinc, iron, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids.

zebra-meat

Edible Parts Of Zebras

There are many recipes available on the internet for consumption like Zebra steaks and burgers. Steaks are usually cut from the rump of the zebra. Other edible parts include loin, ribs, shanks, fillets, etc depending on the cut.

Is Zebra Meat Legal?

For the residents of the United States, zebra meat is illegal to consume and quite hard to find. Besides the US, zebra meat is illegal in many other countries and mostly legal in 3rd world countries like India, Eastern Africa, and China. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for the meat you will not likely receive, plan a trip to a country where it is eaten.

Other Names For Zebra Meat

Zebra meat is called by many other names like African Zebra, Cape Zebra Meat, and Zebrasoma.
African Zebra and Cape Zebra meat hails from Africa, hence the names. Zebrasoma refers to both fish and meat.

What Does Zebra Meat Taste Like?

Their meat has a sweet and gamey taste because of the high levels of iron in Zebra’s blood. Zebra meat is similar in taste to horse meat.

Even though they taste different when raw, after cooking, it is hard to distinguish between the two for someone who only eats exotic meat once in a while. It is often substituted for horse meat in many recipes to give a similar flavor.

Earing too much of it can give you an upset stomach. It is lean, delicious, and more tender than most exotic meats.

It can be served as a main course or an appetizer. As it is robust in texture, there is a lot of chewing involved when eating them, so take small bites.

How Much Does Zebra Meat Cost?

Zebra meat is one of the most exotic meats in the world, therefore, more expensive and hard to find. Zebra costs hundreds of dollars per pound because of the scarcity of this type of meat.

It is illegal in the USA and many other countries, so it is imported from third-world countries for consumption.

So, it is possible that an individual may have to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for a pound of meat. Some sellers sell it illegally, so, they add an extra amount to the actual price.

Where to Get Zebra Meat?

This delicacy is not easy to find. You can not just go to the meat market and buy zebra meat for steaks or burgers because humans are not predators of zebras.

In many cities, you would not find a dealer who sells zebra meat. However, many online exotic meat marketplaces offer zebra meat, order it for delivery.

Cooking Zebra Steaks

Zebra meat is not easy to cook, if you are not a good cook, you will waste hundreds of dollars by cooking it wrong.

Heat up the pan, add butter or olive oil to cook perfect steaks. Do not let the oil get too hot and sear each side of the steak until it is browned.

To cook rare, make sure the inside is slightly pink. For medium-rare, only the center should be a little pink. For well done, cook it for a longer time till there is no pink.

Lookout for flare-ups, the oil often spits up and burns the meat when the steak is put in the pan. You can cook zebra in a crockpot or make zebra sausages as well.

Summing Up

People do eat zebra meat, however, it is not encouraged and you should better stick to the usual options. It is worth hundreds of dollars per pound but the delicious recipes make up for the high purchase price. Only the Burchell breed is allowed for consumption, not the other two.

Hi, I am Waqar and active in the horse world since 2012. I have MSc (Hons) in Agriculture from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad. I love to solve equine health care issues and note down in the form of research papers. I have written hundreds of equine health care, accessories, names, and history-related blogs. My equine related work is watering a lot of horse-related magazines and blogs.

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