Americans searching for a healthier alternative to beef may need to adjust their taste buds a bit before trying the low-fat meat of emu, a flightless bird native to Australia. Emu is a healthy alternative to other red meats, dietitians say, but a survey of consumers by an Ohio University researcher suggests that Americans prefer beef over the unfamiliar taste of emu.
Participants rated beef and turkey higher than emu for tenderness, texture and overall acceptability. Beef was rated the highest for flavor, with turkey and emu rated equally, although some participants said emu had a “gamey” taste, says David Holben, assistant professor of human and consumer sciences at Ohio University and lead author of the study.
Beef was rated higher in flavor than all other meats , Holben says, probably because of its familiar flavor and fat content. A 4-ounce serving of emu has 1 gram of fat, while the same size serving of beef has 8 grams of fat.
