What's the best and worst African tasting game meat?

[Slugs Away]

I hear that zebra tastes good?

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

My 12 year old convinced some skeptical folks to cook and eat meat from his zebra, his first big game animal of any kind, and.....we all liked it!

 

[Ridge Top Ranch]

Everything we had tasted good in Zim and South Africa. My PH said he did not like the taste of lion after we shot one. He said it was very chewy. Tracker and skinner both wanted it though.

 

[thriller]

For the most part there is not bad meat just bad cooks, there are always exceptions to the rule but in most cases this holds true

 

[Royal27]

This question comes up every so often and is always a good one.

The "worst" I've had is hippo. It wasn't bad per se, just rather flavorless. I had it a couple of times so it wasnt just the way it was cooked. Hippo lasagna is bleh, and buffalo lasagna is amazing!

On the best side I'd include Eland, Gemsbok, and Kudu.

For the most part there is not bad meat just bad cooks, there are always exceptions to the rule but in most cases this holds true

Totally agree.

 

[kathy]

All the planes game I have eaten were very good, Zebra being my favorite, then Eland. Forrest

 

[bluey]

my favourite is red hartebeest ,
and the least favourite was crocodile , it looked and tasted reasonable , but left a muddy after tatse .

 

[ActionBob]

Springbuck! And mountain reedbuck... The little to mid sized critters I've had were really good. Wildebeest and kudu is great, Eland I had several times and the way it was prepared it was like beef.

I shot a really old buffalo, thought it would terrible and didn't even want to try it. But the PH grilled up the inner filet's and it was great!

Elephant tasted good, but you will be chewing it for days

 

[gizmo]

I've never met an animal I didn't didn't like. Some where better than others but zebra is the best.

 

[Royal27]

I've never met an animal I didn't didn't like. Some where better than others but zebra is the best.

It is always interesting that the clients really seem to like zebra, but when you talk to the outfitters they don't.

 

[gizmo]

It is always interesting that the clients really seem to like zebra, but when you talk to the outfitters they don't.

That's true. They looked at me like I had ten heads but it was delicious.

 

[CAustin]

Elephant meat tastes OK but it's very difficult to chew! I thought that Kudu meat had a little bit of an odd taste. Now Sable and Cape Buffalo are simply Outstanding.

 

[Hank2211]

Funny that so may like zebra. Personally, I find the meat quite 'sweet', and not in a good way. And if you aren't careful how you cook it, all of that yellow fat can be overpowering.

On the best side, Buffalo tail stew (oxtail to us) is the best.

Having said that, cooking is likely the key, but even with the best meat - and I include sable and bongo in this category - after a week of eating off of the same animal without refrigeration - it gets a bit old. In lots of ways.

 

[dobber]

my wife can make a prime rib roast that would turn you off beef of any kind, so have to agree its the cook more than the meat, but wild meat also needs to have the care and prep it deserves
Everything i tried i liked when in SA

 

[SHOEDOG]

My favorite was Duiker backstraps
I didn't care much for Springbok though...

 

[Scott Slough]

Warthog sausages, gemsbok and buffalo tenderloins on the brain were as good as any meat I have ever eaten!

 

[35bore]

Everything was good. I was quite surprised how good zebra meat tasted. The worst meat I ate in Africa was at the Johannesburg airport, club sandwich.

 

[Rob404]

I enjoyed Kudu and Impala especially the Impala, of course Sabina Troskie can make anything taste great

 

[Desperatezulu]

Bushpig is hard to beat, especially if it's been living on sugar cane. Of the antelope, springbok and reedbuck are probably tops. Eland and gemsbok taste a lot like beef - pleasant but not especially interesting. The condition of the animal also has a huge impact - old animals shot at the end of winter are usually in poor condition, so the meat is super lean and therefore tends to be dry and tough.

Worst I've ever tried was hare - not sure if some went wrong in the prep but it tasted like turpentine!

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Another vote for Zebra.