Every time when you go to the zoo, you most probably never miss watching peacocks.
People all around the world love these magnificent creatures for their large colorful feathers and aesthetic beauty overall. But at the same time, there are places where people also eat these beautiful birds.
So, can you eat peacocks? Are they edible? How do they taste like? And what to consider before tasting peacock meat for the first time?
If you are wondering about all these questions and looking for answers, then this article is definitely dedicated to you. Keep reading to discover more about the topic.
Do People Eat Peacocks?
Although eating peacock meat isn’t that common like ducks, chickens, turkeys, or quails, people still do eat it in some parts of the planet.
To be more specific, in some parts of China and India, peacock meat is known to be sold at an expensive rate especially for those who look for some exotic taste.
However, in the United States, the market of peacock is quite niche compared to the market of China and India. Not all the species of peacocks are edible, except a few.
In most cases, Green Peacocks are mostly eaten in different parts of the world. Those who haven’t tried it yet, find it really awkward, but those who tasted it already, eat it with delicacy in most cases.
Is It Legal To Eat Peacock Meat?
Different countries/states have different laws in terms of peacock consumption, but one can take permission from the respective authority to have a peacock meal if there’s any legal procedure.
Meanwhile, in some parts of the world, it’s strictly prohibited to eat peacocks just to save the non-native species from getting extinct.
Though it’s not illegal to eat peacock meat in America, they are pretty rare to find for human consumption.
Unlike Flamingos and Owls, the peacock is not a nationally protected bird species in the US. They are not even considered as an endangered species as well, so if someone wants to eat their meat, they can.
But, not every state allows you to eat peacocks without taking authority’s permission.
Depending on the place you are living in, you might need to take permission first before you consume one. In other states, it’s completely fine, if you can somehow manage to get one for consumption.
However in China, they have strict national laws to protect green peacocks, but at the same time, they do produce blue peacocks for human consumption purposes only. So, you can easily eat blue peacocks in China without worries.
If you are curious about the UK, then you should know that wildlife species are protected over there by their law. But that glad part is, peacocks don’t fall under the category of protected species over there.
So, you can eat peacock meat even in the UK without any legal consequences. In the United Kingdom, peacock meat is often served on special occasions.
France is the only place where people don’t get surprised when they are served peacock meat dishes.
In fact, French people love eating peacocks and their chefs present it in boiled, fried, stewed, and soup forms.
Now when it comes to India, it was completely legal to taste peacock meat until the mid-’60s of the last century.
But, now they are marked as protective bird species and you can’t eat them legally. With all these restrictions and limitations, people still do eat peacock meat illegally in many parts of the world.
How Does Eating Peacock Taste Like?
When it comes to the taste of peacock meat, it more or less tastes like turkey meat. In most cases, people usually eat blue and green peacocks and they are perfectly edible.
Those who have tasted peacock meat, have expressed that it tastes more tender and flavorful than chicken meat.
Having said that, there’s no wonder that peacock meat tastes really delicious. Though, depending on the process of cooking, the taste may vary from one another.
Then again, a peacock’s habitat and diet also have effects on its taste to a great extent. The more naturally they will be raised, the more delicate and tastier their meat will be.
However the taste is, it is definitely worth trying once in a lifetime! So, if you are willing to taste peacock’s meat for the first time, check out the cooking process below.
How To Cook Peacock Meat?
Cooking peacock isn’t that different than cooking other regular meat like chicken, duck, turkey, pheasant, or quail.
Whether you are cooking it at home or out in nature, you can simply follow the same pattern as other bird meat. The meat is tender and it requires slow cooking to turn it into a delicious succulent meal.
While cooking peacock’s meat, make sure the breasts are roasted well as they don’t come up with fatty meatballs like other parts of it.
If you are cooking at home, then you can use your regular cooking pot or cooker, but if you are cooking it out over an open fire, it would be best to use a pot or enclosed oven.
However, cooking the legs of a peacock may require most of your cooking time to make them perfectly tasty and edible.
It can take up to 3 hours to complete the whole cooking process to let you enjoy perfectly tender and juicy peacock meat to satisfy your hungry belly!
Not only the meat, but also you can have the bones as well to meet your nutrients need for the next couple of days.
Here’s a video that explains everything you need to know about peacock cooking.
How Expensive Is Peacock Meat?
One of the reasons why most people don’t try eating peacock meat is its price range.
Compared to regular sources of meat, they are really pricey and not even found in most parts of the world that easily. The price is quite even higher when they are imported from other countries.
According to the sources of the exotic market of meat, the price can reach up to 300 USD. So, you can easily assume, why this isn’t a regular form of meat for most people.
Is It Safe To Eat Peacock Meat?
Now a lot of you may wonder, is it really safe to eat peacock meat? What if there are health risks? What do experts have to say in this regard?
Well, it is completely safe to eat peacock meat but you have to consider a few things just like any other meat.
First thing first, when you cook peacock meat, make sure it is slowly thoroughly cooked just like chicken meat. There shouldn’t be any pink traces left that may contain bacteria, otherwise, you may get sick from eating.
Next, you should have a clear idea about the source of your meat, like where does it come from. Just like any other meat source, it is also important just to ensure that it was raised well by reputable farmers.
And also don’t forget to ask about the ‘species kind’ of your peacock meat from the seller. Because only two types of peacock meat are edible as you know.
Then again, out of these two, Green peacock is not even legal to eat in some parts of the world. So, you have to be aware of the fact that you are not becoming the reason to help peacocks go extinct.
Health Benefits of Eating Peacock Meat
So, is there any health benefit of eating peacock meat? Certainly, there is-
- Like other sources of protein, it’s high-protein meat that you can comfortably eat.
- Peacock meat is a great source of Vitamin B6, B12, iron, and potassium.
- Unlike other meat, peacock meat contains less fat. Less fat means low cholesterol, which is good for maintaining a healthy diet.
Are Peacock Eggs Edible?
Now that you know whether peacock meat is edible or not, let’s get into the discussion of peacock eggs.
Can you eat peacock eggs? How do they taste like? Well, to be very honest, peacock eggs are perfectly edible and they are quite delicious according to those who have tasted.
When you eat a peacock egg for the first time, you may feel like you are actually eating a chicken egg. But after eating it several times, you may recognize the differences.
Compared to a chicken egg yolk, peacock egg’s yolk is much sweeter and richer in its taste. However, the white sticky part is almost the same.
In terms of size, a peacock egg is almost 3 times bigger than a chicken egg. And it can weigh from 3 ounces up to 4.2 ounces.
A peacock egg means a perfect omelet for a human being!
Final words
Throughout the whole article, we tried our best to give you a comprehensive idea about Peacock meat and all related queries regarding it.
We hope you got the answer to this question “Can you eat peacock?” pretty well.
So, if you ever get a chance to taste this delicious source of exotic meat, never miss the chance!