How do you like your Sunday lunch? Are you sure you’re happy with beef alongside your Yorkshire puddings or would you prefer a good chunk of boar? Could a slice of kangaroo offer a tasty replacement for lamb? Well across the world there are numerous tastes which just aren’t embraced over here in the UK. Here’s a list of the best alternatives for you to smother in gravy and throw alongside your roast potatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alligator – Southern United States

Anyone for scales and teeth? Alligator is a meaty treat mostly eaten in the Southern areas of the United States, particularly in Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, and Texas, where it is legal to hunt your own and cook it up for your tea. If you’re a little less adventurous then there are alligator farms where you can grab a portion without wrestling with it first. The meat, like many others, apparently tastes of chicken, with the most popularly eaten parts being the gators backbone and tail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kangaroo – Australia

One bite of Australia’s bouncy marsupial will be sure to put a spring in your step. With nutritional properties similar to a hunk of beef, it can also be minced and cubed before serving. It is a lot easier to find in the UK and is actually sold in two of our local supermarkets. So if you do get a sudden craving for some tender ‘roo then get down to Iceland and cook up some burgers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wild Boar – Europe/ Africa

Wild boar is the type of meat that you see in every movie or television show that involves a scene with a medieval banquet. Ever wanted to live like royalty with the head of a boar sitting as the centrepiece to your table? Well maybe not to that extent, but wild boar should definitely be something you try instead of your usual bacon every now and again. It is leaner and healthier than pork due to a high concentration of amino acids. So next time you’re feeling peckish for pork, fry up some wild boar and eat like a king. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horse – Asia

Let’s be honest, we all probably had a taste of horse when the whole lasagna scandal took over the UK and nobody ever really noticed a difference. That’s because horse is again rather similar to beef. In the early days of the planet earth, horse was eaten all the time. Many warriors in Asia lived off the stuff, although I’m not sure how they got to their wars after eating their transport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ostrich – South Africa

Red meat from a bird may not be something you expect to see, however, it is well worth a try of this South African delicacy, especially now that you can easily pick up a couple of ostrich fillets from your local shop. Ostrich is low in cholesterol and fat and nutritionists say that it contains half the amount of fat than your portion of beef. What’s not to love?

 

This list is only an example of a small amount of meat available around the world and doesn’t even touch on the likes of donkey, bison and reptile. With more and more of these flavours making it over to the UK there is now more opportunity than ever to give them a try, either buying them yourself and cooking up a plateful, or looking out for food festivals in your local towns and cities which always have a wide variety on offer.