So here's a fun question. I know that muscle development is based on two things; diet and genetics. So here's my question, well two questions. Does meat taste different for each breed of rabbit? 2, is anyone aware of how diet affects the taste of the meat? (I had a friend claim that his turkeys tasted so good because they were free ranged in a pepper field and ate the peppers and blah blah blah)
Meat tastes
- Thread starter xa.logan
- Start date
Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:
3mina
Well-known member
No, the meat doesn't taste different with different breeds. I can't help with the second question since I don't feed forage, just pellets
3mina
Well-known member
Last time I looked there was no Angus breed of rabbit or was a COD handed out while I wasn't looking?
Rabbits are monogastrics and whatever they eat will flavor their meat. This means that if you feed them fish they will have a 'fishy' flavor.
In most species it is the tiny fat deposits in the muscle tissues that flavor the meat, however, rabbit meat is extreamly lean so the effect of diet on meat flavor will be minimized but their fat deposits will have the taint. Also, because rabbits have a large cecum and acquire a lot if nutrition from bacterial digestion the effect will not be to the same extent as seen in pork or poultry.
It is possible to breed an 'Angus' version in rabbits but rabbit meat is a very small market and have relatively small carcasses to judge if there is a noticeable difference in quality.
http://world-rabbit-science.com/WRSA-Pr ... Q0-Pla.pdf
https://ojs.upv.es/index.php/wrs/articl ... ad/366/353
http://www.ighz.edu.pl/files/objects/27 ... -148en.pdf
In most species it is the tiny fat deposits in the muscle tissues that flavor the meat, however, rabbit meat is extreamly lean so the effect of diet on meat flavor will be minimized but their fat deposits will have the taint. Also, because rabbits have a large cecum and acquire a lot if nutrition from bacterial digestion the effect will not be to the same extent as seen in pork or poultry.
It is possible to breed an 'Angus' version in rabbits but rabbit meat is a very small market and have relatively small carcasses to judge if there is a noticeable difference in quality.
http://world-rabbit-science.com/WRSA-Pr ... Q0-Pla.pdf
https://ojs.upv.es/index.php/wrs/articl ... ad/366/353
http://www.ighz.edu.pl/files/objects/27 ... -148en.pdf
Great info, Dood! Thanks! 
coffeenutdesigns
Well-known member
I would be interested in breed difference affecting flavor. Maybe someone here who has several different breeds of meat rabbits could chime in. A&M did the altex thing, maybe they have a better flavored meat? I haven't really looked up what much about Altex rabbits and whether any part of that project was meat flavor related.
Yeah. The reason I asked is because I was reading an article from some chef online an apparently one of the rabbit breeds is a little darker and is more comparative to turkey than to chicken. I wish I could remember we the article and the breed.
bowbuild
Well-known member
I feed sweet feed, and have hand selected my rabbits for fat content...yes there is a major taste difference.
coffeenutdesigns
Well-known member
What does the sweet feed do?
Molasses flavored rabbit sounds delicious.
I have eaten purebred AmChin, purebred Mini Lop and cross bred AmChin and haven't detected a noticeable difference in flavor. Although the mini lop was 'juicier' even though they were 16 weeks rather than the 8-12 week old meat breeds it may have been the way I cooked them. - whole roasted rather than boneless meat chunks..
I have eaten purebred AmChin, purebred Mini Lop and cross bred AmChin and haven't detected a noticeable difference in flavor. Although the mini lop was 'juicier' even though they were 16 weeks rather than the 8-12 week old meat breeds it may have been the way I cooked them. - whole roasted rather than boneless meat chunks..
DonnerSurvivor
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2013
- Messages
- 230
- Reaction score
- 0
Angus beef is about marketing not flavor. Any steer/heifer that comes through the plant that resembles a angus (basically anything mostly black) can be graded as CAB (certified Angus beef). The carcass must grade prime or choice and be under 1000 pounds have under a 2 inch hump etc etc. Many holstein and other crosses end up graded as CAB. When you buy a CAB steak you know you are getting a prime or choice steak but thats all you are getting. I have butchered and consumed many different breeds of cattle and I doubt myself or the avg person could tell the breeds apart just by flavor. Diet has everything to do with flavor, Breed not so much.Andrei":2a7m6wc7 said:
Ps I have nothing against Angus beef as my family has raised them for years, But selecting cattle for color just seems stupid. I hope this isnt to off topic but I think it relates.
DonnerSurvivor
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2013
- Messages
- 230
- Reaction score
- 0
When it comes to rabbits I couldnt tell you exactly. Most of the flavor is stored in the fat and with rabbits having little to no fat I cant imagine you would be able to greatly alter the taste. I find as most people would that grain fed beef taste far better than grass fed, Grain fed beef is typically marbled better (marbling is the small lines of fat that run through the meat) this gives the meat more flavor.xa.logan":22hkv02m said:
3mina
Well-known member
Andrei":892vl4et said:
I apologize, I was tired and cranky when I posted and I should know better than that.
Smoked a pasture rabbit today, tasted like chicken, except much better.
I wouldn't think that breed would effect it that much, except if more fat was common. Fat stores taste more-so than meat.
Smoked some more of my pasture/pellet boar today, too, he was lean, tasted a few times better than store pork.
I haven't tried farm raised pellet hog nor rabbit, so cannot compare those.
Have cooked a lot of buffalo from a local farm, mainly pasture fed, very good. But they season most of it, either way, still a heck of a lot better than anything in the store[beef]. I'll try picking up some non-seasoned buffalo, but it's so $$$$$!
Tastes 'nothing' like beef, it's just so far in it's own class you can't really compare it.
Oh, my rabbits have been several breeds, pure and mutt crosses, Cali, SF, couple NZ, Chin with other breeds, all taste the same, better than chicken. Even better than farm grown chicken that I raised and my own ducks.<br /><br />__________ Sat Jul 06, 2013 12:30 am __________<br /><br />What about that Asian beef? I forget what it's called, Kobe?? But nearly all, if not all, in the US is fake Kobe beef. People believe hype and advertizing, no one really seeks out the truth.
I wouldn't think that breed would effect it that much, except if more fat was common. Fat stores taste more-so than meat.
Smoked some more of my pasture/pellet boar today, too, he was lean, tasted a few times better than store pork.
I haven't tried farm raised pellet hog nor rabbit, so cannot compare those.
Have cooked a lot of buffalo from a local farm, mainly pasture fed, very good. But they season most of it, either way, still a heck of a lot better than anything in the store[beef]. I'll try picking up some non-seasoned buffalo, but it's so $$$$$!
Tastes 'nothing' like beef, it's just so far in it's own class you can't really compare it.
Oh, my rabbits have been several breeds, pure and mutt crosses, Cali, SF, couple NZ, Chin with other breeds, all taste the same, better than chicken. Even better than farm grown chicken that I raised and my own ducks.<br /><br />__________ Sat Jul 06, 2013 12:30 am __________<br /><br />What about that Asian beef? I forget what it's called, Kobe?? But nearly all, if not all, in the US is fake Kobe beef. People believe hype and advertizing, no one really seeks out the truth.
