Venison originally meant the
meat of a
game animal but now refers primarily to the meat of
antlered ungulates such as
elk or
deer (or
antelope in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, including the
internal organs. Venison, much like
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...
or
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved ...
, is categorized into specific
cuts, including
roast
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizatio ...
,
sirloin, and
ribs.
Etymology
The word derives from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
''venari'', meaning "to hunt or pursue". This term entered the
English language
English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...
through
Norman French ''venaison'' in the 11th century, following the
Norman conquest
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conq ...
of England and the establishment of
Royal Forests.
Definition
''Venison'' originally described meat of any game animal killed by
hunting
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
and was applied to any animal from the
families ''
Cervidae'' (
true deer), ''
Leporidae'' (
rabbits and
hares), ''
Suidae
Suidae is a family of artiodactyl mammals which are commonly called pigs, hogs or swine. In addition to numerous fossil species, 18 extant species are currently recognized (or 19 counting domestic pigs and wild boars separately), classified in ...
'' (
wild boar) and certain species of the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''
Capra'' (
goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
s and
ibex
An ibex (plural ibex, ibexes or ibices) is any of several species of wild goat (genus ''Capra''), distinguished by the male's large recurved horns, which are transversely ridged in front. Ibex are found in Eurasia, North Africa and East Africa ...
).
In
southern Africa, the word ''venison'' refers to the meat of
antelope, a ''
Bovidae''
taxon
In biology, a taxon ( back-formation from '' taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular n ...
, as there are no native ''Cervidae'' in
sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...
.
Qualities
Venison may be eaten as
steaks,
tenderloin,
roasts,
sausage
A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders. ...
s,
jerky, and
minced meat. It has a flavor reminiscent of
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...
. Cuts of venison tend to have a finer texture and be leaner than comparable cuts of beef. However, like beef, leaner cuts can be tougher as well. Venison burgers are typically so lean as to require the addition of
fat in the form of bacon, beef, olive oil, or cheese to achieve parity with
hamburger cooking time, texture, and taste.
Organ meats
Offal (), also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the organs of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but usually excludes muscle. Offal may also refer ...
(offal) of deer can also be eaten. Traditionally, they are called ''hombres'' (
originally the Middle English ''hombres''). This is supposedly the origin of the phrase "
humble pie", meaning a pie made from the organs of the deer.
Venison is considered to be a relatively healthy meat for human consumption. Since deer are inherently wild animals living on grass and wild plants, their meat can be consumed as part of a naturally
healthy diet. Venison is higher in moisture and
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...
, and the protein is more diverse in
amino acids and lower in
calories
The calorie is a unit of energy. For historical reasons, two main definitions of "calorie" are in wide use. The large calorie, food calorie, or kilogram calorie was originally defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of ...
,
cholesterol
Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell memb ...
, and fat than most cuts of grain-fed beef,
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved ...
, or
lamb.
Health concerns
Since it is unknown whether
chronic wasting disease (CWD), a
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy among deer (similar to
mad cow disease, scientifically known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy), can pass from deer to humans through the consumption of venison, there have been some fears of dangerous contamination of the food supply from wild deer carrying CWD. The disease has been found among farmed deer in the US and western Canada, but New Zealand has not identified the disease among its herd.
Deer farmers have had tests developed especially for the particular species they raise to obtain better results than those used on cattle. Hunters are advised not to shoot a deer that appears sick or is acting strangely, and they are also advised to take general precautions in examining the meat from deer they have killed.
Religious issues
Deer is a
kosher animal according to Jewish religious law and a
halal animal according to Muslim religious law. Deer hunting is prohibited by Orthodox Judaism, as deer must be
slaughtered,
deveined, and salted according to the principles of
kashrut. Venison is occasionally found at upscale
kosher restaurants, but it is generally not sold at kosher grocery stores. Deer hunting is allowed in Islam, provided that a Muslim deer hunter says the name of
Allah when shooting the deer. However, young deer who cannot run away are considered
haram according to Sharia Law .
Availability
Czech Republic
Venison (as well as other
game meats, mainly
wild boar) is a part of
traditional cuisine and is commonly eaten, not considered a specialty. Dishes such as deer
goulash are often on restaurant menus. A variety of venison (
roe,
red and
fallow deer,
mouflon) and other game meat is widely available in butcher shops in fresh state, distributed by wholesalers, as well as in big retail chains such as Tesco, at prices similar to beef or pork, around 200 CZK or 8 EUR per kilogram. Despite the popularity and low prices, in recent years the production of venison has surpassed demand, and is therefore often used in production of animal food.
England
In England,
hunting rights
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, e ...
were restricted in an effort to preserve
property rights. As a result, the possession and sale of venison was tightly regulated under English law, although it is readily available commercially.
New Zealand
New Zealand has large populations of wild and farmed deer, making venison a relatively common meat. It is widely available in supermarkets.
United Kingdom
Kosher venison is available in the United Kingdom. Unavailable for over a century, beginning in 2019 the venison was imported from an unnamed European country and sold by a kosher meat company.
United States
In the United States, venison is less common at retail due to the requirement that the animal be first inspected by
USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...
inspectors. There are very few
abattoirs which process deer in North America, and most of this venison is destined for restaurants. Most venison sold through retail in the United States are farmed from New Zealand and
Tasmania. It is available through some high-end specialty grocers and some chains which focus on more "natural" meats. Non-retail venison is often obtained through hunting and self-processing, or contracting to small meat processing facilities to do the processing for the hunter, but sale of the finished meat is usually illegal.
The American sandwich chain
Arby's gained attention in October 2016 when word leaked through
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social me ...
that they were about to test a venison sandwich. Arby's later confirmed that they had selected 17 stores in Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wisconsin (all major
deer hunting states) to offer a venison sandwich during a four-day test during those states'
hunting seasons. Both due to curiosity and heavy demand from hunters, the sandwiches sold out in all markets on the first day of the test.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Venison
Native American cuisine
Vermont cuisine
Cuisine of West Virginia
Deer