Game birds and cooking programmes

Hi Kathy

I didn't think it was a modern idea at all. As far as I am aware eating game goes back centuries. And as well as individual game birds and the "bird within a bird, within a bird, within a bird, times however many it is" recipe, venison and rabbit were also eaten. Interestingly, many of these are now reappearing in supermarkets.

Squirrel

Kathy, I have to agree with Squirrel. We,as a nation,  have always eaten these game birds. We have to be realistic, the majority of us are meat eaters but don't like to think of the lamb etc. on our plate. The same applies to the birds offered to us to eat. Most are just raised to end up on our dinner plate and 'we' would rather not dwell on the subject.

Hi all,

I'm going to open myself up to criticism on this thread and I really don't mind but this is how I feel.

Many years ago, I went lambing with a friend to help another friend of hers who kept some sheep on a farm.  I spent a whole day helping out the ewes give birth  watching as the lambs were given life and rubbing them down as they hit the straw.   This was about 15 years ago I haven't eaten lamb since.  Before then I loved roast lamb, it was my favourite roast dinner. I do however eat beef, pork and chicken.  Hypocritical as it is, I would propbably stop eating these too if I had been there for the birth of any one of them.

Hi Kezmo

I don't think that is hypocritical at all. As I see it, due to your experience, you saw lambs in a completely different environment to the way most of us see them. If from that experience you felt unable to continue to eat lamb then you did the right thing in making a conscious decision to abstain. What would have been hypocritical is if you had felt as you do but still eaten it.

Hi Squirrel

Thank you.

Basically what I was trying to say is that people will turn a blind eye to what is and isn't "acceptable".  I agree with Brenda H, If we were to think too hard about where our food came from, all the animal lovers (me included) would be left with a nasty taste in their mouth!

I see where you are coming from Squirrel with what you say that it is human nature for people to hunt for their food. 

I just feel there is enough choice for us on the supermarket shelves already with getting to carried away with ourselves.  Can some birds/animals not be allowed to remain sacred from all our plundering.

Again with the lambs - you see them going through the process of being born, and it will tug at your heart strings.  Lamb are so cute looking when they are small.

Is it silly to see that duck and chicken are socially acceptable as normal foods we buy from the supermarket? They Have been living creatures after all.    If Teal, or Woodcock appeared that would be upsetting for some of us as bird lovers to deal with.

It is not the fact that we are meat eaters - it just the unusual source of the meat with these 'wild' game birds that I find hard to get my head around.

Kenzo: Maybe we are too soft hearted about it all.  Still like to see rarier wild birds in the wild though.{thumbs up}

By the way the person who produced the Game Skewers won, is coming back onto the programme once more - Firday I think!

Regards

Kathy and Dave

Hi Blackbird

I agree entirely  - sorry I went off on a tangent in my last post without really understanding what you were saying.

With all the choice that supermarkets provide is there really a need to sacrifice the rarer birds.  That's the trouble tho isn't it, there are those "foodies" out there who would quite readily spend a small fortune to obtain that one ingredient, and especialy if it is rare or hard to come by.

On a lighter note, you never know in a few years time, the unthinkable may happen - the "turkey twizzler" might make a come back!.....(i sincerely hope not!)

Unknown said:

On a lighter note, you never know in a few years time, the unthinkable may happen - the "turkey twizzler" might make a come back!.....(i sincerely hope not!)

 

Crikey Kezmo... steady on there... you'll be championing chicken nuggets next! (tee hee)

It's a hard one! Horse is widely eaten on the continent but having worked with horses for many years (a few years ago now) I couldn't bare the thought of it as food.... Same as hares.... I'm really lucky to see them almost daily and love watching & photographing them (some pics in galleries), and again, the idea of eating one horrifies me! I won't eat rabbit either having had a rabbit as a pet when I was younger.... yet as an animal lover, I still eat meat! I won't eat Highland cow meat as I think they're gorgeous, but will happily tuck in to a nice roast beef dinner! Crazy!