Weird Or Good? Eating Ostrich

It sounds like the perfect food: Low in fat and cholesterol, high in protein, iron, and calcium, and tastes very similar to beef. But you still have to get past one tiny obstacle: It came from an oversized bird. You know, the one that gave us the feather duster.

Amazingly enough, ostrich is 90% lower in fat than beef and even has fewer calories than turkey, while still maintaining the richness and flavor of red meat. Unlike its counterparts, ostrich doesn't shrink when you cook it, making it ideal for burgers and steaks. As an added bonus, ostrich meat naturally repels the harmful bacteria responsible for those memorable summer barbeque-induced food poisoning cases.

So why isn't ostrich more popular in the US? Low demand means low availability, so help increase this easy swap-in's popularity by hunting it down at at farmers markets, small butchers, and specialty stores online. It won't run you much more than high-quality beef or pork and most ostrich is naturally raised, so your inner hippie and carnivore can co-exist peacefully.

Would you chow down on an ostrich burger? Slice into an ostrich steak? Tell us in the comments below.