The smooth texture and mild flavor of goat cheese is a common ingredient in American cuisine, making its way onto sandwiches, pizza, salads and omelets. However, the rest of the goat is also gaining popularity in the food department. Recently, goat meat has become the "other" red meat.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture's [USDA] Foreign Agricultural Service, America imported three million pounds of goat meat in 1990. The number quadrupled to 12.6 million in 2001. Furthermore, at USDA-inspected facilities, the goat-slaughter rate more than doubled to 560,000 goats during the same decade.
While goat meat has long been a staple of other cultural cuisines, it is moving from the American margins to the American mainstream due to its beneficial nutritional content.
Figures published by the USDA show that goat meat's protein content is comparable to that of prepared beef, while goat has 50-60 percent lower fat. It is also reported that goat meat has 40 percent less saturated fat than skinless chicken.
Sara Wilson, a registered dietitian (RD) who is a second year graduate student at Tufts' Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, believes that goat meat is "a healthy alternative to lean beef or chicken."
"A three ounce portion of goat meat contains 0.8 grams of saturated fat and a 3-ounce boneless skinless chicken breast has 0.86 grams saturated fat," Wilson said. "In terms of the amounts of artery-clogging saturated fatty acids, goat meat is nearly identical to chicken - both are very low."
Wilson added that goat meat also has 80 percent more zinc and 70 percent more iron - and 20 fewer calories - per same-size serving as a boneless, skinless chicken breast.
Normally, Wilson does not eat red meat. After seeing the nutrient profile of goat meat, however, she said she would be open to a little taste.
Michael Crosier, who is also an RD and a third year PhD student in the nutritional biochemistry program at Tufts, has already tasted the animal that most Americans equate with cheese and farms.
"I liked it," Crosier said. "It had a little of that 'gamey' taste like deer meat."
Crosier agrees with Wilson that the nutrient profile of goat meat is better than traditional beef or even chicken. "This is good if you're a meat eater," he said.
Another component of the rising popularity of goat meat stems from the steadily increasing influx of ethnic cultures. As more people immigrate to America, they bring both their traditions and their foods with them. Muslims use goat meat for religious dishes, while people from India often use the meat for curries. In addition, goat meat is a staple in a variety of stews in Jamaican cuisine.
Senior Rafeya Khan, whose family has South Asian ancestry, was often served goat meat during family meals. "It is almost as common as any other kind of meat," Khan said. "Goat meat is most often incorporated into various curry dishes and in a dish called 'biryani' in which the meat - either goat, chicken, beef, or shrimp - is cooked together with rice, onions, and other spices."
Goat meat, according to Khan, is especially prevalent in dishes during the Islamic festivities of Eid ul Adha. Muslims across the world celebrate Eid ul Adha, or "The Festival of Sacrifice," in honor of the Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac to God. To reward Abraham, God allowed Isaac to live, giving Abraham a sheep to sacrifice in Isaac's stead. To celebrate this event, Muslims are urged to sacrifice domestic animals such as goats.
Like Khan, sophomore Rida Bilgrami was raised eating goat meat. Originally from Pakistan, Bilgrami had always heard that goat meat was preferable to beef and lamb.
Bilgrami enjoys the taste, believing it to be more tender and able to absorb spices better than beef or lamb. "I have tried goat meat in all its forms, including a curry made entirely of minced goat brain, and I highly recommend it," she said.
Not everyone, however, is receptive to the concept of eating the goat. When Khan was in elementary school, her classmates often thought it was "strange" that her family ate the meat. "But as I got older, it wasn't seen as that strange," she said.
