Photo by Jez Timms on unsplash
Goat meat is the most widely consumed red meat in the world, feeding about 75 percent of the population. Its popularity in the United States is on the rise as more people from Asia, Africa, India and the Middle East begin to call the nation home.
Goat meat is a low-fat and low-calorie food, more than 50 percent lower in fat than American beef and about 40 percent less saturated fat than chicken.".
Most Americans' first experience with goat meat has likely been a curried goat dish served at an Indian or Jamaican restaurant. Promoters of the meat hope to get them to try it in other formats, like a burger or ground in spaghetti, lasagna, tacos, or goat jerky or summer sausage. When making beef stew, goat can be substituted if cooked a little longer to make it tender; it's very flavorful.
The goat meat industry is on the rise in the U.S., but 90 percent of America's supply still comes from Australia and New Zealand.
Most imported goat meat comes from feral animals that roam wild in the countryside and mountains of those countries, and are unscreened for parasites and diseases. The meat is of an inferior quality compared to goats raised on farms in the United States.
Goat meat is affordable, more lean and can be produced easily on small, sustainable farms.