https://www.businessinsider.co...al-scientists-2023-1


Zebra meat should be on the braai, say Stellenbosch animal scientists

Business Insider SA Dave Chambers ,

South Africans hunt zebras mainly for their skin and most of their flesh is exported to horse-eating countries, study says.
When 20 stallions were butchered in the Western Cape, scientists reported a good yield of lean, nutritious meat and plentiful offal.

Zebras are a valuable protein source that can boost food security, especially in rural areas.
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Nine out of 10 South Africans are meat eaters, so there’s a good chance they enjoyed a braai over the holidays. But there’s very little chance they ate zebra.

That may soon change, though, because new evidence from animal scientists at Stellenbosch University shows zebras are an ideal species for meat production.


Zebras produce some of the leanest meats in the world, with an average of 0.5g of fat per 100g and high levels of protein, zinc, iron, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids.

The new findings come as the government puts the finishing touches to SA’s new game meat strategy, which aims to formalise, transform and expand an industry dominated by impala, springbok, kudu, wildebeest and blesbok.

The meat and offal yield from a zebra compares favourably to many game, equine and livestock species, says an analysis of 20 carcasses published last month in the journal Animals.

“The considerable contribution of the edible byproducts and the high muscle yield indicate that the Plains zebra can potentially be used as a valuable protein source, thereby contributing to food security in especially rural areas of SA,” it says.

The leanness and high nutritional value of equine meat makes it popular in several European countries, and most zebra meat harvested in SA is exported. Locally, hunters target zebras mainly for their skins.

When student Angelique Myburgh realised little research had been done into zebras as a source of food, she launched her study with the assistance of lecturer Helet Lambrechts and the then-head of Stellenbosch’s animal sciences department, Louw Hoffman.

Eight zebra stallions were killed by a hunter with shots to the head in the winter of 2017 at a farm near Bredasdorp in the Western Cape, and another 12 were culled in January 2018 at the Quagga Project at Elandsberg Nature Reserve near Riebeeck Kasteel.

The valuable skin was removed, followed by the head, hooves and offal, then the carcasses were quartered and seven muscles were removed and weighed. They included loin, topside, silverside, eye of the round and fillet.

The highest-yielding animal produced 24.15kg of meat, and the average was 18.5kg. Edible offal, including the gastrointestinal tract, liver, heart, lungs, kidneys and spleen, amounted to about 110kg on average, with a maximum of 136kg.

Offal is a low-cost, nutrient-rich protein, says Myburgh, and part of the traditional diet for most South Africans, meaning the contribution from zebras has the potential to improve food security, especially in rural areas.

The animals harvested in winter yielded more protein, and Myburgh says this is probably due to seasonal differences in diet and foraging behaviour. “The differences found between the two groups are most likely due to the effect of the harvesting season on subcutaneous fat deposition and, as a result, body composition,” she says.

Zebras have other factors in their favour besides a good yield of healthy meat, says Myburgh. “They are physiologically and behaviourally adapted to survive in semi-arid conditions with low-quality forage. They are a good candidate for mixed-species farming and can be maintained at higher stocking densities than similar-sized ruminants in grasslands of poor nutritional quality.”

Last July, the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment published a draft game meat strategy which says zebras make up 4.4% of SA’s game population.

The game meat industry has considerable growth potential, the document says, especially in the domestic market because of the ban on exporting meat from cloven-hoofed animals until SA is declared free of foot and mouth disease.

“The game meat industry performs predominantly in the informal market while about 10% of game meat enters the retail market,” the document says.

“The industry in general is very fragmented. The aim of this strategy will thus be to create a formalised game meat industry [and] to achieve economies of scale necessary for commercial ventures based primarily on game meat production, harvesting, processing, distribution and marketing.

“The game meat industry is largely untransformed, and there is a very low participation rate of previously disadvantaged individuals. In addition, there are large areas of community-owned land suitable for plains game. [This] provides an opportunity for community-based enterprises to drive rural socio-economic development.”

A KwaZulu-Natal butcher who stocks zebra meat lists prices on its website as R105/kg for goulash, R110 for steak and R190 for fillet.

My second favorite game meat. Cape buffalo barely edges it out.

Excellent article, Thanks, Kathi.

All of the zebra meat from the animals we took in southern Namibia was distributed to the farm workers. While these people did not appear to be undernourished, they nonetheless happily received the zebra meat, indicating to me that they liked it just fine.

On the other hand, springbock carcasses were immediately put into the chiller for sale to commercial outlets. Other antelope meat appeared to be divvied up between the farm owner family and the farm workers.

Ever since eating mountain zebra in Namibia I've said "If horse tastes that good, it's no wonder they eat them in other countries."

I admit early on I refused to eat zebra due to the horse thing.

After getting talked in to trying it, it really is very good.

I now ask for it.

Just make sure all the nasty yellow fat is off of it!

I love zebra. Had it consistently in Namibia, along with Gemsbok that is regularly fed to safari clients in Namibia. Of course, over 16 safaris, I've tried most all of the game meats in many countries, but zebra fillets and zebra appetizers in Namibia were outstanding.

Thanks for posting, Kathi. Zebra is absolutely one of the best reds meat I've ever eaten; it's like the finest steak you can get and then some. One of my favorites.

On our RSA hunt last year, I claim 51% of the reason I shot a Zebra was so we could have some for dinner while we were there. I told the PH and we made it so!

Zebra is my favorite meat.

Thus far, zebra has been my favorite game meat in Africa. I’ve enjoyed it all but zebra has a large lead over anything else I’ve tried.

I am pretty sure that if a zebra steak was presented as something else one would not know the difference.

Zebra is a favourite game meat. The fat does need to be trimmed properly. This differs somewhat from the Burchells to the Mountain Zebra I am told (which I have yet to hunt!)

The build of zebra also provides a lot of meat and the muscular hindquarters make for a very different meat yield vs. most of our antelope.

Zebra is great meat. Tastes similar to horse which is excellent meat as well.
My favourite would be Eland

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:
I am pretty sure that if a zebra steak was presented as something else one would not know the difference.

That's actually how I came to like it. On my first safari, I took the "Pepsi challenge" with 4 or 5 different kinds of game off the braai. Zebra was the winner.

I've enjoyed zebra steak at Joe's Beerhouse in Windhoek. My grandfather told stories of eating horse in WWII when he was in India and how awful it was. So, maybe I didn't expect much when I ordered zebra. But I was pleasantly surprised.

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
I admit early on I refused to eat zebra due to the horse thing.

After getting talked in to trying it, it really is very good.

I now ask for it.

Just make sure all the nasty yellow fat is off of it!

Exactly the same for me.

Years ago Karl Stumpfe at Ndumo Safaris had a chef that made a zebra cordon bleau that was superb.

One of my favorites also. Yum!

Mark

I also heard the story that Burchell zebra is better than the mountain zebra species.
We hunt mountain zebra on my ranch and I sell the meat to the local butcher, but get about 67% per kg that I do for the other game.
Nothing goes to waste, unlike suggested by the original article (pet food, etc.) as this all gets worked into sausage of some kind by the butcher.
I admit to not eating it myself as I am spoilt by having an abundance of springbuck, kudu, black wildebeest, gemsbuck, etc., not to mention Karoo lamb/mutton and free ranging beef.

Typical scientists, they analyse it and say its great. Bit like reading the label on a bottle of wine, but not tasting it!
Eland, Gemsbuck and Springbuck are streets ahead of any of the Zebra that I have tasted. IMHO

I have eaten zebra.

Where it is breaded and fried.

Didn’t like it much.

But I don’t like meat cooked that way either.

I don’t mind chicken, but meat, no.

I have eaten Zebra.

Top of the list is, eland, kudu, impala, waterbuck, gemsbok, springbok, bushbuck, warthog, bushpig, Nyala, reedbuck, Cape buffalo, hartebeest, the toughest was wildebeest.

I am thinking it rolled down to who is doing the cooking. As one camp chef will make a stunning meal and another camp chef it is so so.

I had zebra filets from one I took in Zambia last year and it was excellent.Just the PH and I ate it as everyone else in camp wouldn't eat it.The PH even took a backstrap home with him at the end of the hunt.

No question about it, zebra is truly delicious. Have had mountain zebra in Namibia on the braai and, memorably, done as Thai green curry.

Have also eaten horse in France while a student at the University of Grenoble. It is not to my taste, too sweet.

Regards, Tim

Mountain zebra - YUM!!! Absolutely delicious. I always find it interesting that folks that live and hunt there sometimes have never eaten wart hog or mtn. zebra or guinea fowls. Embarrassent of riches, I reckon.

Had Hartmann’s Zebra backstraps cooked over a braai in Namibia when I hunted there many years ago. It was the best meat I had ever tasted in my life, including some very nice restaurants. I was gobsmacked!

I then had Zebra again in another country, and it was just OK. It was not a Hartmann’s.

So, one is left to wonder, was it the type of Zebra, or was it the chef in the kitchen?

Regardless, the fact that the first Zebra was the finest meat I have ever eaten, to this day, speaks high praise for this game animal as table fare.

It’s the chef for damn near everything.

Ive eaten zebra on ocassion, depends on the cook.

I prefer Eland, Hartebeast, IMpala, springbok..Buffalo loins..buff can be tough since we only shoot mature bulls but an older calf just weaned would be like prime beef, thats what it is.

quote:

Originally posted by FMC:
My second favorite game meat. Cape buffalo barely edges it out.

So…. You don’t get out much, huh? Plenty of other meats that are better, though these are both are ‘good enough’.

Mt.Zebra yes. Burchell no.

quote:

Originally posted by Slider:
Mt.Zebra yes. Burchell no.

This, and other posts above, are the exact opposite of what I had heard!
Good to hear the positives.

Folks,

I generally like game meat. Elephant and hippo are just too chewy. If I'm looking for a workout I'll try something else.

One of the very best meals I've had on safari was Lichenstein's hartebeest back strap that I cooked. Medium rare and delicious.

Mark