What’s the native bird of Australia, the Emu, doing in Bengaluru? The meat is sitting pretty, all fatted up on menus in many cold storages, supermarkets and restaurants in the city. And come April, you might even have Emu sausages and seekh kebabs too!
From reports of the emu’s first sighting by European settlers in 1696 in Australia, the year 2012 has seen this bird native to Australia, find it’s place in farms across India, especially South India. And Emu meat is the flavour for meat eaters this season. And going by its alleged “ok” by the American Heart Association, it’s being touted as a heart healthy meat too.
Pradeep of SLV Emu Farms Hatchery has been breeding these flightless birds that were originally brought from the US, where they are a popular meat, “I have been farming for a year. The birds were first farmed in 1996 in Andhra Pradesh’s West Godaveri District. Since it has been approved by the American Heart Association, it is very popular in the US.”
Pradeep supplies to Thom’s, Lusitania, Frosties, Market Basket, Spar, Reliance and Easy Day. He is also waiting for paper work to be completed to distribute this meat to Foodworld and Spencers.
“The meat is a bit like turkey and has a shredy texture to it. It’s red meat that is good for the heart but since it is expensive, there are a few takers,” says David of Market Basket, who sells half kilo packets to the more eclectic meat eater.
Why eclectic? Eclectic? At Rs 450 per kilo, it might be a bit too steep for a regular meat option.
“The brochure claims that it is 98 per cent fat free, and it is meant to be low in cholesterol, organic and rich in iron and phosperous,” says a cold storage executive which also has many people interested.
Pradeep supplies close to five kilos to cold storages weekly and has a demand of 500 kilos weekly which he expects to go up. Sandeep, a pub owner who had it on his daily specials, especially during Christmas feels however that there are not that many takers as people are not aware of it yet. “We had it on the menu.”
Only, the burgeoning farms are proof of the meat’s slow but steady rise in popularity. Emu anyone?
