The Other Other White Meat Trivia Quiz

Answer: frog

Frogs are tailless amphibians that live in damp areas. They can be found throughout most of the world.

Frogs have relatively little meat on them, which is why only their legs are sold as food. Like many meats, frog legs are said to taste like chicken; frog meat is soft and very mild-flavored. Though commonly associated with French cuisine, frog legs are also popular in the southern United States, southeast Asia, and are available around the rest of the world as well.

Answer: horse

Horses are four-legged mammals, and have been used for transport since ancient times. Nearly all living horses are domesticated, with only a handful surviving in the wild.

Horses are seen as pets more than food animals, and rarely wind up on the menu as a result. Horse meat is somewhat sweet and similar to beef, and tends to get more tender as horses age. Horse meat is most commonly eaten in central Asia, but is sold throughout Europe, and became legal to consume in the United States in 2011 (following a temporary ban on its consumption). In Japan, it is sometimes served as sashimi.

Answer: bison

Bison are large, brown, bovine mammals found in North America, Europe, and Russia. They are often mistakenly called buffalo, a distinctly different bovine found in Africa and southeast Asia.

Both American and European bison were extremely common until they were nearly exterminated. American bison populations have rebounded enough that they are now considered a common animal. American bison are raised on farms and sold under the name buffalo: their meat is similar in taste to beef, but with a mushroom flavor. It cooks quickly because of its low fat content and can burn easily if overcooked.

Answer: alligator

Alligators are large, ancient reptiles found in the southern United States and China. They are similar to crocodiles, which can be found in the warmer parts of the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Africa.

Alligators have been raised for their skin since the 20th century, and this led to them being raised for their meat as well. Some of the choicest cuts of alligator include their ribs and tail meat. Alligator meat is most commonly sold in their native China and the southern United States, and exported to other countries as well.

Answer: ostrich

Ostriches are the largest and fastest living birds. They are flightless and native to Africa. In some countries, people race on ostriches.

Ostriches are commercially raised for their feathers, leather, large eggs, and meat. Their eggs can take hours to cook. Their meat is red, savory, and often sold as steaks or fillets. Ostriches are not picky about their climate of choice, and can be raised on farms throughout much of the world.

Answer: snake

Snakes are legless reptiles that range over much of the Earth's land and sea. Many are harmless to people, though a handful are venomous and actively dangerous to people.

Snakes are not a common food item, and relatively few make it on a menu. Rattlesnakes are the most commonly eaten snake, mainly in the southern United States and South America. Rattlesnake meat tends to be tough and fairly thin.

In eastern Asia, people sometimes drink cobra's blood with whiskey, and eat the cobra's heart with it. Snakes are sometimes steeped whole in whiskey to flavor it: such drinks are uncreatively known as snake whiskey.

Answer: kangaroo

Kangaroos are marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea. They are best-known for their strong hind legs and the pouches in which females carry their young.

Kangaroos are common, and their meat is often a byproduct of culling their numbers. Their use as food is relatively recent, having started in 1980. Kangaroo meat is sold in Australian supermarkets and exported to other countries around the world. It has a strong, gamey flavor.

Answer: duck

Ducks are birds from the Anatidae family, and are very common worldwide. Most are found near ponds or small bodies of water.

Though not as commonly consumed as chickens, duck eggs and meat are a relatively common source of food around the world. Duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs, and are sold fresh or preserved. Duck liver is fattened to make foie gras. Ducks are thinner and bonier than chickens, and are usually sold whole for dishes. Better-known duck dishes include Peking Duck, Turducken, and Long Island (Pekin) Roast Duck.

Answer: whale

Whales are cetaceans, and include the world's largest living animals. Millions were hunted through the 20th century, leading to severe depletion of all whale species. An international hunting ban was enacted as a result, but a few countries still kill whales for "research purposes," and natives in the extreme northern parts of the world are allowed occasional kills. Killing whales for research purposes is highly controversial.

Whale meat is sold in a few countries, notably Norway and Japan. Their large size leads to a variety of different cuts and products being sold. Blubber can be eaten raw, and meat is sometimes served as sashimi in Japan. Consuming whale meat can be dangerous, as they often contains high levels of mercury or industrial toxins.

Answer: shark

Sharks are an ancient order of carnivorous fish, and are some of the top predators in the oceans. Despite their fearsome reputation, they rarely attack people.

Sharks are often hunted solely for their fins, which are made into soup. This practice has led to overexploitation of many sharks, which are finned at sea and tossed back to die. In Europe, Asia, and Australia, sharks are sold for their meat, which is tender and fishlike. In Iceland, native sharks are putrefied and sold as a dish called hakarl. The process removes poisonous urea and trimethylamine oxide from the meat, and leaves it with a very distinct taste and odor.

Even when not naturally poisonous, sharks tend to accumulate high levels of toxins such as mercury in their bodies, making their consumption risky.