White or Dark ??? The choice is yours

Greetings Carnivores,

Have you ever wondered why domestic Chickens and Turkeys have white meat AND dark ?? I mean, why isn’t it all consistently one colour?

I remember hunting wild Geese and Ducks with my Father as a kid and wondering why the meat of these birds (breasts and legs alike) was so dark.

The answer is actually quite simply: work.

Since domestic Chickens and Turkeys are basically ‘flightless’ birds (they CAN fly but only do so in short bursts) the breast meat in both have a very low concentration of something called Myoglobin. Myoglobin delivers oxygen via the blood to the muscles, and since the legs and thighs (and neck) are all harder working than the breasts, the flesh of these muscle groups is considerably darker in colour due to an increased blood flow.

As to which one is better, I’ll leave that up to you to decide but there are pros and cons for both.

White meat is lower in fat and cholesterol, and while dark meat is slightly higher in fat content than it’s white counterpart, it is still a way healthier choice than most ‘lean’ cuts of beef or pork. Add in the benefits of essential nutrients like Iron and Zinc and as long as you don’t eat the skin, it’s a very healthy protein.

But really folks … who hasn’t wished from time to time that you could just roll on up to a KFC and buy a bucket of skin … I digress again.

Everything in moderation people … ’till next time, stay hungry.

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