What do people mean when they say venison or bison tastes "gamey"?

Question

"Gamey" doesn't appear to be used correctly most of the time, maybe just a word used to sound smart or informed?

Answer 1

"Gamey" flavor just refers to the wild taste that game, like deer has. It is a stronger, tangy, earthy flavor that the others are right, is very difficult to describe if you haven't tasted it.

Although wild game is lower in fat than grocery store meat, that doesn't make it taste gamey. Also, although wild game tends to be tougher, because the animals get more exercise, that doesn't make it taste gamey either.

Gamey flavor comes from the fact that the animals in the wild eat a very varied diet of weeds, acorns, wood bark, etc. This flavors the meat in much the same way that peanut fed hogs in Virginia make their hams taste distinctively. Since we are used to eating meat that is grain fed, which has a much milder flavor, gamey meat tastes strange to us now, and most people don't like it.

Answer 2

Gamey Taste

Answer 3

Define Gamey

Answer 4

Gamey to me is earthy, a way to explain this would be to look into mushrooms, some of the more wild mushrooms have a woody or earthy tast, not as neutral as say the plain white.

Answer 5

Gamey refers to the meat of animals (game) killed by hunters. The wild animals eat differently than those raised for slaughter so the meat has a different taste and often texture. Many people try to make it taste different by soaking or marinading it but true fans of game shooting enjoy the different wild taste.

Answer 6

'Gamey" simply refers to the taste of wild animals that are hunted. Most animals from the wild have less fat than domestically raised meat animals giving the meat a wee bit of a different taste.

Answer 7

When the animal is shot/killed or field-dressed, a lot of hunters are not careful and might hit the scent-glands and "contaminate" the meat.
There are a couple of ways to eliminate this pungent odor from the meat. Vinegar will remove the bad smell and the meat wont have a "gamey" taste. Also soaking or marinating the meat in milk, or an acidic liquid such as Coca-cola will remove any unpalatable flavor.

Answer 8

The process of butchering the venison or bison has been tainted with not allowing the meat to cool and the end result is a wild flavor to the meat. Also the cleaning of the meat washing and just proper care. The venison I process is usually chilled for at least 2 days and then processed. Also if soaked in salt water will help.

Answer 9

every one is right It is a weird funky taste and the whole deer may not taste like that I ate a whole steak once and didnt get a gamey taste till the last bite yuck

Answer 10

Taste it & you'll know what it means. It's not like a steak you would buy at the grocery store. It's a very distinct flavor, hard to describe unless you try it yourself. Good luck.