Having recently eaten
ostrich meat in a
fondue restaurant in
Gatineau,
Quebec, I feel the need to describe the
experience for the
uninitiated.
First of all, raw ostrich meat is a dark red colour, more like beef than any kind of poultry I've ever seen. It was brought to the table raw, along with a small grill for the eater's own use. The pile of raw ostrich meat had a little sign sticking out of it, made from a toothpick. The sign had a cartoon picture of an ostrich running in a field, in case the eater got confused as to what exactly the red meat was.
I was expecting it, despite the dark colour, to at least taste vaguely like chicken, or turkey, or some other type of poultry. But while cooking it on the little grill, I noticed it turning an even darker brown. The strip of meat had the appearance of a regular old steak. When I finally had the good fortune to bite into it, I was surprised at its sweetness and its tenderness.
It did not taste like bird. It didn't taste like cow, either, though. It had a wild game sort of sweetness that reminded me of the one time I'd eaten caribou meat. And although there were 4 or 5 other kinds of meat available on the table, we found ourselves at the end of the meal, fighting for the last pieces of ostrich meat.
I highly recommend the experience.