What does hippo meat taste like? - The Ultimate Guide

Hippos are large and powerful but seemingly benign-looking animals, and when it comes to their meat, they can be quite the delicacy!

Although hippo meat is in short supply, due to a few factors that we will discuss in detail below, it is still considered one of the best exotic game meats in the world.

It has great marbling and a better overall texture compared to meat from other animals, plus it can be cooked in many ways.

What does hippo meat taste like? Hippo meat has a mild flavor with game undertones. It may be better compared to beef, but it is better and tastier than regular beef. Hippo meat is cooked in the same way as lamb or beef, but it is very difficult to find, especially in the general market. 

Read below to learn more about hippo meat, why it’s so rare, how it’s used in different regions, and the best ways to cook it.

Hippo meat vs. beef

One of the main reasons hippo meat is so rare is because it is so hard to come by. They may not be scary, but hippos are extremely powerful and dangerous animals, especially when they get angry.

Even equipped with a rifle, you would have to be extremely cautious when hunting this beast.

They are known for taking down large predators with ease and have a very, very strong jaw that can exert several hundred pounds of force, enough to easily crush bone! 

It is logical that this animal presents itself as a challenge for hunters, and it has been so for many, many years.

Humans have hunted and eaten hippo meat for centuries. There is even archaeological evidence to suggest that hippopotamus meat was very popular in the early human civilization.

However, as we’ve already established, hunting this animal is no easy feat, so it would also make sense for its breeding to be very limited due to the sheer amount of manpower.

This difficulty is one of the reasons why we opted for domestic cattle and broilers as the main source of meat.

These smaller animals are easy to slaughter and their meat provides more or less the same nutrition. However, when it comes to the flavor of the meat, hippo meat easily dwarfs the taste of what we usually eat at home.

Hippo meat has been described by many people as beef, but better in every way . It has more visible marbling, caramelizes better, and has a mild but distinctly gamey flavor that shares some flavor notes with ground meat.

In general, hippo meat is very thick, but it has a satisfyingly chewy texture compared to other types of meat from four-legged animals.

Also, although meat possibly contains more meat fiber, it cooks just like beef or lamb.

Is hippo meat legal?

Another big reason why hippo meat is so scarce, especially in the United States, is its status as an endangered species , which makes commercial distribution of its meat illegal as well. But it was not always like this.

Surprisingly, hippo meat came very close to replacing beef and becoming a staple in North America at the turn of the century.

Historians have pointed out that the lack of availability of bison, due to excessive hunting, caused the North American people to seek alternative sources of meat.

So naturally, larger animals were sought that could sustain the huge and growing demand for meat.

It turned out that hippos were at the top of the list of possible substitutes. However, there was a huge and dangerous problem: people were not willing to go after animals that put their own lives at stake.

However, this is not to say that hippo meat is illegal throughout the world.

South Africa is known to have lax laws when it comes to selling meat from exotic animals. Hippopotamus meat is available in the African region, but even there it is a rare delicacy.

Its meat is considered more of a celebratory banquet in certain cultures of the region.

When hippo meat goes on sale, it sells very quickly and many people enjoy and prefer the taste of hippo meat over other animals.

Texture and flavor of hippo meat

Visually and texture-wise, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between hippo and beef on a plate, but if you look closely, you’ll notice that hippo meat has deeper marbling and a firmer texture. than that of beef.

Hippo meat can take a long time to yield and has a generous mix of muscle and a good portion of fat in almost every part of the animal. 

Compared to beef, hippo meat tastes much more like beef, but many people who have tried it say it has a much better aftertaste and bite.

How to cook hippo meat

Hippo meat can be cooked in a number of ways. Here are some methods for cooking this animal:

slow cooker

Hippo meat is notoriously thick and can take several hours to fully cook and soften over an open fire.

Slow cooking is preferred for this type of meat, since it cooks it thoroughly from the outside in, while softening and releasing its fat. 

You can even try marinating your meat with tenderizers, which alone will help you cut your cooking time by about an hour, compared to cooking meat without them.

Grill

Grilling hippo meat is a common practice in South Africa.  It is one of the best ways to enjoy hippo meat, as it allows the meat to acquire a beautiful browning, color and caramelization. 

Thin cuts of hippo meat are best when grilled, as they allow the meat to char and cook completely. The slices of meat can be accompanied by spicy seasonings and are usually eaten with a side of bread or rice.

Grill

Diced hippo meat is another great way to enjoy this animal and its game meat. If you’ve ever had barbecued lamb, you can compare the flavor of the meat to that of charred lamb, but with a slightly more pronounced flavor.

The meat is cubed and marinated with yoghurt, spices and herbs, then skewered and cooked over coals or wood. The result is succulent pieces of meat that can also accompany many other side dish recipes.

Fry/Stew

Frying is not a common practice when it comes to hippo meat, given its thick consistency, but the meat can be thinly sliced and fried with or without batter.

Although it is not known to be served in stir-fries, it is often cooked in fat and served over rice or salads. 

Stews are another great way to enjoy hippo meat. The meat is first cut into small cubes and fried for several minutes, and then combined with herbs, ginger garlic, whole spices, onions, tomatoes and yoghurt.

Meat is also often boiled in the same pot after it has been fried to soften it up, further releasing its fatty flavor into the stew!

To boil

Boiling hippo meat (with bones) together with salt, spices, and herbs is a very common way to extract its flavor and create a very strong-tasting broth.

Broth can be used in many ways, but it is often used in soups and sauce recipes. Hippo bone broth can also be reduced to enhance and concentrate its flavor.

Raw rice can be added to the broth and cooked using a reduction method to create a delicious and spicy rice dish.

Roast

Just like beef or lamb is cooked, hippo meat can also be roasted in different ways. The meat is usually marinated with spices and tenderizers before being roasted for several hours. 

This allows the meat to soak up all the flavors and make it even more succulent. The villagers usually roast the hippo meat in open pits or brick ovens.

The type of wood used to cook the meat also imparts a subtly sweet and delicious flavor that pairs perfectly with a number of garnishes.

Dangers of Obtaining Hippo Meat

Since hippo meat is very hard to find, especially in North America, you should never trust unknown sellers or illegal channels when it comes to sourcing real hippo meat.

Numerous cases of anthrax poisoning have occurred due to bacterial infections in sick animals.

Dead hippos are often harvested for their meat, but they are more likely to contain deadly pathogens that can cause disastrous health problems.

For example, many deaths have been recorded in South Africa due to the consumption of dead hippo meat.

Hippos often die of various diseases unless they are vaccinated, which is standard practice in today’s legalized meat industry.

If a hippo is unfortunate enough to contract a bacterial disease, it will also jeopardize the consumption of its meat.

Couple this fact with questionable cooking methods, along with the consumption of undercooked meat, and the result can be fatal, as is well documented by many South African health agencies.

Since South Africa exports controlled and approved meat to many countries, it is better to import it yourself from official and trusted sources than to buy it from strangers inside the US.

Although hippo meat is known to taste great, it is not worth risking your life!

Related questions

Now that you know what hippo meat tastes like, where it’s available, and how it’s cooked, here are a few hippo and meat related questions!

Can you get and drink hippo milk?

Because hippos are mammals, they produce rich, nutritious milk for their young.

However, while hippo milk is completely drinkable, it is rarely available for one simple reason: it is extremely difficult to milk a hippo for human consumption! 

They are dangerous animals that cannot be tamed, as many people have tried and failed. Hippos kill large numbers of people each year, increasing the difficulty of milking these mammals for commercial use.

Can you buy hippo meat online?

Hippo meat is extremely rare to find, especially in regions where it is considered illegal. We do not recommend that you buy hippo meat online. 

There are a myriad of problems associated with purchasing game meat from unknown sources. The biggest concern is related to health, since there is no way to determine the quality of the meat unless it is inspected by a professional.

Can hippo meat be minced like beef?

Yes, hippo meat can also be chopped.

There aren’t many indications as to which part of the animal has the best flavor when it comes to ground meat, but many people say that the midsection is a good place to start, as it contains a well-balanced mix of muscle and fat.