Free Republic

n the November issue, we looked at how scientists are using DNA analysis to track down endangered species that are being hunted for food. Here, Dave Arnold talks about why some people prefer exotic meats. For the most part, Americans are obsessed with tenderness, and favor mild-flavored meat. We eat a fairly small number of animals, almost all of them slaughtered young, when their meat is at its least flavorful. Fortunately, some of us are starting to realize that meat can be much more interesting. As the food revolution continues to gain traction, our ancestral lust for robust, unusual meats...

From crocodile ranches to emu farms, Australia has a well-established reputation in raising exotic meats. Now it seems the Land Down Under is branching out into another market: camels. And this month, the ranchers of Oz gained the most obvious, but perhaps unlikely of customers when they shipped 119 animals from the northern port city of Darwin to the desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Peter Seidel, the executive officer of the Central Australian Camel Association, told ABCNEWS.com while camels still exist in Saudi Arabia, they are largely bred for racing. The Saudi camels are the equivalent of thoroughbreds, he said,...