Why don't we eat pigeon?

[booksandnooks]

I just read a thread on a different forum about q guy who caught a restaurant catching pigeons and serving them as chicken.

Apparently he used to eat there all the time and didn't even realise the difference (very aware that this could be a lie) but it got me thinking, we have an abundance of pigeons everywhere.
Why don't we eat them?

It reminded me of the whole horse meat fiasco, nobody could tell the difference. Is it really down to the ICK factor?

Sidebar - Horse is eaten fairly regularly in Europe, etc.

AFAIK, wasn't the while horse meat fiasco regarding the particular meat being used was not safe for consumption. Food standards dictate the horse has to have not been treated with certain drugs, because if they had it would still be present in the meat upon consumption, thus had a public health impact. The fiasco was because this "under the table" horse meat could be sourced cheaper than beef, so manufacturers switched, hoping no one would notice

As it goes, I'd happily eat horse and pigeon, assuming it wasn't disease-ridden

Some online butchers sell squirrels and I am very intrigued 🤔

Pigeon is revolting.

I went on a really expensive spa day with a friend to a really top notch place. Included was lunch. The choice was vegetarian or pigeon so I thought I would try it. It was literally dark red, barely cooked (apparently it's the thing to do to eat it nearly raw) and on salad leaves, the blood had pooled at the bottom. It was one of the most disgusting things I've eaten, and I eat anything!
Never again

To echo many other posters we do eat them! and actually I am rather partial. It's wood pigeon we eat mind, not the city centre variety. However I am sure there are plenty of breeds of other meat which isn't as tasty as the ones we eats

I regularly eat pigeon - DH shoots and often arranges days shooting over farmers' fields (particularly at this time of year, when they are trying to protect their crops).

It's really nice although does take a bit of getting into - fine with a steak knife, though. Or you can take the breast out and just cook those - really good in curry.

I have a favourite local pigeon and he is beautiful. He is not diseased ridden or manky! I would never eat him, he’s my friend. Pigeons are really misunderstood and get a lot of hate.

People do it wood pigeon though and it tastes nothing like chicken! It was one of the starters at our wedding breakfast.

you'd have to either catch and kill wood pigeon which would be time consuming or farm them

They're shot as they're a pest to arable farmers, no need for catching. They're wild so have had a natural life.

@SmidgenofaPigeon We are currently without a cat and our garden seems to have become some sort of haven for wood pigeon. They are lovely and very loyal to one another - we have one couple who are always together.

Drives DH mad though!

Have you ever seen over ready pigeon? It's a completely different colour!

What's the difference between pigeon and wood pigeon. I thought pigeon was very gamey so tastes nothing like chicken

@Passthesauce yay some pigeon love!

Mine is an urban pigeon but I see him every day at work.

I’ve eaten pigeon, it’s very different from chicken which has a delicate flavour compared with a strong flavour or dark pigeon meat, much more like game

@DonLewis

Have you ever seen over ready pigeon? It's a completely different colour!

I dont know why but oven ready pigeon is the funniest think I've read on here for ages.

Wood pigeon are not vermin in the same way as the manky town pigeons.

@ineedaholidaynow

What's the difference between pigeon and wood pigeon. I thought pigeon was very gamey so tastes nothing like chicken

wood pigeons are fatter generally

My grandfather was a country shooting man, I hated visiting for meals, it was often pigeon or some other sort of game 'and watch out for any shot'. Bleargh. There's no way you could swap pigeon for chicken.

@HirplesWithHaggis

People do eat pigeon, but not manky city centre pigeons.

Oh so I can't grab one at the bus station on my way home? Damn.

We do eat Pigeon; it's delicious. In fact, it was served as a starter at my wedding. It is a gamey red meat and could not be mistaken for chicken though

@TheSandman

How would anyone mistake chicken for pigeon?

This. Pigeon is dark meat and more 'gamey'.

@Passthesauce

I regularly eat pigeon - DH shoots and often arranges days shooting over farmers' fields (particularly at this time of year, when they are trying to protect their crops).

It's really nice although does take a bit of getting into - fine with a steak knife, though. Or you can take the breast out and just cook those - really good in curry.

Are you allowed to shoot them in breeding season?. That's awful.

I've eaten pigeon it's delicious but would never pass as chicken

Ernest Hemingway apparently used to catch and eat pigeon off the streets of Paris when he was a struggling writer, it’s in his biography.

I had pigeon, and pheasant and goose and duck.
I've also had kangaroo and iguana

DH eats wood pigeon.

The absolute nicest meal I’ve ever had was a stuffed roasted guinea fowl in France. I’m vegetarian now and it was 15 years ago but I still think about that meal! It was stuffed with some sort of nutty cream garlic truffle concoction and it was the nicest tasting meat I’ve ever eaten.

we have an abundance of pigeons everywhere. Why don't we eat them?

If you're referring to the sort of pigeons you see in the street, we don't eat them because they're disgusting, eat rubbish and are full of disease.

Wood pigeon however is perfectly fine, if you like the gamey taste.

No doubt you're aware we have an abundance of rats everywhere as well. I'm assuming you wouldn't suggest eating those.