September to January is the main hunting season across the country. Around Christmas is the main season for fresh game meat – at home and in restaurants. In Germany, most of the hunters bring wild boar onto the market, followed by roe deer and red deer. About 60 percent of the supply comes from Germany, the rest is imported – for example from New Zealand, Australia, Eastern Europe.
Venison, rabbit, roe deer: Real alternatives for meat fans
This is what the game report from Stiftung Warentest offers
- Enjoy safely. Lead from ammunition, germs, parasites such as trichinae or radioactive contamination: the flesh of wild animals can contain all sorts of undesirable substances. Many regulations are intended to ensure safety, but hygienic preparation at home is also important. Read how to minimize the risks when shopping and preparing.
- Find good venison. Practically every region offers game specialties. We give tips on how to find a dealer and distinguish fresh meat from old.
- taste and preparation. You will learn about the differences in taste between the meat of deer, deer, wild boar, rabbit and pheasant and how you can prepare the specialties in a traditional and modern way.
- magazine article. If you unlock the topic, you will get access to the PDF for the test report from test 12/2022.
Enjoying wild meat is sustainable
From the point of view of environmental protection and animal protection, there is a lot to be said for wild meat: the animals live in the wild and feed on what they find there. The free life in the fresh air is considered animal-friendly. When hunters kill an animal, it should be hit suddenly and with a deadly shot – there is no need to go to the slaughterhouse.
Germans eat 30 times as much pork as game
However, the annual per capita consumption of game meat in Germany is less than one kilogram, and we eat more than 30 times as much conventional pork. Game is relatively expensive: a kilo of saddle of venison costs around 40 to 50 euros, about the same as high-quality cuts of beef. However, wild boar is often cheaper.
Consumers are also often concerned about possible risks such as lead ammunition residues or radioactive contamination. However, there are a number of regulations to ensure that only harmless game meat is sold. In addition, the risks can also be minimized through hygiene during preparation.
Lean, nutritious and aromatic
The plus points of hare, roe deer, deer and wild boar: Good game meat is muscular, lean and tastes aromatic. Enjoying it also means taking in nutrients: for example zinc, iron, B vitamins and selenium. Depending on the cut, the fat content varies. On average, it consists of only 4 percent of it – so it’s relatively lean. It is definitely worth trying the alternatives of forest and meadow.
Tip: For example, try our venison recipe Medaillons from deer, which, by the way, does not require days of preparation. In our tests you will also find good and quickly prepared representatives of the classic side dishes red cabbage and potato dumplings. For methods of preparing venison and other meats, see our Meat Perfection book.
