The first mention of camel meat can be found in ancient chronicles. For many centuries, camel was a staple food for nomads. Thanks to them, this meat has become known almost all over the world. Camel meat is a bit harsh, and its appearance resembles veal. It has a specific sweetish flavor and a pleasant aroma.
History and distribution
This product has gained the greatest popularity in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa. At one time it was a subject of trade between tribes, and sometimes between countries. There was a time when the authorities of some countries forbade eating the meat of this animal. It was allowed to use only camel milk. However, the prohibitions concerned only commoners. To know did not bother to obey the laws and enjoyed dishes prepared from this meat.
As in ancient times, camel meat is still considered a delicacy. He has practically no fat, so it has value in dietary nutrition.
Fat derived from camel meat is a fairly expensive product. Almost all parts of the body of this animal are used in food, but meat obtained from the hump is most valued.
Chemical composition and calorie content
This meat has a fairly low calorie content. It is practically on par with venison and slightly inferior to horsemeat. The number of calories per 100 g of product is 160. For example, in lean pork, the energy value is at the level of 320 kilocalories, and in beef - 190 kcal. 18.9 g of protein and 9.4 g of fat contains 100 g of camel.
This meat has a rather rich chemical composition. It contains the following substances (quantity indicated per 100 g of product):
- Vitamins of group B, without which it is impossible to imagine a strong nervous system and healthy organs of the gastrointestinal tract: B1 (0.1 mg), B6 (0.2 mg), B9 (9 μg).
- Vitamin E (0.8 mg), which prevents premature aging and ensures the health of the genital area.
- The trace element is iron (1.3 mg), which is essential for hematopoiesis.
- Potassium (263 mg), without which it is impossible to imagine healthy strong muscles, including the heart muscle.
- Camel contains a lot of calcium (8 mg), which is necessary for building bone tissue.
In the countries of the Middle East, they are confident that this meat helps to get rid of impotence and increases sexual desire. It is often recommended to be used by men with sexual impotence and diseases of the prostate.
Beneficial features
Due to the almost complete absence of cholesterol, this meat can be consumed in unlimited quantities. The presence of iron makes this product valuable for hematopoiesis. Potassium and B vitamins stimulate the digestive tract. Regular consumption of this meat significantly improves the condition of patients with cardiovascular diseases. Their heart rate is restored and blood pressure returns to normal.
Scientists have identified the following positive properties of camel meat:
- Visibly strengthens the nervous system and normalizes sleep.
- Pushes cells to renew and regenerate.
- Improves the condition of hair and nails.
- Noticeably improves the supply of all organs with oxygen.
- With regular use of camel meat, the heart muscle noticeably strengthens and attacks of hypertension pass.
In the old days, they tried to feed the camel meat with soldiers. The property of this product was to heal deep wounds and restore strength. This meat has no contraindications. It can be eaten by young children and the elderly. The benefits and harms of camel meat have been thoroughly studied to date. The only exception is people with individual intolerance to camels.
Storage of camel meat
One of the storage options can be a regular freezer. Experienced cooks advise meat not to freeze, but to dry. Such a product can no longer be frozen, otherwise the meat will become bitter in taste.
Camel is stored long enough. At the optimum temperature, which is minus 17 degrees, it can lie for 6-7 months. In the future, the storage of meat becomes impractical, as its structure is destroyed and the taste deteriorates. It is difficult to say whether or not camel meat is eaten after the expiration of the shelf life.
How to cook
The most delicious is the meat of young camels. Unfortunately, many do not know what camel meat tastes like. This rare and uncommon product can only be tasted when traveling to exotic countries. In this animal, all parts of the body are edible. It should be borne in mind that the hips of a camel were subjected to stress during life and therefore have many fibers. While the hump is the most delicate part of the carcass and practically does not have rigidity.
Hips before frying are pre-soaked in vinegar or boiled until tender. And also this part of the body is used for minced meat.
Camel dishes are served with sauce and vegetable salads. This meat is combined with almost all spices and vegetables.
There are some rules that will help to cook camel meat the most delicious:
- When cooking minced meat for cutlets and whites, only camel fat is added to the mixture.
- A young animal is used for pies, dumplings or for cooking broth.
- Grind the meat of an old animal into cutlets or stew it in small pieces.
- In order for the meat taken from the thigh to become soft, it is cut into small pieces and marinated in vinegar with spices.
- For extinguishing, the shoulder blade or the back of the leg with a thick edge is best.
- When cooking the broth, do not salt it earlier than 10 minutes before turning off the fire. Otherwise, the meat will remain harsh.
- When cooking, observe the same rules that exist for other types of meat. A piece is laid in cold water and as the foam warms up, remove the foam with a slotted spoon.
The recipes for making camel meat are quite diverse. This wine goes well with red wine and beer. Many people wonder if children eat camel meat. This product can be given even to a small child.
Camel fat
It is extracted from animal meat by melting. Since ancient times, this product has been worth its weight in gold. The Mongols loved to use camel fat. With its help, they healed wounds and burns, got rid of cough and pain in the joint. Fat has the following properties:
- It replenishes energy reserves and affects performance. It is recommended to use it as a restorative for those people who have had a serious illness or operation.
- On the basis of camel fat in the old days, a composition was prepared to strengthen immunity.
- It perfectly treats chronic bronchitis and relieves the smoker's cough.
- Using daily one teaspoon of this fat, you can establish the work of the gastrointestinal tract and get rid of many chronic diseases.
- Ancient healers recommended using camel fat to restore potency.
On its basis, anti-inflammatory ointments are prepared and fat is added to cosmetic masks. There are many cosmetics containing this product.
How to choose a camel
A lot of people who first came to the eastern countries tend to try this meat. It can often be found in markets and stores in North Africa and the Middle East. It is extremely important to choose the right piece of meat to make a decent dish out of it. Each part of the carcass of this animal has its own taste. The meat should not have a gray or deep brown hue. Such unnatural colors indicate that it was taken from an old animal. You should not rush to purchase this product, otherwise its preparation will turn into real flour. Old camel will have to soak in vinegar, and then stew for a long time.
Grilled meat
This dish is juicy and mouth-watering. It retains the real aroma and taste of camel, which can be enjoyed in company with your favorite sauce or spices. To cook meat on the grill, it is advisable to take the hump of a camel or its shoulder.
A piece of meat is cut into small pieces and slightly added. Sprinkle with black pepper on top. Before putting meat on the grill, it is greased with olive oil.
This dish will perfectly complement red wine or a glass of dark beer. The camel tastes a little sweet, and the beer will balance this quality.
African "pasties"
This recipe for camel meat is very popular in Africa. In fact, this traditional African dish is called differently. But its appearance is extremely reminiscent of ordinary chebureks. To prepare this dish you will need the following ingredients:
- A pound of camel meat.
- One onion and several stalks of leek.
- One clove of garlic.
- Two teaspoons of coriander.
- One teaspoon of white pepper.
- Salt and oil.
The dough is made from 3 glasses of flour, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 1 cup of boiled water. And also ordinary salt is put in the test composition.
An adhesive paste is prepared separately for gluing pieces of dough. For her, two tablespoons of flour and 3 tablespoons of warm boiled water are mixed.
Be sure to cook a special African sauce. Without it, this dish would not be complete. For cooking, you need dried onions in the amount of 2 tablespoons, a third glass of red wine, peanut butter, a little sweet paprika and cayenne pepper. All ingredients are mixed together.
The dish is prepared as follows: knead the dough made from the ingredients described above.
While it is insisting, the filling is being prepared. To do this, finely chopped meat is fried with onions, garlic and spices. Next, proceed to the rolling test.
Gently chopped pieces should lie down a little, after which they are opened and a little meat is added inside. The edges are glued together with a special paste prepared in advance.
Blinded envelopes with camel are fried in vegetable oil and served with cooked sauce.