Info about Beef
Beef: The Meat for the Global Cuisine
If we say that beef is the meat for global cuisine we are not exaggerating anything. Except in certain parts of India and Nepal beef is eaten almost every where on earth. Beef is the culinary name of meat procured from animals like cattle, bison, buffalo and the yak. It is the chief meat used in the Middle East South America, Europe, Australia, Africa and many parts of Asia.
Almost all the parts of the bovines are eaten. The bones go into the making of various types of soups. It is interesting that among the Hausa tribe spread over West Africa the tale of the cow is a delicacy which is served on special occasions. The cartilage found in the hoof of the cows is also eaten by them. The beef muscle meat is used for the preparation of steak and roast. Some portions are prepared as corned beef and are very popular as a preserved meat. The meat from the older cows is used as minced meat. Perhaps the udder and the lungs are not generally eaten.
Statistics of beef consumption shows that the United States, the European Union, Brazil and China are the topmost four consumers of beef. A study of the pattern of per capita consumption of meat shows that Argentines eat the highest quantity of meat. The annual consumption of meat per person is around 64 kg annually. The largest meat exporting countries are Brazil, Australia and the United States.
The word beef has a German origin. The German word beife means an animal that is grazing. Though there is lot of veneration of vegetarian diet these days the advantages of beef eating should be considered. Beef is considered as the best source for protein, zinc and vitamin B12. Many vegetarians are deficient in B12 as this is found only in animal sources. After bread and cereals beef is also an important source of iron. One of the criticisms against beef is that it is too full of fat and might increase the cholesterol level of consumers. The cholesterol level is determined by the portion from which you take the beef. There are certain cuts of beef that are considered lean and those who have tendency for increased cholesterol levels should go for the leaner cuts.
When we consider human diet habits one of the things that is evident is that man is looking for taste. So, there are seven days in a week and there is no harm in going for lean beef meat on limited days. This way you can mitigate the ill effects of beef and reap some of the benefits of beef eating. It is not a good idea to eschew beef eating entirely from your diet. What is required is a sensible diet of limited helping of beef on certain days by which you can reap the benefit of this excellent delicacy. For those who are concentrating on martial arts beef is a rich source of strength. The kind tirade leveled against beef is often unjustified. For sure, anything in excess is not good but within limits it is salutary.