What Does Shark Meat Taste Like?
The taste of the shark will vary depending on who you ask. But the average answer seems to be along the lines of, it tastes like chicken or a tender alligator.
Shark meat can be tough and chewy but depends a lot on how it’s cooked. You’ll still never escape the fishy taste though, no matter how much it might remind you of chicken.
Unsurprisingly the taste will also vary on different types of cooking and spices added.
Not many people know this, but sharks’ urine is absorbed in their flesh and excreted through their skin. No one wants a dinner that tastes like the remnants of a shark’s bladder, YUGH!
Can You Eat Great White Shark Meat?
It is legal to eat Great White Shark in parts of the U.S. and it is edible. Despite it being legal and while some people eat it, it’s not a popular dish for a few reasons.
Great White Sharks are considered endangered in some areas and aren’t caught for food often because of this. Even if you manage to find a place that serves Great White Shark meat, and even though shark meat is technically edible, it can contain high levels of mercury making it a dish that should be avoided for due to health risks.
Can You Eat Mako Shark?
Funny enough, Mako Sharks are considered the best to eat in terms of eating sharks. Mako sharks are generally quite meaty and are low in fat.
Mako sharks can be found worldwide as well, meaning that no matter where you live, it’s a dish you can try if you find a restaurant serving it!
Can You Eat Bull Shark?
Yes, you can eat bull shark and it’s commonly caught and cooked. It’s described as being another version of boneless chicken breast.
Obviously, the taste will depend on how it’s cooked, but it’s a common dish with a variety of cooking options.
What Types of Shark are Good to Eat?
There are plenty of shark species that are caught and cooked for food. However, what makes them “good” will be a matter of opinion.
The following sharks are caught and cooked, mako sharks, requiem sharks, bull sharks, thresher sharks, and more. While sharks are a common seafood in Asia, India, Australia, and some European countries, they’re less common in western countries such as the U.S. That doesn’t mean they aren’t still eaten in the U.S., it just takes some effort to find restaurants that serve them.
Shark Meat Benefits and Dangers
While there are some parts of a shark that have been studied to use in medicine, eating the shark itself doesn’t offer many benefits and may do more harm than good. Sharks feed on other fish and those fish feed on the other fish/vegetation from their surrounding. Sadly, there are a lot of pollutants and other things that make it to the ocean and become consumed by these fish. Because of these contaminants in the food chain, shark contains a lot of mercury and can be harmful to consume.
Is Shark Meat Posionous?
Shark meat has been known to contain high amounts of toxic metals such as mercury. That doesn’t mean the shark is inedible and that all shark is poisonous. The levels of mercury will vary for each shark and may differ across species as well. There are also cases where shark meat was contaminated with ciguatoxin which is lethal to humans.
Once again, that doesn’t mean shark overall is unsafe to eat. What it does mean is that you should be cautious when eating shark and ensure it’s been safely checked for any contaminates or anything that may pose a health risk.
