TikTok Doesn't Know What To Think About A Man Who Fried An Ostrich Leg
TikTok is famed for publicizing some of the weirder parts of the internet, including bizarre challenges about eating raw meat. Now, one user on the social media site has taken strangeness to the next level with a viral video that shows how to cook especially unusual meat.
Foodus11 shared a method for frying an entire ostrich leg, and describing it as enormous doesn't do it justice. Ostriches can grow up to nine feet tall and weigh 287 pounds, according to PBS Nature. The chosen leg in the TikTok video clearly took a lot of time to prepare and cook, and it's a little bit gory, too.
The ambitious chef is seen skinning the ostrich leg before snapping off the bony part and slicing up the meaty thigh. Afterward, it's thrown into a massive frying pan with a huge array of vegetables and spices. It's then grilled, deep-fried in batter, and eaten straight off the bone. The mighty meal has surprised TikTok viewers, and poses a question: Could ostrich meat become popular?
Ostrich meat is full of nutrition
Viewers seem intrigued by TikTok user Foodus11's ostrich-cooking video. "X5 that seasoning my boy" is the feedback from Cavarn, while Vanilla adds, "KFC pro max." Confusion is prevalent over what exactly the meat is, with some wondering if it is from a raptor or a flamingo. One commenter asks, "[Are] we eating dinosaurs now?"
A different user suggests the skin should have been kept to retain flavor. However, another is unconvinced by the creative cooking, saying, "I don't know how I feel about this." Most viewers are just happy that the tiny cat that made a cameo appearance wasn't the subject of the frying — and managed to get a small drumstick as a reward.
Ostrich meat (which, along with emu, is called ratite) is low in sodium, fat, and calories, and contains iron and protein, explains the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC). Although it might be a potentially nutritious alternative to traditional meats, ostrich meat shows no signs of taking off. The AgMRC notes that not enough is known about ostrich meat production for it to become mainstream, and the industry lacks the necessary infrastructure and sustainability.