Legumes are plants that are raised for their edible seeds or seed pods. Peas, lima beans, soybeans, peanuts, and lentils are all legumes. Legumes that are harvested for their dry seeds, such as beans or lentils, are called pulses. Pulses are food staples in India and Pakistan.
Legumes and pulses contain high amounts of protein. In addition, they supply iron, other minerals, and vitamins.
The term “meat” usually refers to the edible flesh of mammals, such as cattle, pigs, and sheep. Meat is a high-protein food and is rich in other nutrients, as well.
The United States, Australia, Russia, and Argentina raise much of the world’s beef cattle. Beef can come from cows, bulls, or steers. Cows are adult female cattle. Bulls are adult male cattle capable of reproduction. Steers are adult male cattle that have been castrated, or been made incapable of reproduction. Meat from very young cattle, or calves, is called veal.
The world’s major hog producers include China, the European Union, the United States, Brazil, and Russia. Meat from hogs is called pork.
Lamb is meat from sheep less than a year old. It is especially popular in the Middle East, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Mutton, meat from mature sheep, has a stronger flavor and a rougher texture than lamb. New Zealand and Australia are the world’s largest exporters of lamb and mutton.
Bison, water buffalo, camels, goats, and yaks are all sources of meat. Wild animals, such as rabbits and deer, are also eaten as meat. Meat from wild animals is called game.
“Poultry” refers to domesticated birds that are raised for meat and eggs. Chickens are an important food source for most of the world’s population. Raising chickens is a major industry in many countries, including China, the United States, Russia, and across the European Union. Ducks, turkeys, geese, and guinea fowl are also raised for food in many parts of the world.
Fish and shellfish are probably the most popular meats worldwide. Fish provide about 15 percent of all animal proteins consumed by the world’s population. Fish and shellfish are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals. People eat fish raw or cooked, and preserve it by canning, freezing, drying, salting, smoking, or pickling.
Most of the fish and shellfish people eat come from the ocean. Tuna is one of the most popular ocean fish. Other fish come from inland bodies of fresh water, such as lakes and rivers. Bass, perch, and carp are popular freshwater fish worldwide.
An increasing amount of fish comes from fish farms, where fish and shellfish are raised commercially. The cultivation of fish and shellfish is called aquaculture.
Clams, oysters, crabs, and shrimp are popular types of shellfish. Abalone, a kind of mollusk, is another type of seafood. Conch, a large type of sea snail, is eaten in the Florida Keys and in the West Indies. Eels, octopuses, squids, and mussels are other popular seafoods.
Eggs are a source of proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins. Boiled, fried, scrambled, or deviled, chicken eggs are popular around the world. They are also used in a variety of baked goods. People also eat the eggs of other birds, such as ducks and quail, and those of reptiles, such as turtles and crocodiles. The eggs of certain fish, mainly sturgeon, are prepared as a delicacy known as caviar.
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