Chicken Cooking Tips: White Meat And Dark Meat

How Poultry Meat Got Its Color – The Magic Of Myoglobin

Many poultry eaters have a preference for white meat or dark meat. It could be a matter of flavor, texture, or nutrition, or all three. The discussion around many a dinner table has been known to get heated when it comes to which is actually better.

But, have you ever considered what makes white meat white and dark meat dark?  If we're talking about poultry in general, why is the breast meat of a chicken or turkey considered white meat when the breast of a duck or goose is considered dark meat?

It all has to do with exercise and myoglobin. When muscles get exercise, myoglobin is needed to increase oxygen in the muscle. When a muscle is exercised a lot, it stores more myoglobin. More myoglobin produces what we recognize as dark meat.

To understand where the white meat and dark meat is located on a bird, you just have to watch a bird's movements. You won't find chickens and turkeys flying around a lot. In fact, they spend most of their time standing around. That's why you'll find a higher concentration of myoglobin in their legs, thighs, and hind quarters, producing what we know as dark meat. The breast and wings of these grounded birds aren't getting much exercise, so that's where you find the white meat.

No so for ducks and geese. Watch the skies in the spring and fall and perhaps you see ducks and geese migrating north, then south, and back again. These birds spend a lot of time flying. Even the domesticated variety spend a lot of time in the air. That means you'll find lots of myoglobin in the muscles of the entire bird.

In other words, don't expect to find white meat on a duck or goose.

Poultry eaters may not all know the reason for the difference between white meat and dark meat, but most can tell you why they prefer one over the other.  Where do you stand?

To begin with, fat adds flavor. For that reason, dark meat, the fattier of the two, has more flavor. Then again, there are those white meat eaters who claim the 'gamier' taste of the dark meat is what makes them choose the white meat.

White meat may be preferable to those seeking a leaner diet. You may not get as much flavor with white meat, but you also don't get as much fat or cholesterol. Flavor can be added in other ways, such as marinades, to satisfy the taste buds and still avoid the extra fat.

Because white meat doesn't have much fat, you may experience a drier piece of chicken when you cook white meat, especially if you remove the skin and bone. Dark meat is typically more moist. Of course, cooking methods can help improve the white meat and keep it moist. But, it is one more reason people may choose dark meat over white meat.

Then there's the economic impact. Americans, especially, have chosen to buy more white meat than dark meat chicken as they try to follow a leaner, healthier diet by cutting out fat and cholesterol. This popularity of white meat has resulted in rising prices of breast meat. If the economy worsens, we may see a swing back to eating more dark meat since it is cheaper to buy. Our diets may take a back seat to our pocketbook.

So, are you a white meat eater or a dark meat eater? Either way, it's interesting to know how the difference develops in poultry. Now when the discussion around the table involves white meat or dark meat, you can impress your family and guests with your extensive knowledge. Or you can just dig in and enjoy your favorite poultry dish!