# Red meat, white meat, dark meat, light meat **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 11, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717 "2009-09-11T19:18:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/1 "2009-09-11T19:18:41Z")
Not the most important of topics, but what’s the distinction? Are dark meat and red meat the same thing? Is the dark meat in chicken “red” meat? Pork is “the other white meat.” Is the whole pig white meat? What about bacon? Is there some objective difference? A certain fat percentage? Are certain muscles always white meat? What would humans be? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/2 "2009-09-11T19:38:22Z")
“Red meat” generally refers to mammal muscle and organ meats, when people suggest eating less of it. White meat usually refers to chicken breast, which is fast-twitch muscle. Dark meat is the thigh and leg, which is slow-twitch muscle. Pork being called “the other white meat” is a marketing ploy by the pork producers. However, pork loin can be white when cooked. It’s red before you cook it. You can decide for yourself what fish is. The lobster people tried using something like “The Ultimate White Meat” or some such thing and were sued by the pork people. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/3 "2009-09-11T19:44:02Z")
I just want to add that I never knew the difference between white and dark meat until I was married. My wife had to tell me which pieces of the chicken were which. She lead me to believe that there are people in this world that will eat one part of the bird but not another. I’m still not sure I believe her. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/4 "2009-09-11T20:12:59Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I just want to add that I never knew the difference between white and dark meat until I was married. My wife had to tell me which pieces of the chicken were which. She lead me to believe that there are people in this world that will eat one part of the bird but not another. I’m still not sure I believe her. _raises hand_ I won’t eat dark meat. It’s…squishy. ---
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/5 "2009-09-11T20:13:59Z")
So dark meat (poultry) is not red meat, and pork actually is red meat? I’ll be. And chickens pectoral muscles are fast-twitch because they use them more? I mean, in a human, the thigh muscles are fast-twitch right? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/6 "2009-09-11T20:19:57Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > _raises hand_ > > I won’t eat dark meat. It’s…squishy. _semi raises hand_ Given the choice, I will almost always choose dark meat over white. It’s juicier and has more flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/7 "2009-09-11T20:20:07Z")
Most chicken places like KFC charge extra for white meat, that implies it’s better or there is more demand for it. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/8 "2009-09-11T20:23:55Z")
> [@Gesturing\_Mildly](#): > > What would humans be? Humans are the other other white meat. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/9 "2009-09-11T20:24:28Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Most chicken places like KFC charge extra for white meat, that implies it’s better or there is more demand for it. For American palates yes. White meat has become a premium over here. I assume its leanness has much to do with it. In many other parts of the world, dark meat is prized. If I may editorialize, dark meat at least has a vague chicken-like flavor to it, given the flavorless birds that come out of battery farms here. Breast meat just tastes like flavorless protein to me. ---
**Author:** ![HawksPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f07891/32.png) [@HawksPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HawksPath)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/10 "2009-09-11T20:26:06Z")
Wiki: White [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White\_meat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_meat) Red [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red\_meat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_meat) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/11 "2009-09-11T20:28:12Z")
Chicken breasts and wings are light meat because those are flight muscles, which chickens don’t use much. They do walk around, though, so the legs and thighs are dark meat. Game birds like ducks and geese who do fly regularly have dark meat all over. And I’ve never met anyone who will outright refuse one or the other, but yes, most folks do have a preference for light or dark meat. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/12 "2009-09-11T20:30:58Z")
My cousin told me about chicken she ate at a party in the Philippines. It was prepared by beating the chicken before killing it, so that blood would fill the muscle tissue. It was then cooked on a spit. I believe she said the result was something like red meat. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/13 "2009-09-11T20:48:24Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > I just want to add that I never knew the difference between white and dark meat until I was married. My wife had to tell me which pieces of the chicken were which. She lead me to believe that there are people in this world that will eat one part of the bird but not another. I’m still not sure I believe her. I HATE white meat. The texture is dry and nasty. If I have to choose between chicken breast and no chicken, I’ll go without. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/14 "2009-09-11T20:59:05Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > I HATE white meat. The texture is dry and nasty. If I have to choose between chicken breast and no chicken, I’ll go without. To be completely fair, although I share your preferences, the problem with breast meat is that it’s not forgiving and plenty of people overcook the hell out of it (a similar phenomenon occurs with pork loin). If you’re cooking a whole chicken, depending on your method of cooking, breast usually finishes several minutes before the legs and thighs are done, and therefore the breast most often ends up overcooked. Leg and thigh are much more forgiving of overcooking. Brining your breast is one way to buy some insurance against overcooking, but breast meat need not, by definition, be dry and stringy. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/15 "2009-09-11T21:48:42Z")
Some people I’ve heard say they have a preference for Dark meat saying it’s got a richer taste, but I’m not really a fan of it. The main difference seems to be in the muscle’s usage and therefore the amounts of myoglobin and mitochondria found in the meat to give it it’s color. A simple explanation: [http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/meat/INT-what-meat-color.html](http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/meat/INT-what-meat-color.html) ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/16 "2009-09-12T00:42:44Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > _raises hand_ > > I won’t eat dark meat. It’s…squishy. A little slimy. I only eat dark meat poultry when it’s in a soup or pot pie or something and it’s all mixed in with other stuff. I don’t eat any red meat or pork. But I love me my fish. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/17 "2009-09-12T03:57:50Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > _raises hand_ > > I won’t eat dark meat. It’s…squishy. If it’s squishy, you must be eating it raw. White meat is dry and tasteless. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/18 "2009-09-12T04:34:49Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > If it’s squishy, you must be eating it raw. > > White meat is dry and tasteless. As has been said above, and in my own experience, white meat does not need to be a desert. However, it _is_ one a lot more often than dark meat is. I’ve had wonderfully juicy and flavorful white meat and I’ve had white meat I swear turned to sand and sawdust in my mouth. Dark meat has, for me, been more uniformly tasty, and I will agree that it has a richer flavor. But this is _chicken_. Chicken is a bland meat and even the best cannot hold up to pork, beef, duck, or even quail in terms of meat flavor alone. Chicken is at its best when served with a sauce, plastered with something, or in a soup or stew. In that scenario, breast meat is often favored precisely because it is the blander cut and does not contain a bone. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/19 "2009-09-12T10:37:51Z")
And people would be most like pork. Here, piggy, piggy. (D&R) ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2009, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717/20 "2009-09-12T10:52:02Z")
If a dietician advises you to eat no more than X servings of “red meat” per week, this refers to beef and pork/ham/bacon. “White meat” in this context would mean poultry, not necessarily just the breasts of chicken and turkey - though the dietician might make more specific recommendations, of course. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-meat-white-meat-dark-meat-light-meat/509717.md?page=2)