# What's the deal with hanging pheasant(s)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289 "2009-05-13T14:19:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bamboo\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Bamboo\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bamboo_Boy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/1 "2009-05-13T14:19:52Z")
Ok, I live in Denmark, and it is fairly common for wildmeat/game shops to hang pheasants outside their shops to ‘age’ or ‘mature’ or ‘ripen’ or whatever it’s called. It looks very attractive and rustic, but man does it stink to high heaven. The STENCH! It makes me retch, just walking past those things. Seriously retch. Gag. They’re pretty though. I was wondering- WHY? And also (or mostly, because the answer to ‘Why?’ I guess, is just acquired taste. That’s meant more as a ‘WTF, ewwwwwww’ kinda why), how is this safe? Is it that once you cook it, all the rotten-ness (pathogens and other baddies) is killed? Does it taste anything like it smells? Does it affect texture? I imagine it to taste ‘normal’ but to have a lingering aftertaste exactly like what I smell when I walk past those shops. \ ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/2 "2009-05-13T14:26:18Z")
A lot of game was traditionally aged in this manner because it would make for a more tender texture. I have a vague recollection that this was particularly important in eras in which dental hygiene was not good and people could only eat very soft meats. I understand it’s supposed to taste good too, but I haven’t had the chance to try aged game meats. ---
**Author:** ![The\_dread\_simoom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_dread\_simoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_dread_simoom)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/3 "2009-05-13T15:24:50Z")
The time I had it, in the U.K., it didn’t smell, but tasted like your description. I like to be polite and clear my plate, but I just couldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Bamboo\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Bamboo\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bamboo_Boy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/4 "2009-05-13T15:25:22Z")
Check the google ad I’m seeing on this page: Discharge & Fishy Smell? It’s Probably Bacterial Vaginosis Here’s How To Get Rid Of It At Home What word triggered THIS? Stench? Pheasant? Reek? Retch? Denmark? ---
**Author:** ![Bamboo\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@Bamboo\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bamboo_Boy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/5 "2009-05-13T15:32:30Z")
> [@The\_dread\_simoom](#): > > The time I had it, in the U.K., it didn’t smell, but tasted like your description. I like to be polite and clear my plate, but I just couldn’t. Would describe the quality as ‘gamey’? Do you dislike other wild game like venison? Is it something like that? Well, you lived to tell the tale, in any case. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/6 "2009-05-13T15:38:30Z")
> [@Bamboo\_Boy](#): > > Check the google ad I’m seeing on this page: > > Discharge & Fishy Smell? > It’s Probably Bacterial Vaginosis Here’s How To Get Rid Of It At Home > > What word triggered THIS? Stench? Pheasant? Reek? Retch? Denmark? Vaginal stench? You might have a family of pheasants living in there and not know it! Call wildlife control! (Seriously. Some vaginas could accommodate a whole pheasant family and have room left over.) ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/7 "2009-05-13T15:39:27Z")
Yeah, hang the bastards. Oh sorry, thought you said peasants ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/8 "2009-05-13T15:42:43Z")
> [@Bamboo\_Boy](#): > > I was wondering- WHY? And also (or mostly, because the answer to ‘Why?’ I guess, is just acquired taste. That’s meant more as a ‘WTF, ewwwwwww’ kinda why), how is this safe? Is it that once you cook it, all the rotten-ness (pathogens and other baddies) is killed? By the way, there are aging and preservation techniques that use bacteria to preserve food, like cole slaw and yogurt. Here are some references: [http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/he124w.htm#aging](http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/he124w.htm#aging) > [@](#): > > Aging of meat usually improves tenderness and flavor. … > > Because mammals and birds forage for food, their muscles may develop more connective tissue than muscles of domestic animals. Exercise can be given as a reason for less tender meat. Tenderness is generally inversely related to age of the animal at harvesting. The tenderest meat comes from young, healthy, alert animals. The condition of the animal prior to harvest has an overall effect on the quality of the meat. If an animal has run a long distance before being killed it will have depleted its reserve glycogen stores, which may result in meat which is darker in color (a brownish-red to a purplish-black) and may be sticky or gummy in texture. … [http://www.epicurean.com/articles/game-cooking.html](http://www.epicurean.com/articles/game-cooking.html) > [@](#): > > Aging the meat of large and small animals and game birds helps to improve the flavor and tenderize the meat. In short, it seems that game animals aren’t as tender as domestic animals because of their more active lifestyles, so some aging might be called for. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/9 "2009-05-13T16:17:46Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > Yeah, hang the bastards. You’re right! They stink on ice! ---
**Author:** ![The\_dread\_simoom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_dread\_simoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_dread_simoom)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/10 "2009-05-13T18:25:53Z")
> [@Bamboo\_Boy](#): > > Would describe the quality as ‘gamey’? Do you dislike other wild game like venison? Is it something like that? Less gamey, more rotten. I don’t mind venison, though I’ve never had it hung as long as the English do. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/11 "2009-05-13T18:47:06Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > Yeah, hang the bastards. > > Oh sorry, thought you said peasants Curses!, foiled again (shakes fist at **chowder** ) ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/12 "2009-05-13T19:16:17Z")
Nice restaurants dry age their beef, of course. I’ve done it in the fridge - you scrape off anything that looks, you know, rotten. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-hanging-pheasant-s/496289/13 "2009-05-13T19:18:37Z")
> [@Bamboo\_Boy](#): > > What word triggered THIS? Stench? Pheasant? Reek? Retch? Denmark? Something is rotten in Denmark…