Non-Genealogy: Exotic Meats

Ever since I was in 9th Grade, I've been an aficionado of the niche hobby of trying rare and unusual meats, or just "exotic meats" to many. I grew up in a household where this hobby wasn't exactly encouraged, but not really condemned either. My maternal grandfather, for example, once consumed turtle soup and as a former duck farmer, has quite a bit of experience with poultry, but he isn't a fan of consuming ostrich, for example. So, where does one go about embracing this hobby? 

One of the best places to obtain rare and unusual meat is Anshu Pathak's Exotic Meat Market. His market has glowing reviews among many foodies, and is a great place to obtain many different types of meat, in different cuts and flavor. 

To learn about the hobby and explore what it is like, I highly recommend the blog "Cannundrums", written by Bob Cannon. I have found that Cannon is a great source of information on niche foods, and his library of articles spans from grilled Alligator to grilled Zebra ribeye. If you're interested in the hobby, but don't want to jump right in immediately, looking at some of his articles might help you decide whether this is the hobby for you. 

Meats I've Tried: 

• Venison- I bought some Venison at Earl's Meats, a local butcher shop, a few years ago, although I don't remember the taste too well. I consumed some Venison Jerky from Meijer recently too, although it wasn't great. 
• Goat- Same as Venison, I bought some at Earl's Meats but don't remember the taste. 
• Mutton- Same as Venison and Goat. 
• Duck- I've ordered Crispy Duck a couple of times at China Inn, a local Chinese American restaurant. When eaten at the restaurant, it has been one of my all time favorite dishes. I have found Duck to be very meaty and oily, which is a delicious taste. My mother consumed duck when she was a child and also found that it was very greasy, although unlike me that's not something she likes. I recently ordered the dish on DoorDash and it was a disappointment. I guess it's better at the restaurant. 
• Bison- One of my mother's friends once gave us a large amount of Bison, leftover from a hunting trip of her husbands. I remember that it was very good. 
• Frog Legs- I once bought some frog legs and my aunt grilled them on a summer holiday. I did not enjoy the taste. 
• Quail- I don't remember eating too much of it when I had gotten it, but it wasn't very good. Very small. I will soon be preparing quail again. 
• Rabbit- My family's pastor, who grew up in the Deep South, cooked some rabbit for us that I had bought at Earl's Meats. I did not like the preparation, although I look forward to eventually trying Rabbit again, in a different cut. I bought some Newport Rabbit Jerky and tried that too- it was ok, but not great. The smell was atrocious, but the taste was sweeter because of the sauce. 
• Ostrich- I recently consumed a pair of Ostrich steaks that I had bought from Fossil Farms. I found them to be very good, although their taste reminded me of turkey liver. 
• Hammerhead Shark- My mother bought me a bag of Hammerhead Shark jerky for either Christmas or my Birthday 2019. It wasn't very good, but I think it was the preparation. I'm not a huge jerky guy, when it's coated in sauces. 
• Veal- Like several other meats on this list, I had bought some Veal at Earl's Meat's a few years ago. I don't remember it too well, but I believe I liked it. 
• Turkey Liver- I've had turkey liver at a couple of Thanksgiving dinners, that we have obtained from the van Kampen family. It is usually pretty good, although it has a very strong flavor and has a metallic taste to it, probably from blood. 
• Chicken Liver- I've had chicken liver a couple of times, prepared with onions by the local pastor. It was very good, better then turkey liver. 
• Alligator- I've had alligator jerky a couple of times, that my paternal grandmother has brought me from Florida. It was good, but all jerky usually is, when prepared that way. I am looking forward to eventually trying alligator meat in different preparations. 
• Wild Boar- I had a couple Wild Boar burgers, and they had a very unique taste. It's not a great one though- they are ok, but very different and I don't think I'd order burgers again. Maybe a Wild Boar steak is down the road, though. 
• Reindeer- I tried some Reindeer Jerky mixed with Beef recently. It was absolutely awful and I ended up throwing most of it away. It was the most atrocious Jerky I'd ever had. The taste, smell, everything- terrible. I am interested in trying Reindeer again one day, but as steak or back strap or something real. 
• Camel- I have tried Camel Jerky, and Camel Milk Chocolate. I remember the chocolate was alright. 
• Python- I recently tried Python Jerky- it is very tough. 
• Pork- I frequently eat pepperoni on pizza and sausages, but recently I consumed a pork tenderloin. It was good and moist, but there wasn't too much flavor to it. Christmas ham is also an excellent dish. 
• Swordfish- I tried Swordfish Jerky recently. It was very fishy, both in smell and texture. 
• Kangaroo- 

I have multiple exotic meats currently shipping to me, specifically: Alligator, Bison, Camel, Elk, Emu, Guinea Hen, Nilgai antelope, Pheasant, Squab, Venison, and Yak. I have currently some roast Eel, Quail eggs, and imitation Crab, that will be tried at a later date. Some of the meats shipping to me, I have already tried, but these are different cuts- for example, a Bison Sirloin Steak instead of burgers. I have also recently received some ground Venison from my mother's pastor, and that will be tried as well. 

A lot of people object to this hobby on either moral or personal grounds. Personally, I find most objections to be quite baseless. What exactly is the difference between a cow and a kangaroo, other then what we personally find to be a cute animal? Both of them can be consumed, in very flavorful and healthy preparations. As a committed Socialist, I of course support increased animal welfare measures. I do not support the torture or mistreatment of animals, and support many measures to reduce suffering, such as minimum amounts of space for animals, abolishing factory farming, ending fur farming, and banning live export of animals for slaughter. That is part of the reason why I support increased consumption of exotic meats. If I shoot a black bear or a bobcat while hunting and harvest it for its meat and fur, that is definitely more humane then eating beef that has been slaughtered on an enormous industrial farm. 

External Links: 

• http://cannundrum.blogspot.com/    Cannundrums 
• https://www.exoticmeatmarkets.com/     Exotic Meat Market 
• https://www.fossilfarms.com/    Fossil Farms 

The Seize Quartiers of my Maternal Grandmother

1. Albert Verhoef (1832-1910) of Doornspijk, Netherlands and Holland, Michigan. Descendant of various Gelderland families. 

2. Lubbertje Veldhoen (1833-circa 1875) of Doornspijk, Netherlands and Holland, Michigan. Descendant of various Gelderland families. 

3. Marten Karsten (1821-before 1900) of Doornspijk, Netherlands and Holland, Michigan. Descendant of various Gelderland families. 

4. Jannetje Veldhoen (1820-1901) of Doornspijk, Netherlands and Holland, Michigan. Sister of number 2, so also a descendant of various families of Gelderland. 

5. Jan Harmsen* (1811-1887) of Lage, Germany. Roots lie in the Bentheim, but ancestry largely untraced. 

6. Geerdjen Biester* (1818-1891) of Halle, Germany. Descendant of various Bentheim families. 

7. Gerrit Jan Vos* (1835-unknown) of Höcklenkamp, Germany. Roots lie in the Bentheim, but ancestry largely untraced. 

8. Zwenne Hülshuis* (1832-1859) of Grafschaft Bentheim, Germany. Roots lie in the Bentheim, but ancestry largely untraced past her grandparents. 

9. Abraham Wise (1822-1896) of Leesport, Pennsylvania. Ancestry largely unknown past his parents, but it's very likely his ancestors were among the Pennsylvania Dutch. 

10. Clara Harter (circa 1824-1854) of Alsace, Pennsylvania. Origins are unknown, but it's very likely she was of German descent. 

11. James C. Saxton (1809-after 1860) of New York and Jefferson, Michigan. Grandson of Jasper Saxton, Revolutionary War Patriot of the Saratoga Campaign, and descendant of various Massachusetts and Connecticut families from the Puritan Great Migration. 

12. Roxany Moon (1818-1903) of New York and Holland, Michigan. Ancestry largely unknown past her parents, but it is likely her ancestors had been in New England since the Puritan Great Migration. 

13. Reiner Harkema (1850-1943) of Holland, Michigan and Zillah, Washington. Descendant of various Groningen families. 

14. Jansje Stephan (1855-1890) of Harderwijk, Netherlands and Holland, Michigan. Descendant of a host of Gelderland families, with some possible ancestors from Echzell, Germany. 

15. Jan Hendrik Grote (1835-1915) of Grafschaft Bentheim, Germany and Fillmore, Michigan. Roots lie in the Bentheim, but ancestry largely untraced past his parents. 

16. Geertje Laarman (1845-1922) of Grafschaft Bentheim, Germany and Fillmore, Michigan. Roots lie in the Bentheim, but ancestry largely untraced past her parents. 

The Seize Quartiers of my Maternal Grandfather

1. Gerrit ter Vree (1798-after 1850) of Almelo and Zwolle, Netherlands and Holland, Michigan. Descendant of a host of Almelo families. 

2. Gesiena Kamferbeek (1796-after 1960) of Zwolle, Netherlands and Holland, Michigan. Daughter of Zwolle residents whose ancestry hasn't been traced further. 

3. Frederik Jan van Lente (1801-1874) of Zwolle, Netherlands and Holland, Michigan. Descendant of the van Lente family which supposedly entered Zwolle in 1734, when Rutger van Lente paid the city 35 guilders. 

4. Maria Horning (1798-1869) of Zwolle, Netherlands and Holland, Michigan. Daughter of a Hessian-born Catholic musician who deserted the Dutch Army, and a thrice-married Zwolle native, great-granddaughter of the sailor Carel Lavia, employed by the Dutch East India Company. 

5. Frens Roelofs Strik (1807-1849) of Smilde, Netherlands. Father born in Staphorst, Overijssel, and earliest trace of his ancestors in the Staphorst Municipality was in the 1670s. Paternal grandmother born in Hilversum, Noord-Holland, ancestry untraced beyond parents due to the loss of the town DTB registers. Mother born in Westerbork, Drenthe, to farming parents, whose ancestry has not been traced. 

6. Rensje Jacobs de Vries (1800-1849) of Smilde, Netherlands. Origins lie in Drenthe, but ancestry largely untraced. 

7. Tede Ulberg (1804-1890) of Friesland, Netherlands and Jamestown, Michigan. Origins lie in Friesland, but ancestry largely untraced. 

8. Akke Piebes Posthumus (1815-1901) of Friesland, Netherlands and Jamestown, Michigan. Descendant of a host of Frisian families. 

9. Quirinus Huyser (1790-1864) of Zoetermeer, Netherlands. Descendant of a Zuid-Holland family supposedly descended from the Huguenots. 

10. Adriana Noteboom (1789-1823) of Pijnacker and Zoetermeer, Netherlands. Descendant of various Zuid-Holland families through her father, although her origins lie in Noord-Brabant on her mother's side. 

11. Dirk Kok (1813-1888) of Hoogwoud, Netherlands and Zeeland, Michigan. Origins lie in Noord-Holland, but ancestry largely untraced. 

12. Grietje de Vries (1811-1881) of Wervershoof, Netherlands and Zeeland, Michigan. Descendant of various Noord-Holland families. 

13. Hendrik Otte (1816-1874) of Zaandam, Netherlands and Chicago, Illinois. Origins lie in Noord-Holland, but ancestry largely untraced past his grandparents. 

14. Neeltje Smits (1808-1888) of Zaandam, Netherlands and Chicago, Illinois. Origins lie in Noord-Holland, but ancestry largely untraced past her grandparents. 

15. Jan François Joseph Fredrik Goossen (1817-unknown, probably circa 1891) of Goes, Netherlands and Chicago, Illinois. While his father had deep roots in Zeeland, his mother was a Roman Catholic from Brussels, and descended from various Flemish families. 

16. Ariaantje Scheele (1817-1854) of Terneuzen, Netherlands. Descendant of various Zeeland families. 

The Seize Quartiers of my Paternal Grandmother

1. Joseph Franklin Winn Sr. C.S.A (circa 1834-circa 1877) of Laurens, South Carolina, and Pulaski, Georgia. Descendant of the Fuller and Avent families of North Carolina and Virginia. 

2. Frances Emily Hart (1834-circa 1875) of Pulaski, Georgia. Descendant of the DeShazo family of France that immigrated to Virginia, as well as the probably Scottish Collum family. 

3. Noah Gideon Pittman C.S.A (1847-1926) of Tattnall and Toombs, Georgia. Descendant of the Reverend Hawte Wyatt of Jamestowne, a documented gateway ancestor, as well as various other North Carolina families. 

4. Elizabeth Partin (1843-1911) of Tattnall and Toombs, Georgia. Of mostly unknown heritage, but her ancestors seem to have been settlers of Tattnall from North Carolina. 

5. James F. Benton C.S.A (1822-1907) of Colleton, South Carolina, and Tattnall, Georgia. Origins unknown. 

6. Caroline E. Bowen (circa 1845-1915) of Tattnall, Georgia. Descendant of the Bowen family of Rehoboth, Massachusetts and Cohansey, New Jersey. 

7. John W. Eason (circa 1847-1902) of Tattnall and Toombs, Georgia. Grandson of the Reverend William Eason, the "Father of Methodism" in Tattnall County and great-grandson of Michael McKenzie Mattox (prominent early Tattnall settler). Also descended from John MacKinzie of Anne Arundel, Maryland. 

8. Sarah Strickland (circa 1845-1922) of Tattnall, Georgia. Descendant of the Strickland and Braswell families of Isle of Wight, Virginia and North Carolina. 

9-12 are unknown

13. William James Humphreys C.S.A (1837-1907) of Fayette and Haywood, Tennessee, Holly Springs, Mississippi, and Navarro, Texas. Origins unknown. 

14. Tennessee Martha Smith (1840-1923) of Fayette and Haywood, Tennessee, Holly Springs, Mississippi, Navarro, Texas, and Gracemont, Oklahoma. Origins largely unknown. 

15. Thomas Jefferson Freels (1846-1919) of Hardeman and Haywood, Tennessee, and Tippah, Mississippi. Origins largely unknown, but probably a descendant of the Friels family of Ulster Scots origin. 

16. Lumarah Anne Crump (1846-1922) of Tippah, Mississippi and Haywood, Tennessee. Descendant of Ancient Planter Alexander Mountney and various other Virginia/North Carolina/Maryland families. 

The Seize Quartiers of my Paternal Grandfather

1. Jacob Sadler (1794-after 1870), of Frederick, Maryland, Pulaski, Virginia, and Rock, West Virginia. Grandson of Michael Sadler (circa 1741-1831), who came to the Province of Pennsylvania in 1751 with his family from Germany. 

2. Mary Crowell (circa 1800-?), of Pulaski, Virginia. Descendant of the Grauel and Fulmann families of Heuchelheim bei Frankenthal, Germany, who immigrated to the Colony of Pennsylvania in 1736. 

3. Achilles White, of Virginia. Origins and life mostly unknown. 

4. Elizabeth, of Virginia. Origins and life mostly unknown, but maiden name possibly Mawles. 

5. Elkanah Champ (circa 1821-after 1880), of Tazewell, Virginia. Origins unknown. 

6. Nancy B. Carter (circa 1827-after 1880), of Tazewell, Virginia. Origins unknown. 

7. John Gilman (circa 1810-after 1880), of Wythe, Virignia. Descendant of the Krieger family of Germany, that migrated to Pennsylvania, Maryland, and eventually Wythe County (among its original settlers). 

8. Susan Corvin (circa 1818-after 1880), of Wythe, Virginia. Origins unknown. 

9. Nicholas Morris (circa 1823-1895) of Nelson, Virginia. Maternal grandson of Richard Lee and Anna Dodd, his earliest known ancestors. 

10. Martha Ann Wood (circa 1825-after 1880), of Nelson, Virginia. Origins unknown. 

11. Bartholomew Kidd Bragg C.S.A. (1814-1889), of Louisa, Albemarle, Augusta, and Nelson, Virginia. Origins mostly unknown, but probably a descendant of Thomas Bragg, an early Virginia colonist. 

12. Martha A. Tyler (circa 1822-after 1860), of Louisa, Albemarle, and Augusta, Virginia. Possibly a descendant of John Punch, widely regarded as the first Slave in the USA. 

13-16 are unknown. 

Indentured Servants in my Ancestry

According to Nathan Murphy MA, AG, of FamilySearch International, "The gateway to Europe are the indentured servants". In Colonial America, indentured servants were those who agreed to act as servants, without pay, to an owner for a set period of time. The indentured servant often entered to receive a specific benefit, for example, free passage to America, or to meet legal obligations. Once their contract was complete, they received their freedom, and occasionally some land. 

The institution of indentured servitude was brutal- many servants died before their contracts expire. The practice is outlawed by the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as a form of Slavery. 

The practice, however, was very common in the British Colonies of North America. Between one-half and two-thirds of all Europeans who came to the Colonies between the 1630s and the American Revolutionary War, were indentured servants. Because of this, many Americans with Colonial ancestry can trace at least a couple of lines back to indentured servants. So far, I have found three, two in the South and one in New England: 

• John Blandford, Massachusetts- Came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638 on the "Confidence", as a 27 year old servant of Walter Hayne. Hayne was a linen weaver of Sutton Mansfield, county Wiltshire, and that is probably where the English roots of Blandford are. The details of his life as a servant are unknown, but he ended up settling in Sudbury, Massachusetts where he lived out his life until his death in 1687. 
• Alexander Mountney, Virginia- Came to the Colony of Virginia in 1610 on the "Mary James", as a servant, around the age of 19, “at company charges”, on the company lands of the Virginia Company. Servants on the company lands were the lowest social class in old Virginia, and their mortality rate was the highest of any group. Eventually however, he earned the title of Ancient Planter, and received 100 acres of land. On the strength of his character, he built his life, and rose from a mere servant to a prominent citizen of Accomack/Northampton County, Virginia. He served on the vestry, was referred to as Mr., and was Keeper of the Community Store. 
• Richard Tydings, Maryland- Although his origins are obscure, it is clear that he was an indentured servant, as on June 20, 1659, he claimed 50 acres from William Blay on completion of his indentured service in Maryland. It is possible that Tydings was contracted with Blay back in England, but his roots are unknown. While he didn't become as prominent as Mountney did, he certainly raised his social status- he served on the jury in Anne Arundel County and witnessed wills. 

I also have a couple of ancestors who owned indentured servants: 

• Thomas Brigham- In his estate inventory, the Puritan of Cambridge is listed as owning a "Daniel Mykene" as an asset of the estate worth £15. He is also listed as owning a female indentured servant. 

Other ancestors, such as Andrew Warner, are referred to as having servants in their biographies, but there is very little information. This is to be differentiated between my many ancestors who owned african slaves. A few others, such as Thomas Welles of Evesham, Worcestershire, apparently had servants who helped them. And of course, my many Royal and Noble ancestors also had servants. 

A source for some of my information: 

https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/ancestor-colonial-america-indentured-servant/   My Ancestor Came to Colonial America as an Indentured Servant

My Descent from the Royal House of Plantagenet

1. Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou and Empress Matilda had:

2. Henry II, King of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine had:

3. John, King of England and Isabella of Angoulême had:

4. Henry III, King of England and Eleanor of Provence had:

5. Edward I, King of England and Eleanor of Castile had:

6. Joan of Acre, Countess of Hertford and Gloucester and Ralph de Monthermer, 1st Baron Monthermer had: 

7. Thomas de Monthermer, 2nd Baron Monthermer and Margaret de Brewes had: 

8. Margaret de Monthermer, 3rd Baroness Monthermer and John de Montacute, 1st Baron Montagu had: 

9. John Montagu, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, K.G., favorite of King Richard II, and Maud Francis, Countess of Salisbury had: 

10. Lady Anne Montacute and Sir Lewis Johan had: 

11. Elizabeth FitzLewis and Sir John Wingfield had:

12. Elizabeth Wingfield and Francis Hall had: 

13. Francis Hall, Esq. of Grantham, Lincolnshire, and Ursula Sherington had: 

14. Jane Hall and Henry Skipwith, MP for Leicester 1584 and 1586 had: 

15. Sir William Skipwith and Margaret Cave had: 

16. Sir Henry Skipwith, 1st Baronet Skipwith of Prestwould, Cavalier, and Amy Kempe had: 

17. Diana Skipwith and Major Edward Dale, Cavalier, Gentleman of Lancaster County, Virginia had: 

18. Katherine Dale and Captain Thomas Carter of Barford had: 

19. James Carter and Mary Brent had: 

20. Catherine Carter and William Davis had: 

21. Elizabeth Davis and James Carter of Tazewell County, Virginia had: 

22. Nancy B. Carter and Elkanah Champ, Confederate Veteran had: 

23. James Henry Champ and Cosby Crockett Gilman had: 

24. Virginia B. Champ and Wiley Winton Sadler had: 

25. Luther Allen Saddler Sr. and Mary Roberta Morris had: 

26. Luther Allen Saddler Jr. and LIVING had: 

27. Brian Keith Winn and LIVING had: 

28. Me! 

Updated May 28, 2024, to reflect my discovery of a much stronger link to a gateway ancestor

That nirvana of genealogical research, demonstrated descent from a royal family- Steve Olson