How Would Dragon Taste?

Date: September 2023
Author: Laura Dodwell-Groves

Dragons are the only fantastical creature in the Chinese zodiac calendar, and humanity has consumed everything else on that list (some of them with more regularity or gusto than others). So, it seems fair to ask the question, what would dragons taste like?

When Charles Darwin was at university, he was a member of The Glutton Club, who were devoted to devouring “birds and beasts which were before unknown to human palate”. His enthusiasm for eating the weird and wonderful heightened during his career as a naturalist, eating puma, giant tortoises and even a 9kg rodent assumed to be an agouti which he described as “the very best meat he ever tasted.”

I am sure that had Darwin ever met a dragon he would have tried to taste it. 

Like a puffer fish it would have poisonous parts. The teeth and the claws would need to be expertly removed, and the risk to both the chef and the eater would be part of the thrill. The possibility of spontaneous bursts of flame could not be ruled out. 

The heart would be a delicacy and bring fortune or luck. In the works of J R R Tolkien, eating dragon heart gives the consumer linguistic powers. In the video game Elden Ring, consumption of the heart reveals spells or magical knowledge.

Like other reptiles, the texture of the meat would be stringy or chewy if not prepared properly. I would guess a mild flavoured white meat, high in protein and cholesterol. I expect because of its fiery properties it would be the subject of much faulty research about burnt food being linked to carcinogens.

This thought experiment has led me to the place I think most of you thought it would end. 

Dragon would taste like chicken. A bit smokier and would take a bit more effort. So, if I happened upon one, I probably won’t bother. 

Chicken Please.