Struthio camelus, the largest of birds, belongs to Africa, where its flesh and eggs have been eaten from early times. Now it has begun to be farmed elsewhere, and its meat is no longer as exotic an item as it used to be.
Its reputation had already had a boost in the 19th century by no less an authority than Charles Darwin. Voyaging round the world in the Beagle and pausing in S. America, he assured his womenfolk at home that he did not have to live on salt beef and biscuit, as they might have imagined, but enjoyed delicacies such as ostrich dumpling. He was, of course referring to the rhea, known by some as the S. American ostrich.
As for the eggs, to judge by the comments of the poet and food writer Leipoldt (1976) they are disappointing except in dried form for cake-making and the like. Leipoldt counsels against even trying to make an ostrich egg omelette, describes how to make the best of a difficult job in preparing scrambled ostrich egg, and gives in outline an enticing recipe for ‘Imitation Ostrich Egg’, which sounds like something from early Arabic cookery, and is probably better than the real thing. Raising ostrich for its meat (as well as its feathers) has become big business worldwide. As with so many ‘new’ farm varieties, the most profit attaches to breeding for live trade rather than slaughter.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
Leipoldt, C. Louis (1976), Leipoldt's Cape Cookery, Cape Town: W. J. Flesch.
