Have you ever wondered what human flesh actually tastes like?
Don’t worry if you haven’t - that’s probably a sign of a well-adjusted person - but if you have, we have some good news for you.
Over the years, a number of people who have chowed down on human meat have shared their thoughts on it - and it’s not as uniform as you might think.
Human meat is a taste that people can’t agree onOver the course of human history, there have always been instances of people eating people.
In some cases - like this rugby team - it was out of necessity, and in others, it has been outright disgusting violence and crime.
But one thing is for certain - cannibalism has always been on the menu.
In fact, if some scientists have their way, it could be the future - we could be eating synthetic human meat before we know it.
Most people aren’t interested in eating other folks, and while that is undoubtedly a good thing, it does mean that we’ll always have the lingering question in our mind - what does it actually taste like?
No, you’re not weird for thinking it, just inquisitive.
So, with that in mind, here are a few accounts of those who have - or claim to have - tasted human meat.
In terms of appearance, human meat is similar to beefTo start with, human meat is a red meat - that’s simply because it visually appears red thanks to the presence of myoglobin and hemes, which have pigments that give it a rich red color.
Human meat has higher levels than the meat of pigs, sheep, and even cows, so it is among the reddest of red meats.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it tastes like red meat - in fact, most cannibals suggest it is quite different.
Several accounts suggest that it tastes like porkDifferent accounts from Polynesian cannibals to German convicted criminal and cannibal Armin Meiwes claim that human flesh tastes more like pork than anything else.
Speaking from his prison cell in 2007, the German said: “The flesh tastes like pork, a little bit more bitter, stronger.”
He then added the completely unnecessary detail: “It tastes quite good.”
However, this isn’t a universally held belief.
In the 1920s, William Seabrook travelled to West Africa and wrote a book called ‘Jungle Ways’.
In that book, he wrote: “The roast from which I cut and ate a central slice, was tender, and in color, texture, smell as well as taste, strengthened my certainty that of all the meats we habitually know, veal is the one meat to which this meat is accurately comparable.”
It’s important to note that his account has been called into question and he later allegedly admitted that he didn’t eat the meat, but said that he cooked samples himself that were obtained from a French hospital.
However, the important thing to note is that - regardless of the veracity of his argument - it really depends on what part you eat and how it is cooked - just like any other meat.
We’ll finish with the account of biologist Bill Schutt, who took part in some ‘medicinal cannibalism’ by eating a plate of placenta.
That's not as strange as you might think - people have done it for centuries.
He told Scientific American: “A lot of people have claimed that it tastes like pork or veal, and everything tastes like chicken, I guess.
“To me, it didn’t taste like any of those.
“And I’ll tell you, I cleaned my plate. It’s something I’ll never forget.”
There you have it - wonder no more…