Yak meat on the menu: Why you will enjoy this original 'primal' food:
-- Yak meat is lean yet juicy, highly nutritious, & simply delicious!
-- Yak meat has a high percent of nutritious fats (Omega-3 oils, conjugated linoleic acids, oleic acids, & stearic acids; 35% higher than beef), & low percent "bad" fats such as palmitic acid (30% less than beef). Compared to beef, yak meat has higher protein, minerals, & vitamins, & lower saturated fats, cholesterol, triglycerides, & calories.
-- Though similar in nutritional value to high quality grass-fed beef & bison, yak meat has a higher moisture content & is thus more juicy.
-- Many find yak meat to be sweeter in flavor than beef, requiring fewer marinades & sauces for seasoning.
-- A diversity of cuts (e.g., sirloin, ribeye, roasts, ground; same as beef) can be easily prepared to suit most tastes.
-- Preparation is similar to a lean beef, with the use of lower cooking temperatures recommended due to the lower fat content.
-- Recipes coming soon!
-- Buying from a local yak producer embraces the Slow Food movement and helps support your local farmers & ranchers.
-- And just think of the dinnertime conversation!
Yaks in your pasture: Why you should consider bringing yak home:
Yaks provide diverse services. As un-fussy grazers, they help with the management of pastures. Yaks can be brushed seasonally for their exquisite downy fiber, and processed for their meat, hides, and even horns. Well-socialized animals can be trained as pack animals, milked to make exotic dairy products, or displayed at livestock shows. An international association and registry tracks the heritage of foundation yaks as well as some of the lesser known herds. There are still relatively few yak herds in the United States--most know yaks only from children's alphabet books ("Y is for Yak"). So be the first in your neighborhood to pasture this domesticated, but unusual animal!
Yaks are relatively low-maintenance. They do not challenge fences and are happy on small acreage. Three yak consume approximately the same forage as one head of cattle. They require no additional food supplementation other than a salt and mineral lick. They are not susceptible to many diseases. Calving is relatively easy, with no human intervention required. Compared to cattle, yaks are quite quiet, producing only a low guttural grunt when excited. Trees are all that is needed for summer shade or shelter in the worst of winter storms. Finally, being greeted by a yak will bring a smile to your face: even less socialized yaks love treats and will come galloping across the field with their tails up and hair flapping in the wind!
Click here for a recent Outside magazine article
For more on yaks, see the International Yak Association:
-- Yak meat is lean yet juicy, highly nutritious, & simply delicious!
-- Yak meat has a high percent of nutritious fats (Omega-3 oils, conjugated linoleic acids, oleic acids, & stearic acids; 35% higher than beef), & low percent "bad" fats such as palmitic acid (30% less than beef). Compared to beef, yak meat has higher protein, minerals, & vitamins, & lower saturated fats, cholesterol, triglycerides, & calories.
-- Though similar in nutritional value to high quality grass-fed beef & bison, yak meat has a higher moisture content & is thus more juicy.
-- Many find yak meat to be sweeter in flavor than beef, requiring fewer marinades & sauces for seasoning.
-- A diversity of cuts (e.g., sirloin, ribeye, roasts, ground; same as beef) can be easily prepared to suit most tastes.
-- Preparation is similar to a lean beef, with the use of lower cooking temperatures recommended due to the lower fat content.
-- Recipes coming soon!
-- Buying from a local yak producer embraces the Slow Food movement and helps support your local farmers & ranchers.
-- And just think of the dinnertime conversation!
Yaks in your pasture: Why you should consider bringing yak home:
Yaks provide diverse services. As un-fussy grazers, they help with the management of pastures. Yaks can be brushed seasonally for their exquisite downy fiber, and processed for their meat, hides, and even horns. Well-socialized animals can be trained as pack animals, milked to make exotic dairy products, or displayed at livestock shows. An international association and registry tracks the heritage of foundation yaks as well as some of the lesser known herds. There are still relatively few yak herds in the United States--most know yaks only from children's alphabet books ("Y is for Yak"). So be the first in your neighborhood to pasture this domesticated, but unusual animal!
Yaks are relatively low-maintenance. They do not challenge fences and are happy on small acreage. Three yak consume approximately the same forage as one head of cattle. They require no additional food supplementation other than a salt and mineral lick. They are not susceptible to many diseases. Calving is relatively easy, with no human intervention required. Compared to cattle, yaks are quite quiet, producing only a low guttural grunt when excited. Trees are all that is needed for summer shade or shelter in the worst of winter storms. Finally, being greeted by a yak will bring a smile to your face: even less socialized yaks love treats and will come galloping across the field with their tails up and hair flapping in the wind!
Click here for a recent Outside magazine article
For more on yaks, see the International Yak Association: