Why do people across the world mostly only eat a few of the same types of meat (like chicken, beef, pork) when there are thousands of other animals to choose from?

Question

Why do people across the world mostly only eat a few of the same types of meat (like chicken, beef, pork) when there are thousands of other animals to choose from?

In: 667

Answer 1

Because domesticated animals are easier to slaughter in large numbers and those are the animals that have been domesticated the most. I suspect its a bit of a feedback loop.

We domesticated certain animals because they were easiest to demosticate. People got accustomed to those animals so the demand for those meats increased. That demand meant more production of those animals, which leads to more people being accustomed to those meats.

Of course other cultures eat other meats. Horse meat is sold some places. Bison, turkey, goat etc. isnt too hard to come by depending on where you live.

But the big three probably stuck around because they were easiest and cheapest to domesticate.