Quiet Comeback of Offal: Why Nose-to-Tail Eating Is In Again
What Your Grandparents Knew That You Don’t
Have you ever wondered why your grandparents ate every part of the animal, while you reach for the same boring chicken breast week after week? In our grandparents’ generation all parts of an animal were valued and eating liver was as normal as eating mince. It wasn’t just about being economical – though that certainly played a part. They understood something we’ve forgotten: the most nutritious parts of an animal aren’t the pretty cuts wrapped in plastic. Liver is the true superfood, containing more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food. While we’ve been obsessing over organic kale and expensive supplements, our ancestors were getting their vitamins from the ultimate natural source. For instance, beef liver contains 50 times as much vitamin B12 as steak and more folate and B vitamins than any other food on the planet.
The Rise of Offal in High-End Restaurants
Ironically, given its provenance and history, offal has started to be reintroduced as an item of haute cuisine, with stylish restaurants offering roasted bone marrow, fried pork rind, tongue or heart as part of their menus. What was once considered peasant food is now gracing the plates of Michelin-starred establishments. Luckily, it’s becoming more and more common to see offal popping up on menus across the country. Celebrity chefs are leading this charge, and they’re not apologizing for it. Underrated in the sense that it’s often ignored by most regular shoppers but overrated in how it’s lauded as manna and the sign of a refined palate by many professional chefs. If you don’t like offal, you’re probably not going to be sitting at the cool kids table during the next MAD World Summit. These aren’t just culinary experiments – they’re calculated moves by chefs who understand that offal offers flavors and textures that you simply can’t get from muscle meat. Those organs taste damn good.
Why Offal Is Officially Trending in 2025
“Offal isn’t awful” is how plenty of chefs and home cooks are pushing the good stuff. Offal is the term for an animal’s organ meats, including the heart, liver, kidneys, brain, tongue, and inte. The food trends to look out for in 2025 include micro restaurants, organ meats (yes, really!) Martha Stewart’s magazine has officially declared organ meats one of the top food trends for 2025, and they’re not alone. Organ meats have been showing up on more restaurant menus over the last decade or so. “There’s a trend going on to eat less typical parts of the animal,” says Jonathan Reisman, MD, a Philadelphia-based physician and founder of the Anatomy Eats dinner series, which explores dishes from around the world that include offal. And now, more people are looking for ways to incorporate organ meats into their diets at home, according to some trend forecasters. What’s driving this trend isn’t just culinary curiosity – it’s a perfect storm of health consciousness, environmental awareness, and economic sense. This trend is being fueled by an uptick in educational campaigns and health-related media that advocate for the inclusion of organ meats in diets as part of a balanced approach to nutrition. The flavor profile of offal also appeals to gourmet and culinary enthusiasts, leading to increased experimentation with these ingredients in home cooking and restaurant offerings.
The Nutritional Powerhouse You’re Missing
The organ meats of an animal, such as liver and heart, contain more vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than the muscle meat, which is what most cuts of meat are today. Think of it this way: if you were a predator in the wild, which part of your prey would you eat first? These meats are the most nutrient-dense part of the animal, and for this reason are often what animals in the wild will prioritize eating when they’ve had a successful hunt. The numbers are staggering. Organ meat is a super amazing way to get a lot of great nutrients, but especially riboflavin, vitamin B12 and vitamin A. Riboflavin supports your energy levels, digestive health and cell growth. Vitamin B12 is a precursor to serotonin and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters that allow you to feel joy, sleep better and regulate your metabolism. Vitamin A keeps your eyes, teeth and skin healthy. Different cuts of organ meat provide different quantities of these. It’s more densely packed with vitamins and minerals than kale, spinach and broccoli.
The Environmental Case for Eating Everything
Here’s something that might surprise you: eating organ meats could actually help save the planet. In fact, one April 2019 Environmental Science & Technology paper estimated eating organ meat instead of conventional meat just twice per week could help significantly slash carbon emissions because fewer animals would need to be raised for meat overall. Nose-to-tail eating is also the most sustainable way to eat meat, as it reduces waste and increases the amount of food used from each animal. Think about it: if we use every part of the animal, we need fewer animals to feed the same number of people. Organ meats typically get thrown out in the U.S. because most shoppers aren’t buying them, according to Boston University. By choosing offal, you’re diverting food from the landfill. In fact, animal scraps serve as one of the biggest contributors to food waste in America. More than 30% of the available food goes uneaten in the United States, according to a 2014 study released by the USDA Economic Research Service. The report identified meat, poultry, and fish as the top three food groups that result in waste.
The Price Tag That’ll Shock You
Want to know the best-kept secret in the meat section? Offal cuts are cheap – with many retailing for less than $10 a kilogram. When you compare that to the cost of beef steak at $20 a kilo or rack of lamb at $30 your wallet will thank you. Not only are liver and kidneys much cheaper than the sexier, more marketable slabs of breast and thigh but they’re packed with a lot more flavour. Even at HG Walter (the bougie butcher’s near my flat), you can nab 250g of chicken livers for just £1.75. What we can promise you is that prices are reasonable—a plus of unpopular, and for the meantime, surplus cuts. It’s like getting a Ferrari for the price of a Honda Civic – except the Ferrari is also better for your health and the environment.
Cultural Cuisines That Never Forgot
In many countries, using the whole animal is second nature, and there is no stigma or taboo attached to it. For Americans, eating things like offal, tongue, heads, and tails was much more common in the past. That’s why they’re mainly found as ingredients in old, traditional recipes when nose-to-tail eating was normal. People from every corner of the earth — Western and Eastern cultures alike — eat offal. Everything from street food to gourmet cuisine. Dishes like pressed pig’s ear and deep-fried tripe are staples in countless spots across the UK’s many Chinatowns. The ox tripe kebab at Camberwell’s Silk Road, a nod to the restaurant’s Xinjiang roots, is one of my favourite renditions of offal in the capital. There are tons of amazing dishes from all around the world that use organ meats. Kebda eskandarani is a delicious Egyptian dish that uses liver. In the United Kingdom, they make steak and kidney hand pies. Lengua tacos from Mexico are super tasty, as is haggis from Scotland.
The Psychology Behind Our Squeamishness
According to David Beriss, President of the Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition, steak has become the symbol of American success. Unlike earlier generations, Americans today don’t typically think of offal as something you have to eat if you can afford better. Many don’t even know that certain organs are edible. Thomas Schneller, a culinary arts professor at the Culinary Institute of America, says Americans are accustomed to sanitized food such as skinless chicken breasts and fatless pork chops. Although Americans may seek foods that are sanitized, many are still unfamiliar with the cuts of meat they are eating, particularly because of their separation from the butchering process. Some people turn their noses up at beef cheeks (which are absolutely delicious by the way!) because it’s from the cow’s face but will happily eat rump steak or oxtail, which is right next to the cow’s bum! It doesn’t make sense to me, so I encourage everyone to learn about where their food comes from because if we understand that then we are less likely to waste meat and will hopefully be more willing to give different cuts a go.
Modern Chefs Leading the Charge
I have to mention Mr Fergus Henderson here of course – he is the owner of St. John restaurant in London who coined the term Nose to Tail Eating and really brought the eating of offal right into the foreground of Britain’s food culture today. Of course many recoiled in horror, but then it turned out that all this food was delicious. Although Americans are largely unfamiliar with eating and cooking offals, an increasing number of chefs and restaurants are trying to change that. “There seems to be a resurgence of offcuts and offal meats in the food business these days,” says chef Joseph Pagels of The Bloom and Rose, a restaurant in Buffalo, N.Y. that specializes in Jewish cuisine. For professional chefs, cooking with the odd bits has never gone out of style. Customers did not seek these dishes out as much in the last few decades, but with the growing awareness of whole-animal eating, farm-totable restaurants are bringing more of these ingredients back to their menus. Most chefs would rather eat well-made off-cuts than a poorly cooked fillet steak.
The Booming Offal Market
Edible Offal Market Size was estimated at 35.62 (USD Billion) in 2022. The Edible Offal Industry is expected to grow from 36.51(USD Billion) in 2023 to 45.5 (USD Billion) by 2032. Edible Offal Market Size is Anticipated to Reach at a USD 45.5 Billion 2032 with CAGR 2.48% by 2024-2032, Due to Rising Consumer Awareness About Nutritional Value Chicken Offal Market expected to hit worth US$ 2,478 Million at CAGR of 9.2% during forecast period 2023 to 2033 These aren’t just niche markets anymore – they’re billion-dollar industries. There has been a surge in both domestic and international trade of poultry and its products, including offal. This growing demand has led to the expansion of production facilities and the entry of new players in the chicken industry, increasing the availability of chicken offal in the market. Furthermore, with the shift towards organic and pasture-raised animal products, consumers are more willing to explore all parts of the animal, thereby driving the overall market expansion. Another significant driver for the growth of the Edible Offal Market Industry is the increasing emphasis on sustainable food practices and the reduction of food waste.
Where to Find Offal and How to Start
Unfortunately, offal isn’t widely available in supermarkets, with the occasional exception of liver and kidneys. In any case, it’s better to use a local butcher who can supply from a known source. As always, don’t be afraid to ask your butcher for prep, cooking and serving tips—they’re the experts after all. Instead, Dr. Reisman recommends stopping into your local butcher shop. “The butcher can get you almost anything you want. They may not have it on hand, but they can get it for you,” he says. Multicultural markets or grocery stores may be another good bet, because many traditional cuisines incorporate offal into their cooking. “H-Mart has an incredible variety, and I’ve gotten brains from an Arabic grocery store,” Dr. Reisman says. If you want to start eating more nose-to-tail but don’t know where to begin, try dishes like pâté, summer sausage, pho with housemade broth, roasted bone marrow, and lengua (beef tongue) tacos at some of your favorite local places. These dishes feature parts that may be new to you, which may help give ideas of how to use them at home.
The Surprising Foods You’re Already Eating
Here’s a plot twist: you’re probably already eating offal without even knowing it. You may not realise it, but every time you tuck into a sausage, you are eating offal. The casing holding your snag together is made from intestines, which holds the meat together. Despite that unfamiliarity, people are still consuming them; some of the most-used offal parts are present in foods considered common. For example, people don’t realize the Italian or breakfast sausage they’re eating is encased in pig or sheep intestine, Schneller says. He adds that pork round skin can also be cooked down to form gelatin that’s used in a variety of foods such as gummy candy and cold cuts like bologna. Diesel Family Ranch’s Primal Blend melds turkey meat with turkey heart and liver for a familiar ground turkey product, with the added benefit of extra nutrients (iron and protein) from the offal. So next time someone wrinkles their nose at the idea of eating organ meat, remind them they probably already are.
The Future of Nose-to-Tail Eating
And right at the forefront of this offal revival? Ostrich. At American Ostrich Farms, we believe that every part of the animal matters. That’s why we’re proud to offer premium cuts like ostrich liver and heart—nutrient-dense, easy to cook, and surprisingly delicious. By building awareness, offering easy recipes, and sharing the health benefits, we can transform offal from a forgotten byproduct into a premium offering. Unlike steaks or burger patties, organ meats don’t move fast unless you educate consumers. It’s more ethical, environmentally friendlier, sometimes more nutritious, and cheaper—if you’re a meat-eater, the list of advantages to exploring the world of offal is four-fold. They don’t have to be on your table every day, but for optimal nutrition, try to have some kind of organ meat at least once a week and collagen-rich bone broth a few times per week. The movement isn’t just about trendy restaurants or adventurous eaters anymore – it’s becoming a practical choice for health-conscious consumers who want to make their food dollar stretch further while reducing their environmental impact.
What started as a whisper in high-end kitchens has become a roar across the food industry. From billion-dollar market projections to celebrity chef endorsements, offal is no longer the forgotten stepchild of the meat world. It’s the nutritional powerhouse, environmental solution, and culinary adventure that’s been hiding in plain sight all along. Your grandmother was right, and it’s time we started listening. The question isn’t whether nose-to-tail eating will continue to grow – it’s whether you’ll be brave enough to join the revolution. What would you have guessed was the most nutrient-dense food on the planet?
