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Muttonbird

Muttonbird is a commonly harvested shearwater used as a game bird and traditionally cooked by roasting or boiling.

Muttonbird — illustrative ingredient image

About Muttonbird

Muttonbird is culinary meat from a harvested shearwater, a seabird eaten as game rather than raised as domestic poultry. It is prepared in food traditions associated with particular coastal regions and may be cooked as a whole bird or divided into portions.

The meat is generally dark and rich, with a pronounced game-bird flavour and substantial texture. Its fat can contribute a strong savoury character. Results vary with the shearwater type, age, season, fatness, and cooking method, so regional examples do not all taste alike.

Muttonbird may be handled fresh or frozen, or preserved by salting, smoking, or other local methods. Whole birds show dark meat and skin, whereas portions present mainly meat and rendered fat. Roasting, boiling, and smoking alter tenderness, surface colour, flavour, and the amount of fat retained.

Ingredient type
whole food

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Where muttonbird appears

1 linked foods

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Main dishes

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for muttonbird

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

muttonbird

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Muttonbird nutrition & diet

Muttonbird nutritional value

Muttonbird, separable lean, raw

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the named reference form.

Calories
213kcal
Protein
28.6g
Carbs
0.0g
Fat
10.9g

Per 100 g edible portion. New Zealand FOODfiles 2024. Copyright The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited and the Ministry of Health (New Zealand), 2024. Original reference values: available carbohydrate and energy (FSANZ). Access and use of these data are subject to https://www.foodcomposition.co.nz/terms/. Other preparations differ.

Portions & preparation

Establish the exact shearwater species, local name, age, and edible form before using a reference, since “muttonbird” can describe regional game-bird products. Distinguish whole roasted or boiled bird from trimmed meat, preserved meat, broth, or rendered fat, and record skin and bones separately.

Compare the right form: Match references to the confirmed shearwater species and edible portion, specifying whole bird, trimmed meat, skin, preserved product, roasted, or boiled form.

Diet considerations

Muttonbird is animal-derived game bird, but the exact shearwater species and preparation should be confirmed. Compatibility changes with stock, butter, egg, cereal stuffing, batter, or served grains. Roasted or boiled meat is distinct from preserved products, broth, and rendered fat; carbohydrate patterns depend on accompaniments and portion.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Not established
  • Vegetarian
    Not established
  • Pescatarian
    Not established
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Not established
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Vegetarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Pescatarian · Not established
The available profile does not establish the full composition or processing for this dietary pattern.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Not established
The ingredient form and processing have not been assessed against this dietary pattern.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: New Zealand FOODfiles 2024 — M472 ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .