Retour au menu Rev. Elev. Méd. vét. Pays trop., 1985, 38 (1) : 97-105. Ethiopian meat (beef) tut TSEHAY NEWAY (1) and FESEHA GEBREAB Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 34, Addis-Ababa University, Debre-Zeit, Ethiopia. (1) Adresse actuelle : Ecole nationale vétérinaire, Chaire de Microbiologie, 7 avenue du Général-de-Gaulle, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France. RÉSUMÉ SUMMARY TSEHAY NEWAY et FESEHA GEBREAB. - Découpe TSEHAY NEWAY and FESEHA GEBREAB. - Ethio- éthiopienne de la viande de bœuf. Rev. Elev. kfkd. vét. pian meat (beef) tut. Rev. Elev. Méd. Vét. Pays trop., Pays trop., 1985, 38 (1) : 97-105. 1985, 38 (1) : 97-105. Les bases de la découpe de boeuf ont été déterminées An attempt has been made to study and establish the lors d’une étude à Debre-Zeit et dans les environs en basis of beef cuts in one part of Ethiopia. Twelve major Ethiooie. Les douze urinciuaux morceaux sont les sui- cuts are now known to occur. They are : Shent, Bete vants-: Shent, Bete Salegegne, Tanash, Fremba, Talak, Salegegne, Tanash, Fremba, Talak, Mehal ageda, Nebro, Mehal ageda, Nebro, Tuncha, Goden te dabit, Gebeta, Tuncha, Goden te dabit, Gebeta, Sebrada and Werch. Sebrada et Werch. Their major myological constituents have been determined Leur composition musculaire essentielle a été mise en and have allowed the anatomical classification of the cuts. évidence et a permis la classification anatomique des mor- ceaux. Key words : Cattle - meat - Cut - Ethiopia. Mots cl& : Bovin - Viande de boeuf - Découpe - Ethiopie. INTRODUCTION TO our knowledge SO far no attempt has been done to scientifically determine and establish Meat is one of the most universally liked the basis of meat cuts in Ethiopia. A tria1 has foods (3) and people, in a11 parts of the world, been made to identify meat cuts, and know have established their own way of cutting and where they corne from in the carcass. preparing meat for consumption. Therefore, there are now, in every civilized society, traditionally accepted modes of cutting meat. MATERIALS AND METHODS Different cuts of meat vary greatly in tenderness and it is possible that the cuts are The areas of study are Debre Zeit, Modjo, prepared with the state and mode of consump- Nazareth, Dukam, and their surroundings. At tion in mind. There are established patterns of the beginning, observation and detailed cutting meat for wholesale and retail markets, analysis was done on a year old steer and cooking the various kinds, grades and slaughtered in the Faculty of Veterinary cut’s of meat. Whatever the case may be, it is Medicine in June of 1982. Further studies were advantageous to the consumer to be familiar conducted on a total of fourty animals with the kinds of cuts of meat. slaughtered in the traditional manner for the The purpose of this study is therefore to purpose of collective consumption known as supply information on meat tut patterns KIRCHA (a practice which involves the prevailing in Debre Zeit and its surroundings. fragmentation of the various large cuts into a - 97 - Retour au menu number of predetermined equal parts). Tradi- of the cases urban butchers present shent as an tional retail shops were also visited where aggregate of SEBRADA (a tut including the systematic observations were done and last two ribs), ribs from BETE SALEGEGNE relevant informations on the nature of primary (a tut which is always subject to changes in cuts were collected. Supplementary facts were uniformity since it is obtained among the list gathered from butchers, elders and consumers. in the established sequence), GODEN TE The nomenclature adapted and used are DABIT (ribs and the rhomboid muscle) and those of Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria, 1968. DENDES (half of the vertebral column in The Amharic names are those that are abattoir slaughtered carcases) (Fig. la). normally used in everyday language to describe Shent is number one in choice for raw the various cuts and portions. consumption. It is also enjoyed as panbroil or braise. It is in fact a well esteemed gift that cari be presented to close friends, relatives, RESULTS AND DISCUSSION etc. Traditional Ethiopian meat cuts are derived Bete salgegne (Fig. 2) following certain guiding lines along skeletal This tut is also rated first class. The words reference points. The fact is that no two meat in Amharic apply to the difficulty in obtaining tut of similar origin are identical. The this tut in predetermined uniform piéces since uniformity of the tut largely depends upon the it is always subject to variations due to its experience and ski11 of the butcher and the position in the carcass. Its commercial value as sharpness of the knives at his disposal. The well as its status as a tut varies with the meat cuts are obtained in an established amount of fat it carries. It, is a combination of orderly sequence and manner following the removal of the feet hides, excess adipose part of the, shoulder, ribs and brisket. Its myological constituents are : Musculi intercos- tissue, viscera and offal. The majority of the tales externi et interni between the 8’“, gth, cuts are aggregate of several muscles and lot”, and 11”’ ribs, most of the diaphragm, bones while the boneless ones are few in Musculus trapezius, M. omotransversarius, number. In urban areas, marketing trends have influenced the institution of certain major part of M. latissimus dorsi, a small piece of M. brachiocephalicus, Mm. levatores changes in traditional meat cutting patterns. costarum of the 8r11, gth, lot”, and 1 Pi1 ribs and This has led to the setting of an association of part of M. serratus dorsalis (1,2). With the some meat portions of inferior quality with exception of Mm. intercostales externi et traditionally recognized first class cuts. The interni, the diaphragm, Mm. levatores cos- traditional Ethiopian meat cuts are presented tarum and M. serratus dorsalis which are below. partly invested with connective tissue (aponeu- rotic), most of the muscles constituting the tut Shent (Fig. 1) are fleshy (1). In humped animals which is the characteristic trait of the zebu breed, M. This tut is rated first class. The word in trapezius is well marbled and its dorsal part is Amharic applies to the backbone eventhough termed SHAGNA in the Amharic language. the portion has some pieces from the neck and Consumers in urban areas often find bete rump. Its anatomical constituents are MUscu- salgegne in the form of a tut combined with lus longissimus dorsi, M. iliocostalis, M. spi- GEBETA (a tut which is said to be bare or nalis, M. semispinalis, M. multifiedi, M. naked), and GODEN TE DABIT (ribs and the retractor costae, and M. gluteus profundus rhomboid muscle (Fig. 2a). (1,2). The qualities enshrined in shent as a tut is This tut is also honored among its ranks by that it is long and slender and largely made of being a meat of choice for raw consumption soft and juicy flesh with the exception of a small and as item of gift to beloved and respected portion that belongs to M. retractor costae people . (1,2) which is not tender. The epimycium of most of the muscles is covered with fat. The Tanash (Fig. 3) shent that is made available by town butchers is characterized by a certain degree of The Amharic name signifies that this digression from the traditional cuts. In most particular tut is smaller than its opposite - 98 - Retour au menu FIGlRE la (SHENT) ALEGEGNE r Figure ia (BETE SALEGEGNE) -99- Retour au menu known as TALAK (big tut). Its muscular of large size (1). It is the meat of choice for components are : Musculus tensor fascia lata, the preparation of the national dish known as M. gluteobiceps, M. semitendinosus, and M. « KITFO » (tartar beef steak). gracilis (1,2). Half of the sacrum and the first 2-3 caudal vertebrate together with their Mehal ageda (Fig. 6) muscles (M. sacrocaudalis, Mm. intertrans- versarii caudae and M. levator ani et coccy- It is made up of one muscle : M. quadriceps femoris (1,2). The bone patella is associated geous) are also constituent parts of this tut. with it and serve as a hanging end on hooks. M. gluteobiceps and gracilis are entirely fleshy The Amharic name literally means « CEN- whereas M. tensor fascia lata has a small part which is aponeurotic (invested with connective TRAL CANE )) because of its central ‘location tissue) (1). covered by TANASH on the lat,eral side and M. semitendinosus, as its name implies, is TALAK on the media1 aspect. This tut is used infiltrated with tendons (1). Because of its mainly for the preparation of the popular dish known as <( KITFO ». tough consistency, it is usually rejected for consumption as raw. Its Amharic name (SHU- LUDA) also signifies its structure in a similar Nebro (Fig. 7) manner to its latin counterpart. The remaining This tut is made up of Musculus part of TANASH is composed of soft and gastrocnemius which is a large fleshy meat juicy muscles impregnated with a considerable (1,2). Its belly as well as its origin and amount of fatty tissue. This tut is rated second insertion are infiltrated with tendon (1). class and is consumed raw and cooked. The Amharic name literally means the tiger which refers to the strength of the muscle Fremba (Fig. 4) whose fibrillation is also considered to be similar to the expressions of the furious animal This tut is derived from the fleshy part of, during moments of wrath. It is the meat of the breast, short plate and the flank with the exclusion of the sternum and ribs. In more choice for raw consumption by war veterans specific terms, the name FREMBA refers to and brave men not because it is tendinous, but M.