Goat meat is gaining popularity in the United States as an alternative to common meats such as beef and pork.

USDA statistics indicate goat meat imports have quadrupled in the last 10 years to more than 12 million pounds.

Dan Morrical, professor of animal science, said the main reason goat meat is becoming more popular is because people immigrating to the United States have a taste and preference for the meat.

Susan Thorp, president of the Iowa Goat Meat Association, said she agrees with the gain in popularity resulting from immigrants to America.

“Many of the groups immigrating to the states enjoy goat meat,” Thorp said.

Thorp said goat meat consumption is more popular among certain cultural and ethnic groups, such as Muslims, Hispanics, Caribbean Islanders and Greeks. She said goat meat is considered a very high-end meat in some restaurants.

Morrical said goat meat is hard to find in the Midwest, and he does not know of any restaurant or store in Ames that carries goat meat.

“The only place in the Midwest where goat meat is very popular is Chicago,” he said. “Otherwise, most of it is consumed on the East Coast, and particularly in Florida.”

Morrical said the United States imports most of its goat meat from Australia and New Zealand.

“They are big goat-producing countries,” he said.

Thorp said the amount of goat meat imported to America has increased drastically in the last 20 years.

“In 1981, 62,000 pounds were imported to the States,” she said. “In 2002, there were 595,500 pounds imported.”

Thorp said the market for goat meat increases at certain times of the year, especially around holidays, and in particular, Easter. He said the increase during the holidays is a result of celebrations that including cultural dishes where recipes call for goat meat to be used.

Morrical said the cost of goat meat is about the same as beef, or maybe a little higher.

He said the taste is similar to that of other red meats and does not have a strong or unpleasant flavor.