What Does Bone Marrow Taste Like? Flavor, Preparation, & More (2024)

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1Bone Marrow’s Flavor Profile

2How to Cook Bone Marrow

3How do you eat bone marrow?

4Is bone marrow good for you?

5What does bone marrow do?

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Co-authored byEric McClureReviewed byOllie George Cigliano

Last Updated: February 29, 2024Fact Checked

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Bone marrow, the interior bone tissue from cows, might sound a little strange if you’ve never had it, but it’s actually one of the oldest foods in human history! If you’ve never had it before on its own, you may be wondering what it actually tastes like. Well, there’s a reason Anthony Bourdain called it “God’s butter.”[1] This delicate and delicious food is a treat like no other. In this article, we’ll break down what bone marrow tastes like, how it’s prepared, and how you eat it on its own if you’d like.

Things You Should Know

  • Bone marrow has a delicate, complex umami (savory) flavor with a creamy texture and nutty undertones.
  • Roast bone marrow on its own and scoop it out with a spoon. Spread the marrow on a cracker or bread if you’d like.
  • Turn roasted bone marrow into bone broth by simmering it in a pot with water, veggies, and seasonings.

Section 1 of 5:

Bone Marrow’s Flavor Profile

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  1. Bone marrow’s taste has a rich umami flavor with a creamy texture. When prepared correctly, bone marrow is a luxurious delicacy. It has the texture of butter but with a meaty, complex profile that contains a dash of nut flavors. Due to its high fat content, bone marrow is extremely flavorful and rich, so don’t hesitate to try it if you have the opportunity![2]

    • Umami is one of the five basic tastes alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Umami refers to savory flavors, like meat, fish, and cheese.
    • People who do not enjoy bone marrow typically cite the fattiness and richness of the dish as being too much for them. Many people really enjoy bone marrow, though.
    • Bone marrow is typically the marrow from a cow, but you can also find lamb, buffalo, or caribou marrow as well. Each animal will have unique notes, but the texture and complexity of the different bone marrows will be more or less identical.[3]
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Section 2 of 5:

How to Cook Bone Marrow

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  1. 1

    Cut the bone and roast it at 425°F (218°C) for 20 minutes. Use an electric bone saw or meat cleaver to carefully cut the bone vertically through the center and expose the marrow. Set the bones on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil with the marrow facing up. Roast the bones at 425°F (218°C) for 20 minutes to soften and cook the marrow through.[4]

    • If you’re buying bones to prepare the marrow at home, ask your butcher to cut the bones for you.
    • Most people cut the bones vertically, but you can also cut the bone into horizontal sections to make 1–2in (2.5–5.1cm) discs.
  2. 2

    Season the marrow and broil it on high for 1-2 minutes to enjoy it on its own. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and preheat your broiler on high. Sprinkle a little sea salt, black pepper, and crushed garlic on top of the marrow for a classic option. Alternatively, you can add a dash of oregano, parsley, cilantro, or paprika for a more dynamic take. Set the marrow back in the oven on the top rack and broil it for 1-2 minutes until the edges of the bone barely begin to burn.[5]

    • Let the bone marrow cool for a few minutes before you serve it.
  3. 3

    Dump the roasted marrow in a pot and boil it to make bone broth. Want to make your own broth? Dump the roasted bones and marrow in a saucepan. Add 8–12 cups (1.9–2.8L) of water, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, a handful of carrots, 2-3 garlic cloves, and 1 onion. Let the pot simmer over low-medium heat for 60-90 minutes, strain the broth out, and use it for a soup or marinade.[6]

    • Notice that the bone marrow is gone when you strain the ingredients? The marrow melted! That rich flavor is now infused in your broth. Try a spoonful on its own—it’s delightful.
    • There are a few other ways to cook bone marrow, but eating it alone and turning it into a broth are easily the most popular options.
    • Bone broth is a rich source of minerals and collagen, and is a great way to support your bone health.
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Section 3 of 5:

How do you eat bone marrow?

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  1. 1

    Use a spoon to scoop out the marrow. Eating roasted marrow on its own is easy enough—simply grab a spoon and run it along the center of the bone to extract the marrow. Depending on the shape of the bone, you may need to turn the bone by hand to get the right angle for extracting that succulent marrow.[7]

    • Back in the day, aristocrats and wealthy nobles actually owned specific spoons designed to fit inside of the bone and scoop out as much marrow as possible![8]
    • You aren’t violating any social norms by handling the bone itself by hand while you scoop the marrow out. It can be kind of awkward to scoop the marrow out with the bone rolling back and forth.
  2. 2

    Soak up marrow with a piece of bread or spread it on a crostini. If you find the marrow on its own to be a little too rich, grab a roll, tear it by hand, and dip it into the marrow. Alternatively, you can grab some toast or a crostini and spread the marrow on it to eat it with something a little crunchier.[9]

    • Want to get really fancy? Toast some garlic bread and spread the marrow on that. The crunchy garlic flavor pairs extremely well with the soft, meaty flavor of the marrow.
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Section 4 of 5:

Is bone marrow good for you?

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  1. Bone marrow is extremely nutritious and healthy in moderation. Bone marrow is high in protein and healthy fat. It also contains 250 calories per ounce, so it’s an energy-dense food.[10] On top of that, it contains dozens of vitamins and minerals that can help regulate your hormones.[11]

Section 5 of 5:

What does bone marrow do?

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  1. Bone marrow produces blood cells and platelets. Bone marrow is the tissue inside of every mammal’s bones that’s responsible for creating red and white blood cells. It also produces platelets, which help your blood clot and prevents excessive bleeding.[12]

    • This is why people with blood disorders or cancer often need bone marrow transplants—the healthy marrow can help produce new cells to replace the damaged ones.
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    Will a human's bone marrow have the same nutritional content?

    What Does Bone Marrow Taste Like? Flavor, Preparation, & More (16)

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    There is no essential difference.

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    How expensive is bone marrow?

    What Does Bone Marrow Taste Like? Flavor, Preparation, & More (17)

    Gavin Stair (FireUpTheChems!)

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    A small amount of the best marrow is around $20 but it can definitely go higher than that, depending on where you buy it and its quality.

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      About This Article

      What Does Bone Marrow Taste Like? Flavor, Preparation, & More (27)

      Reviewed by:

      Ollie George Cigliano

      Private Chef & Food Educator

      This article was reviewed by Ollie George Cigliano and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Ollie George Cigliano is a Private Chef, Food Educator, and Owner of Ollie George Cooks, based in Long Beach, California. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in utilizing fresh, fun ingredients and mixing traditional and innovative cooking techniques. Ollie George holds a BA in Comparative Literature from The University of California, Berkeley, and a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from eCornell University. This article has been viewed 34,930 times.

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      Categories: Featured Articles | Appreciation of Food

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      What Does Bone Marrow Taste Like? Flavor, Preparation, & More (2024)

      FAQs

      What Does Bone Marrow Taste Like? Flavor, Preparation, & More? ›

      What does bone marrow actually taste like? Many people say it has an umami flavor and tastes very buttery and creamy because of its high fat content. Cooked properly, it has a slightly sweet, savory full-bodied flavor.

      How often should you eat bone marrow? ›

      How often should I eat bone marrow? You should eat bone marrow twice per week for best results. It has important nutrients that we lack in our Western Diet that are beneficial for skin health, brain health, blood sugar, immunity ands stem cell formation.

      What does bone marrow broth taste like? ›

      Bone broth generally has a mild, savory, umami flavor and a pleasant aroma. It's not as intensely flavorful as a seasoned soup broth because it's technically the backbone of that finished product. Like any food, the taste of bone broth varies depending on how it's made.

      How do you prepare bone marrow to eat? ›

      Cooking bone marrow

      Once the bones are cleaned up, transfer them to a baking tray. You can keep them natural with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, or add a herbed mix of parsley and garlic. Put the tray in a preheated oven at 350ºF/180ºC for about 15-20 minutes.

      What is bone marrow like? ›

      The soft, spongy tissue that has many blood vessels and is found in the center of most bones. There are two types of bone marrow: red and yellow. Red bone marrow contains blood stem cells that can become red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.

      What is the downside of bone broth? ›

      While bone broth is generally considered safe to consume, there are some potential risks to be aware of. Lead contamination. Some studies show elevated levels of lead in bone broths, which can be harmful to health if consumed in large amounts. Bacterial contamination.

      Is eating bone marrow high in cholesterol? ›

      Cholesterol is influenced by diet, and bovine marrow from grass-fed animals contains an average cholesterol content of 119.6 mg/ 100 g, while marrow from grain-fed animals contains an average of 150.6 mg/100 g (Kunsman et al., 2010) .

      Why is bone marrow expensive? ›

      Until a few years ago, bone marrow was considered food for dogs and was incredibly cheap. However, as it has become more popular, it has become harder to find and more expensive to buy.

      Who eats bone marrow? ›

      In Iranian cuisine, lamb shanks are usually broken before cooking to allow diners to suck out and eat the marrow when the dish is served. Similar practices are in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Some Native Alaskans eat the bone marrow of caribou and moose.

      Does bone marrow taste gamey? ›

      Humans have been enjoying delicious and nutritious animal bone marrow for centuries. It has a sweet, rich taste and a hearty texture, and is used mostly to flavor broths and soups.

      What goes well with bone marrow? ›

      The most popular way to serve bone marrow is to place the roasted bone on a plate with toasted bread, salt, black pepper, and a bright, herby side salad (such as a fresh parsley salad with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, capers, and shallots) to balance out this rich dish.

      Do you need to wash bone marrow before cooking? ›

      Put the bone marrow in salted water and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours to remove any blood spots and bacteria. This process “bleaches” out as much of that blood as possible, and also firms up the marrow. The next day, you'll notice how clean it is.

      What is bone marrow served in restaurants? ›

      Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside bones, and beef bones are commonly what you see on restaurant menus. While marrow is firm before it cooks, it quickly yields to a spreadable, but not gelatinous, texture in the oven.

      Is bone marrow good or bad for you? ›

      Bone marrow contains several health-promoting compounds, including collagen, conjugated linoleic acid, glycine, and glucosamine. While research is limited on the health benefits of bone marrow itself, these compounds have been linked to decreased inflammation, better skin health, and improved joint function.

      Why is bone marrow so special? ›

      Healthy bone marrow releases blood cells into the bloodstream when they are mature and when required. Without bone marrow, our bodies could not produce the white cells we need to fight infection, the red blood cells we need to carry oxygen, and the platelets we need to stop bleeding.

      Can you eat bone marrow by itself? ›

      Research has shown that bone marrow can help to reduce inflammation, repair the stomach lining and help to restore gut health. You can certainly get these benefits from drinking bone broth, the well known gut healing tonic, but eating the bone marrow on its own offers a unique experience.

      Is Too Much bone marrow bad for you? ›

      Although bone marrow is an excellent source of different vitamins and minerals, it's also high in fat. If you're going to add bone marrow to your diet, make sure to do so in moderation to avoid weight gain.

      How long does it take for your body to replenish bone marrow? ›

      There are very few risks for the donor and no lasting health effects. Your body will replace the donated bone marrow in about 4 to 6 weeks.

      What are the best bones for eating marrow? ›

      The long, straight femur bones are used as, being the biggest, these contain the most marrow and are the most easily accessible. Though beef bones are by far most common, the Chinese have a 'pig tibia soup', while Iranian and Lebanese cuisines often crack open lamb shank bones as a treat at the end of a stew.

      How do you know if your bone marrow is healthy? ›

      At the laboratory, a specialist in analyzing biopsies (pathologist or hematopathologist) will evaluate the samples to determine if your bone marrow is making enough healthy blood cells and to look for abnormal cells. The information can help your doctor: Confirm or rule out a diagnosis.

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