The definition of 'game' is any meat that was killed in the wild before consuming. Though these days the term 'game' usually means a strongly-flavoured meat (animal or bird) that is traditionally hung before consumption. Thus deer, wild boar, goat, partridge, pheasant, wild pigeon etc are all considered game. The term means other animals elsewhere and the game menu is much expanded in the Americas, Africa and Australia. As these meats tend to be strongly-flavoured they need careful handling and are typically served with a sauce or accompaniment. In my travels I have sampled many strange meats and many delicacies. I have brought together game-based dishes from across the globe for you here.

Note that more unusual animals like squirrels and possums can also count as game if hunted for in the wild. Most edible roadkill would also count as game. As this site also includes historic recipes, there will be some unusual game animals in the lists (like Wild Sheep from ancient Roman cookery) as well as forms of cookery (like clay baking [as used to be employed for hedgehogs]) that are not so commonly used any more.