Eat Pigeon
Order pigeon in a restaurant and the plate bears little resemblance to the birds pacing around a station. Farmed squab is young pigeon with tender, dark meat, often roasted pink, while older birds need slower cooking and produce a deeper game flavour. Pigeon appears in cuisines from French bistros to Moroccan pastilla and British game cookery. Its size encourages careful butchery and bold accompaniments: fruit, spice, lentils and rich sauces all meet meat that is stronger than chicken without becoming as heavy as some game. Choose a reputable restaurant or licensed game dealer and ask whether the bird is farmed squab or wild wood pigeon. Do not treat feral city pigeons as food. Wild game should be handled and cooked according to local food-safety guidance, while anyone who is pregnant or immunocompromised should seek appropriate advice about undercooked meat. Add this to your list for a dish that replaces an urban assumption with a much older culinary tradition.