Beef brain
Beef brain is the brain tissue of cattle (Bos taurus), a type of offal consumed as food in numerous global cuisines for its mild, buttery flavor and tender, custard-like texture when properly prepared.[1][2] It is traditionally featured in dishes such as Mexican tacos de sesos, French cervelle de veau, Moroccan sautéed brains with saffron and lemon, and Turkish fried or baked preparations, reflecting its status as a delicacy in diverse cultural contexts.[3][4] Nutritionally, beef brain is dense in essential nutrients, including approximately 10.9 grams of protein, high levels of choline (over 500 mg per 100 grams raw), vitamin B12, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid critical for brain function and membrane integrity.[5][6] However, it contains exceptionally high cholesterol—up to 2,000 milligrams per 100 grams cooked—and has been linked to health risks, notably the potential transmission of prions causing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) via bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-infected tissue, prompting bans on specified risk materials like brains in human food in countries including the United States.[7][8][9] These concerns, stemming from BSE outbreaks in the 1980s and 1990s, have significantly reduced its availability and consumption in Western markets despite ongoing safe use in regulated low-risk regions.[10][1]Biological Characteristics
Anatomy and Composition
The bovine brain comprises three principal divisions: the cerebrum (forebrain), cerebellum, and brainstem, consistent with the tripartite organization observed in mammalian neuroanatomy. The cerebrum, the largest segment, encompasses the telencephalon with its folded cerebral cortex responsible for sensory integration and motor control; the cerebellum lies posterior to the brainstem, facilitating coordination and equilibrium; and the brainstem, including the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata, serves as a conduit for neural pathways to the spinal cord while regulating basic physiological processes.[11][12] In adult cattle, the brain weighs approximately 400–500 grams, with a mean of 480.5 grams reported from measurements of 150 specimens.[12] Biochemically, it contains about 77.5% water, 10.5% lipids, and 11% proteins by wet weight, reflecting its high hydration and lipid-rich nature as neural tissue.[13] The lipids predominantly consist of phospholipids, with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) comprising roughly 10% of total brain fatty acids.[14] Brain tissue features minimal connective tissue, primarily composed of delicate meninges and sparse extracellular matrix, which imparts a soft, friable consistency.[15] Relative to the human brain, which averages 1,300 grams, the bovine organ is proportionally smaller but exhibits structural homology as a eutherian mammal, including comparable compartmentalization into gray and white matter regions enriched with neurons, glia, and myelinated axons.[16] This shared architecture underscores evolutionary conservation in vertebrate central nervous system organization, with analogous distributions of neurotransmitters and lipid classes despite scale differences.[17]Nutritional Profile
Beef brain, raw, consists primarily of water (78.6 g per 100 g), with a macronutrient profile featuring moderate protein (10.4 g), fat (9.9 g), and virtually no carbohydrates (0 g). This yields 143 kcal per 100 g, where the fat component is predominantly unsaturated, including polyunsaturated fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid present at approximately 1 g per 100 g.[18][19]| Nutrient | Amount per 100 g raw |
|---|---|
| Protein | 10.4 g |
| Total fat | 9.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 3010 mg |
| Choline | 404 mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 9.84 µg |
| Phosphorus | 335 mg |
| Selenium | 20.3 µg |