What Does Bone Marrow Taste Like?

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 References

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]
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Research source} 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

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]
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- 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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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]
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- 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 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) discs.
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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]
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- Let the bone marrow cool for a few minutes before you serve it.
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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 (1.9–2.8 L) 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]
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- 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.

Section 3 of 5:

How do you eat bone marrow?

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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]
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- 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]
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- 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.
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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]
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- 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.

Section 4 of 5:

Is bone marrow good for you?

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]
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Research source} On top of that, it contains dozens of vitamins and minerals that can help regulate your hormones.^{[11]
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Penn State Extension
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Section 5 of 5:

What does bone marrow do?

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]
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Cleveland Clinic
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- 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.