“In relatively simple terms, gamey-ness is most related to the intensity of the red color of meat,” Chris Kerth, a professor of meat science at Texas A&M University, tells Popular Science. Lots of factors affect meat flavor and gaminessThe meat scientists Popular Science spoke to for this article stressed that while activity and diet are the clearest variables in the gamey flavor equation, they’re hardly the only factors at play. Is gamey meat bad? Either way, these perceptions “may have a halo effect,” leading them to enjoy the perceived “real or pure” taste of gamey meat. For those who have no interest in cultivating an appreciation for gamey flavors, it’s not hard to avoid them.