I wish I were exaggerating, but I’m not. I pulled a steak out of the package, tilted it under the kitchen light—and suddenly my dinner looked like an oil spill… or a gemstone. Every time the light hit it, the surface flashed rainbow colors. Blues. Greens. Purples. Google Lens? Completely useless. It kept telling me my steak was an opal or a crystal. 😭
So what is going on here?
First of All: You’re Not Imagining It
That shimmering, rainbow-like effect is real, and surprisingly, it’s something that happens with beef more often than you’d think. It’s called iridescence, and no, your steak is not secretly a mineral.
Why Steak Can Look Like a Hologram
Beef muscle is made up of tightly packed fibers. When the meat is sliced just right, light hits those fibers and bends in different directions—kind of like how light reflects off a soap bubble or an oil slick. The result? A prismatic shine that makes your steak look like it belongs in a jewelry case.
This effect is:
More visible under bright light
Common in very fresh or well-sliced meat
Totally harmless
In fact, meat scientists have known about this for years, but the internet discovering it for the first time makes it feel way more dramatic.
Is It Safe to Eat?
Short answer: yes—as long as the steak smells normal, isn’t slimy, and is within its use-by date.
Iridescence does not mean:
The meat is spoiled
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