It is Antonius' first time taking his tongue on a bite on the wolfen meat, and instantly his senses and taste buds told him that he definitely would like it. But still he finished the meat offered to him out of respect. Yuri and the Varangians seems to not be first timers like Antonius in eating wolf meat, as seen from the portion they have already consumed.
The villagers jeered at Antonius' behaviour, saying that if he, as a student, wants to immerse in to the life style as a son of the mountains, then he must have a good taste on the meat of wolves. Apostolos explained to his superior that this is a common practise passed on since ages ago among the people in Epirus and Albania. In their local dialect of this village, they literally referred the people of Epirus as wolf eaters and the villagers are most likely descendants of the migrants from the themata of Dyrrhachium a few decades ago, explaining some of their habits.