Kangaroo meat

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Kangaroo is a meat from any of the species of Kangaroo. It is produced in Australia from wild animals and is exported to a number of markets.

1 Traditional Aboriginal use
2 Production
3 Products
4 Name
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Traditional Aboriginal use

Kangaroo formed an important part of the traditional Aboriginal diet as a bushfood. Kangaroo is called Kere aherre by the Arrernte people of Central Australia:

You find kangaroos in flat country or mulga country. In the old days, people used to sool their dogs on them and spear them. The milk guts are pulled out and a wooden skewer is used to close up the carcase. Then it is tossed on top of the fire to singe the hair which is scraped off, and then it's (put in a hole and) covered up with hot earth and coals. The tail and both feet are cut off before cooking. These are put in together with the rest of the carcase.

The kangaroo is chopped up so that many people can eat it. The warm blood and fluids from the gluteus medius and the hollow of the thoracic cavity are drained of all fluids. People drink these fluids, which studies have shown are quite harmless. Kangaroos are cut in a special way; into the two thighs, the two hips, the two sides of ribs, the stomach, the head, the tail, the two feet, the back and lower back. This is the way the Arrernte people everywhere cut it up.^[1]

[edit] Production

Kangaroo is generally not farmed in Australia; ^[2] however farms do exist, such as the meats found in grocery stores. Kangaroo meat comes entirely from professional culling operations. Both the meat and the hides are sold. Although most species of macropod are protected from hunting by law, a small number of the large-sized species which exist in high numbers can be hunted by commercial hunters.^[3] This policy has been criticised by some wildlife activists.^[4]

There are probably around 50 million kangaroos in Australia ^[5]. These numbers have increased significantly, from 21 million, since kangaroo meat operations began. In 2002 the number of kangaroos allowed to be shot by commercial hunters was increased from 5.5 million to 7 million per year. ^[6] While animal rights activists protested the move, Australian farmers said that there was a plague of kangaroos after a huge increase in their numbers.^[7] However, scientific evidence suggests that the average sheep has up to 5 times as much grazing pressure as the average kangaroo, and that replacing sheep farming with kangaroo harvesting can significantly reduce the total grazing pressure on rangelands ^[8].

[edit] Products

The kangaroo has been historically a source of food for indigenous Australians.

Kangaroo is a red meat with a strong flavor, low in fat compared with other red meats, and rich in iron giving it a substantially darker appearance, similar to roast beef. It is best cooked rare to medium rare. Preparation is essential, otherwise the meat can be quite tough in texture.

Most meat from kangaroo comes from the hind legs. ^[9] Kangaroo meat is high in protein, low in fat (about 2%), and about 40% of that fat is long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid - considered healthy. Kangaroo meat has a very high concentration of conjugated linoleic acid when compared with other foods ^[10]. Kangaroo meat is stronger in flavour than the meat from other animals (since it is game meat), is very tender, and will keep for longer than other types of meat due to the low fat content, but it can easily become dry if cooked improperly due to the low fat content.

Kangaroo meat on sale in an Australian supermarket

Whilst kangaroo was once limited in availability, consumption in Australia is becoming more widespread. Most supermarkets now stock various cuts of kangaroo including fillets, steaks and 'kanga bangas' (kangaroo sausages).

Kangaroo meat has been quite successful on the European market, particularly in Germany. It is also processed into dog food. Culling is closely monitored by the RSPCA and state authorities. Kangaroo farming is a substantially more environmentally friendly meat industry than present sheep or cattle farming: kangaroos require less feed than placental stock, are well-adapted to drought, do not destroy the root systems of native grasses in the way that sheep do, and have much less impact on Australia's fragile topsoils. However as of 2004, the traditional regulatory restrictions on the sale of kangaroo meat in the Australian domestic market make kangaroo farming economically unattractive. Nevertheless, the industry is worth around A$200 million annually.

Kangaroo Scrotum purses^[11] are sold as souvenirs to tourists. This Australian item has its origins in early history. Gold prospectors and gem fossickers used the purses to safely store their findings.

[edit] Name

There has been recent discussion from the kangaroo meat industry about attempting to introduce a specific culinary name for kangaroo meat, similar to the reference to pig meat as ham and pork. In 2005 the Food Companion International magazine, with support from the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia, ran a competition hoping to find a name that wouldn't put diners off when they saw it on a menu. The kangaroo meat industry suffers from the perception of some consumers that kangaroos are cute and/or not suitable for human consumption. The idea of adopting a culinary name was taken from the success of calling deer meat venison, to avoid connotations of cuteness or references to "eating Skippy".

The three-month competition attracted over 2700 entries from 41 nations, and the name australus was decided on December 20, 2005. Other finalists for the name included kangarly, maroo, krou, maleen, kuja, roujoe, rooviande, jurru, ozru, marsu, kangasaurus, marsupan, jumpmeat, and MOM (meat of marsupials).

The competition is not binding on the Kangaroo Industry Association, which has not moved to adopt the new name in any official capacity.