Hoppingly delicious Kangaroo meat

Did you know that kangaroo meat is now regularly exported to over 40 countries worldwide, with the industry saying it's worth an estimated $150 million annually (CHOICE, n.d.). However, it seems the jury is still out in terms of accepting this exotic meat. Surveys on consumer attitudes to kangaroo meat have found that just over 50 percent of Australians have ever tried it, and many people object to eating it due to concerns about hygiene, nutritional value, or simply because they lack the knowledge behind this national animal. In fact, according to leading nutrition professor Kerin O'Dea, one of the healthiest properties of kangaroo meat is its low fat content, coming in at less than 2%. His studies have shown that there are no visible fat on kangaroo meat, and the fat it does have is mostly polyunsaturated. In which, Lamb and beef, on the other hand, are much higher in visible and saturated fat (CHOICE, n.d.).

Photo Sourced Online (Rousseau, 2016)

You must be asking yourself, should I give skippy a try? What does it taste like? Is it like beef or lamb? Well, according to "Meat and Wine CO", a bustling restaurant situated in Sydney's CBD, Kangaroo is a gamey meat, and some foodies even prefer it to lamb and steak for its tenderness and taste. It tends to be a stronger flavour than beef or lamb, and even though it is a very lean meat, it’s not tough like venison can sometimes be (The Meat and Wine Co, n.d.). That’s why if you’re going to taste kangaroo, it’s best to do it somewhere you know the meat has been prepared well!

Photo Sourced Online (Holland, n.d.)

Now, if the ethical perspective is the one that irks you, I can assure you that harvesting kangaroo meat is proven to be one of the more sustainable ways of consuming meat. In general, eating Kangaroo meat is more sustainable and better for the environment than most other meat consumption as kangaroos are indigenous to the Australian environment, they can get by on eating a variety of indigenous scrub and do not rely on the production of grain. Likewise, as they are wild animals they do not need to be farmed in the conventional way, which means no farms/factories that requires land clearing and the destruction of habitat.The Australian government have also set a maximum quota of 15–20% of the kangaroo population that can be harvested in any year, which regulates and allows them to keep an eye on kangaroo numbers. Furthermore, they are not mulesed, ear-tagged, tail-docked, or branded. Neither are they mustered, deprived of food and water, and they are most certainly not trucked to slaughter. So why not give the skippy too a try?

Photo Sourced Online (Spence, 2017)

Watch this space in the next coming months as OFFcutz would be showing you how to make a delicious steak or kangaroo meat from the comfort of your own home!

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Reference List

CHOICE. (n.d.). The ethics of eating kangaroo meat. Retrieved from https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/meat-fish-and-eggs/meat/articles/kangaroo-meat

Holland, M. (n.d.). KANGAROO FILLET WITH BEETROOT AND ORANGE SALAD. Retrieved from https://wanderer.cmca.net.au/Article/Display/a3f7c999-4a83-4f75-ae2d-aca999ef1a67

Rousseau, O. (2016, June 15). Kangaroo meat deemed a healthy choice for consumers. Retrieved March 7, 2019, from https://www.globalmeatnews.com/Article/2016/06/15/Kangaroo-meat-deemed-a-healthy-choice-for-consumers

Spence, A. (2017, June 15). Asia’s growing appetite for kangaroo. Retrieved March 8, 2020, from https://indaily.com.au/news/business/2017/06/05/asias-growing-appetite-kangaroo/

The Meat and Wine Co. (n.d.). KANGAROO MEAT: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. Retrieved from https://themeatandwineco.com/kangaroo-meat-what-you-need-to-know/