Australia has launched a competition to find a new way of describing kangaroo meat which will be less offensive to diners sensitive about eating the national symbol.
Organisers point out that a slice of cow or pig on a plate is called by the more palatable euphemisms of beef or pork, and want to find a similarly savoury name for cute kangaroos.
Kangaroo meat sales have grown 50-fold in the past decade to create a 200 million dollar a year industry, with Europe a major export market for the low-fat red meat and Russians lapping it up in sausages.
But Australians have been reluctant to eat an animal so closely linked to the national identity, and most kangaroo meat consumed locally is in the form of pet food.
“We don’t eat cow or pig — the industry for a long time has been saying why do we eat kangaroo?” said chief executive John Kelly.
The organisers said there were more than 300 words for kangaroo and its meat in Aboriginal dialects and suggested entrants give one of those words a “sexy twist”.
Hundreds of names have already been put forward, including “Skippy” (the name of a favourite TV kangaroo character), “Yummy” and “Kanga” — none of which stand a chance of success, the Australian newspaper reported.
I’m certain the DU Army can come up with gourmet suggestions. You can enter the contest here.
How about Big Macs? It has worked well in the US.
mystery meat
Roo stew? I had a can of potted kangaroo meat. I finally opened it, and it did smell like dog food. In it’s defense most canned meat smells like pet food. The exception of course being Spam. 🙂
Bboinggg Steak?
Check steak….all the bounce, without the fees.
as an aussie i will say this…
it won’t make a difference.
Aussies don’t eat it because we think its our national icon. We don’t eat it because we don’t see a need/reason too. It doesn’t taste all that special. We see it as a thing to FEED americans/japanese when they visit. Or to export to other countries.
its like fosters. Sure it comes from here, but we aren’t interested in it cos thre are better things to drink.
Heck, Americans would eat Bald Eagle, if they were easier to catch.
Why do we need another name for kangroo meat? Lamb is called lamb, and their ‘cuter’ than roos. I want to know why people are so sensitive about what it’s called and why anyone thinks by changing the NAME of roo meat people will be less likely to realise what they’re eating….
Beren – bollocks, heaps of Aussies love a good roo steak, its a lean tasty meat.
Maaaate,
“Aussies don’t eat it because we think its our national icon”… bulldust. You’ve obviously never been in the bush for a while old sock.
I’ve chomped down on more than a few roos in my time. The meat is tender, tasty and lean. As a bloke living in Canada now, where they cringe every time I tell them that I’ve eaten roo, I can tell you that we should eat all the bastards…
Maybe that way they’ll stop dinging up my landcruiser whenever I drive to Broken Hill.
Hey, Rob, at least the Socceroos have qualified for World Cup 2006.
You can always tell the real bald-eagle maki – it tastes like a cross between condor and spotted owl, but not as stringy as alley cat.
Jumping Jack Flesh?
Roogar Meat …. it should be