I have never really thought about a country who would eat their national emblem until I lived in Australia & fell in love with the taste of Kangaroo. The kangaroo is a recognisable symbol of Australia. The kangaroo and emu feature on the Australian Coat of Arms. Kangaroos have also been featured on coins, most notably the five kangaroos on the Australian one dollar coin. The Australian made logo consists of a golden kangaroo in a green triangle to show that a product is grown or made in Australia.
Kangaroo is a meat from any of the species of kangaroo. It is produced in Australia from wild animals and as of 2007 is exported to over 55 countries worldwide.
Kangaroo is produced only from free-ranging wild animals living on land owned by people and not produced by organised farming. Both the meat and the hides are sold. Although most species of Kangaroo 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. This policy has been criticized by some wildlife activists. On the other hand, the kangaroo harvest is supported by a wide range of professional ecologists in Australia. Groups such as the Ecological Society of Australia, the Australasian Wildlife.
Current estimates indicate that there may be between 35 to 50 million kangaroos in Australia. In 2002 the number of kangaroos allowed to be shot by commercial hunters was increased from 5.5 million to 7 million per year.
Historically, the kangaroo has been a source of food for indigenous Australians. Kangaroo meat is high in protein and low in fat (about 2%). Kangaroo meat has a high concentration of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) compared with other foods and is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Low-fat diets rich in CLA have been studied for their potential in reducing obesity and atherosclerosis.
Cooking Kangaroo
Due to its low-fat content, kangaroo meat cannot be cooked in the same way as other red meats. Slow cooking is recommended for kangaroo, or quickly stir-frying.
The fillet was always the nicest piece to eat personally & when cooking it rare was the only way to eat it for medium or well done would be tough to eat & quite rubbery.
Even though Kangaroo seems to be a big tourist food to try, the abundance of Kangaroo in Australia chefs & nutritionists are encouraging people to eat Kangaroo. But still, there are people put off by eating their national emblem.
Kangaroo in Ireland
From restaurants to Butchers to artisan shops Kangaroo can be brought within Ireland probably more than we thought so. By replacing our pork, beef, lamb or chicken one night per week with Kangaroo is a great alternative just like buffalo meat is.
Personally I love it & its tastes really good. So please try it and you might be surprised.
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