Friday 17 February 2012

Tasting: Kangaroo and Quinoa

Mr 2 with kangaroo by @7mrsjames
Kangaroo with Joey in pouch @7mrsjames

I guess you have all heard of Kangaroo.  They are one of Australia's native animals, along with the Koala, Kookaburra, Possum and the wallaby.  They are also used as a food source, just the same as other animals such as the cow, sheep and chicken.  Indigenous Australians knew the value of this sustainable source of meat.  Kangaroos were readily available and a brilliant source of iron, protein and zinc. Today, kangaroos are farmed and harvested to produce a variety of kangaroo products.


There are so many nutritional advantages, I am surprised it is not as widely accepted as other meats. True, kangaroos are cute and we have grown up with TV shows like "Skippy the bush Kangaroo"!

Kangaroo meat is:

  • extremely lean (therefore cook quickly on high heat, serve medium rare otherwise it overcooks=very tough)
  • contains less than 2% fat (low in saturated fat)
  • contains the richest source of CLA (Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) are polyunsaturated fatty acids)
  • high in protein, iron and zinc
  • low in cholesterol
  • good source of omega 3 fats
  • contributes B group vitamins to the diet

This week my Year 11 Food Technology class tried kangaroo rissoles and kangaroo steak (one marinated in plum sauce and the other we seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon myrtle).   We all had a taste of both styles and I was pleasantly surprised (and proud) that the students gave it a go. Only 2 students had tried Kangaroo before.  There were a few legitimate questions and conversation surrounding eating kangaroo prior to the tasting.  I enjoyed sharing this experience with the students.


Comments included:


"It was tender", "It was fairly rich",  "I could tell the difference between beef and kangaroo" "It tastes the same as ordinary meat", "I actually like it!".


The majority preferred the kangaroo rissoles. They were pre-made and fairly tasty, a bit too much salt for my liking :) My family enjoy the plum marinated kangaroo steaks with salad, vegetable mash, egg and cous cous.  However, after recalling how good Quinoa tastes I will certainly remember to make this versatile seed a regular dish. I am used to serving Quinoa as a cold summer salad. It was delicious served warm with thyme and lemon, as an accompaniment to the kangaroo.


The following You tube/pronounce by   allows you to hear the correct pronunciation: QUINOA  "KEEN-WA"


Quinoa is:
  • a gluten free grain-like staple (it is actually a seed)
  • high in protein (great for vegetarians) a complete protein!
  • rich in fibre
  • low cholesterol
  • contains more iron than any other grain
  • can be used as a savoury or sweet dish, adaptable seed.

Quinoa growing by Emily Barney under the attribution-non commercial license
Quinoa by edibleoffice under the attribution-noncommercial-sharealike license

Click here for a recipe presented on Better homes and gardens (quinoa with chicken kebabs)



The kangaroo was the most popular tasting.  Comments regarding the quinoa included: "tastes good" "not as bad as I thought" "was sort of crunchy, like the texture of caviar-a pop sensation in your mouth"
"I could eat this".

We are now studying the effects of Multicultural immigration to the Australian cuisine- this could prove extra tasty!  Stay tuned...

If you are stopping by, the students would love to hear some of your own experiences and thoughts re the topics presented on our blog.  Student guest blogging should occur next week. Are you a student or educator? Say G'DAY!  We are enjoying watching visitors from New York, Philadelphia, Sliema Malta, Sweden, France, Germany, Malaysia, Canada and India.


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3 comments:

  1. do you guys have kangaroo jerky sticks?

    ReplyDelete
  2. How does one go about aquiring kangaroo? cause i'm actually kindof interested in trying it. (Quinoa also) :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. G'day Anonymous! Are you living in Australia or beyond? If in Australia, kangaroo is sold at Woolworths and Coles. If you let us know where you are from , we will do our best to track it down for you.

    ReplyDelete