Skippy: Unpalatable

Sydney, Dec. 26: Kangasaurus, jumpmeat and roo-viande were considered, but in the end it was “australus” which was judged the winner of a competition to find an alternative name for kangaroo meat.

The contest was held in the hope of making the idea of eating kangaroos more palatable to Australians.

Traditionally, they have been deterred by a sentimental regard for their national emblem, the so-called “Skippy factor”, a reference to the popular 1960s television series that revolved around the adventures of a tame, doe-eyed kangaroo.

The competition was organised by a Sydney-based food magazine and attracted 2,700 suggestions from more than 40 countries.

The entries had to come from people working in the food industry; none was accepted from the public.

Entrants were invited to think of a credible alternative label for kangaroo meat, just as pig is known as pork and sheep as lamb or mutton.

While some of the ideas were a variation on the word marsupial ? marsu, marsupan and MOM (meat of marsupials) ? others were plain obscure or vaguely Aboriginal sounding: krou, kuja, jurru and maleen.

The rest were derived from the word kangaroo, including maroo, ozru and kangasaurus.

Australus was suggested by Steven West, an American, albeit one on the verge of taking out Australian citizenship.

He is the co-ordinator of studies at a hotel school in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney and hopes that, just as the word venison overcomes any squeamishness about tucking into Bambi, australus will make it possible to throw a hunk of Skippy on the barbie.

Mel Nathan, editor of Food Companion International, which organised the contest, said she hoped the new name would boost sales.

“The new name may be a huge breakthrough for the kangaroo meat industry,” she said.

The kangaroo industry is worth about ?80 million a year. Operating under a government quota, nearly four million animals will be shot from a wild population of at least 40 million ? more than double Australia’s human population.

But the restaurant industry was not impressed. “It sounds very odd, I can’t see it catching on at all,” said Ben Schultz, the manager of Gunya, one of the few restaurants in Sydney to offer indigenous food, or “bush tucker”.

“It reminds me of a brand of cosmetics called Australis.”

Australians were gradually becoming accustomed to buying and eating kangaroo, Schultz said.

“It can be tough if you don’t cook it right ? sear it both sides for a maximum of five minutes.”

John Kelly, the head of the Kangaroo Industry Association, said: “We need the name for the meat product to be different from the name of the animal.”

However, he said he “wouldn’t go near” australus. “My preference would be to use an Aboriginal word like marloo, which is from a central desert language and refers to the red kangaroo.”

The kangaroo industry is worth about ?80 million a year. Operating under a government quota, hunters will this year shoot nearly four million animals from a wild population of at least 40 million ? more than double the human population of Australia.

They are killed because farmers say they compete with sheep and cattle for grazing.

Most of the meat sold within Australia will be used to make pet food. The rest will be exported to countries such as Germany, Belgium and Russia, which have no qualms about eating marsupial meat.