The Truth About Australia's Kangatarian Diet

Australians, otherwise known as Aussies, are synonymous with doing hog-wild things to the English language. In their vernacular slang, doing a U-turn is "chucking a U-ie," eating breakfast is "having some brekkie," and going to the liquor store is "heading to the bottle-o." They even have words for items that they invented. Take for instance fairy bread, which is white bread that's been covered in butter and sprinkles.

However, some Aussie words are more mysterious than others. A great example of this is the term "kangatarian." That's right, kangatarian, it's a real word. But hold on, what exactly is a kangatarian? Moreover, what's the history of this term? Well, if you're curious to discover the answer to these questions, and find out a whack more facts about kangatarianism along the way, then you've come to the right place. Join us as we do a deep dive into the entomology of this word and how it's being used in modern Australia.

Alright, so now we all know what exactly kangatarianism is. However, merely knowing the term doesn't explain why anyone would be compelled to partake in this diet. Which brings us to an article by the Brisbane Times, which explains that some people are kangatarians because eating kangaroos is better for the Australian environment than eating introduced species such as cows. This is because no land or pastures need to be cleared for Australia's native marsupials.

Moreover, Australian kangaroos are treated better than some of the country's domesticated animals. As Samantha Vine, a kangatarian, said to the Brisbane Times, "It's not worth the pleasure of eating meat if it hasn't been treated well. I don't want to be part of that." Peter Ampt, a University of Sydney lecturer that discusses natural resource management, told the publication, "The animals dies instantly, without the knowledge of what's going to happen, and there are no drugs used in its production."

Because Kangaroo is a type of meat not many people have cooked, some might wonder if it needs to be prepped in any special way. Fortunately for kangatarians, it's actually quite simple to cook. In an article from The Guardian, they write that kangaroo meat can be roasted, barbecued, stir-fried, or even slow-cooked. It's a very versatile ingredient, and it isn't any more complex than any other meat one can get from their grocery store.

Nevertheless, just because kangaroo's an easy meat to cook up, it doesn't mean that you can be complacent while doing so. As Colin Fassnidge, the head chef of the Sydney-based restaurant Four in Hand and 4Fourteen, told The Guardian, "With kangaroo it depends on the thickness. If it's as big as your hand, it needs around two minutes on each side. Barbecuing is a good way to cook kangaroo or wallaby, but you want to have everything ready before you start — you can't afford to go wandering off looking for your tongs or it will overcook."

There's no getting around it, "kangatarian" is a very silly word. It's as if the Aussies slapped the first half of the word "kangaroo" onto the suffix "tarian" and were like, "Yeah mate, sorted that one out, aye." It seems like a word that is making fun of vegetarians and pescatarians, rather than being one that describes a real, legitimate diet.

Peter Ampt expressed to the Telegraph that the people who coined the term "kangatarian" knew it was sort of funny. Ampt claimed to be around at the beginning of the movement, stating it began with a group of vegetarians who didn't want to support the farming industrial complex but wanted to eat organically-produced red meat. He said, "They started eating kangaroo and loved it, then they coined the phrase 'kangatarians,' it was a bit of a joke initially." So, there you have it, that's where the slightly ridiculous word "kangatarian" comes from. Moreover, it's probably alright to have a giggle at this term. Because if the people who came with the word thought it was funny, then you could most likely laugh at it too.

In 2011, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that scientists had disproved the myth that kangaroos don't produce any methane. According to the publication, it was commonly believed that these marsupials had special gut bacteria in them that resulted in this species producing no greenhouse gases, or at least a remarkably tiny amount of them. However, researchers from the University of Wollongong, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Zurich discovered that kangaroos produce more of these gases than previously believed. In fact, they can make 3 liters' worth of methane each day, depending on their diet.

However, while this is the case, the researchers also emphasized that kangaroos produce a lot less methane than dairy cows. They stated that a single dairy cow can let loose up to 200 liters of greenhouse gases each day. This means that for every 1 liter of methane from a kangaroo, a dairy cow can make around 66. One of the researchers, Adam Munn, also said that kangaroos eat and drink less than dairy cows do, which reduces their environmental footprint.

In the essay "To Eat or Not to Eat Kangaroo," Dr. Nancy Cushing outlined some ways people have tried to reduce the amount of harm they personally cause the environment while still eating meat. Some people try to eat less red meat, while others only eat the meat which comes from chickens or fish. Some people eat roadkill while others only eat the meat of insects and bugs. Some people, however, choose to only eat meat if it comes from kangaroos.

Cushing classified these sorts of diets as "ethical bargaining." They are forms of trying to be a more environmentally conscious human without giving up your desire to eat other animals. In this essay, Cushing stated that there are enough logical reasons for why eating kangaroo meat is less harmful than eating farmed animals that some people would find becoming a kangatarian compelling. However, the author also asserted that others wouldn't want to take up this diet because they don't like the notion of kangaroos dying.