Snack Food: Mariani's Kangaroo Jerky (Australia)

My sister recently came back from Australia and she knows that I like to try unknown brands and/or varieties of snacks I may know of. She also knows I'll try something new. So here she is with the snack she bought for me and it was... Kangaroo jerky.



It's made by a company called Mariani, who distribute throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. They plan on hitting the U.S. market soon. So here I am with a package featuring an illustration of kangaroos in a mid jump. Here I am with their flesh in a bag, nicely seasoned. The back lists the scientific name as "Macropus Rufus".

It also says this: "The meat contained herein is for personal use only and not for sale. It is derived from animals that received postmodern veterinary inspection and were found sound and healthy in every way. The slaughter and preparation of the meat described herein has been carried out in a sanitary manner in accordance with Expert Control Act. 1982, which is administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry"

So how does it taste? Well, it has the flavorings of a typical jerky, but beef this isn't. What got to me was the texture. Beef jerky is generally rugged, you tear that thing with your teeth and you'll need to floss. Kangaroo however is very smooth, and that caught me off guard. I am sure the soy sauce powder, garlic, mineral salt, and everything else helped disguise the actual kangaroo flavor but someone somewhere eats the meat, so obviously it's edible. A blog called Random Foodnotes said The texture and taste are reminiscent of pork jerky, although with the dominant soy sauce flavor, this could have been dehydrated dirt and it would probably taste the same. I don't think I'll be eating kangaroo jerky again anytime soon.


The same company also makes emu jerky and crocodile jerky, I don't know if Steve Irwin would have approved of this, but maybe daughter Bindy will give this company a couple of smacks.

Snack Food: Beer Chips

I heard about Beer Chips a year or two ago, not sure if it was profiled on television or if I read it in an article in a magazine or blog. I was in Vancouver, Washington this weekend and I found it in, of all places, Whole Foods. It's odd because it's not exactly a healthy snack, and one doesn't think of Whole Foods when it comes to beer or chips. The company originates in Portland, Oregon, the city across the river, so I had to try it.

In typical potato chip fashion, there was much more air than chips. I tried it a day after I bought it and three things came to mind as I tried it:

1) it's very greasy
2) it's malty
3) it reminds me of Maui style potato chips, flavor wise

It did catch me by surprise, but it was a nice chip. Not hearty, but nice. It's definitely a chip I would eat on a side with a bigger meal, not that I'd ever eat chips as a main dish but it's also not a chip I would buy again for myself if there were other choices. However, it is a chip I would buy for a party so that others could try it.

Beer Chips also make a Margarita Shots variety (which was at Whole Foods), and their website also shows a Spicy Bloody Mary flavor.