Offal, a once popular Australian staple, is returning in vogue. A passionate band of consumers in Rockhampton, the country’s cattlecrat, is at the forefront of this revival. To most of us, organ meats might not immediately sound like the number one choice. Behind the ban is a continuing cultural demand for delicacies such as sheep’s brain. The increasing cost of living is making it harder for most Australians to afford the foods they want. Thus, offal is becoming increasingly popular for its dense nutrient supply and completely underutilized.
Rockhampton local butcher Bill Douglas works hard to find as much local produce to supply his business. He’s known for bringing a wealth of offal to his diners. What he finds is that customers are actively looking for these organ meats. “We sell it mostly to elderly people. They come in just for it,” he explained. And Douglas has seen the interest start to shift in favor of consumers. Their culinary allegiance to offal is due to both its nutrition and distinct flavors.
A Culinary Tradition
Traditionally, organ meats were a key feature in Australian diets. They were a staple in classic cuisine—think steak and kidney pie. Robyn Alders is a researcher in food and nutrition security with more than 30 years of experience. She calls attention to the fact that previous generations met offal with no qualms whatsoever. “Our diet has just really gotten away from us. We’ve been eating junk food, we’re only eating the muscle,” she said.
Alders stresses the importance of additional data. This will provide a full picture of what people are currently eating as well as their attitudes and perceptions towards offal. She argues that rapid urbanization only exacerbates the disconnect people feel from their food systems. This divide creates an environment where organ meats are less revered. “One could be that as more of us are urbanised, we’re more removed from the systems that sustain us and feed us,” she explained.
One of Australia’s most famous advocates for offal, Maggie Beer, remembers fondly her childhood experiences of these cuts. “I was pan-frying chicken livers. I was seven, and my father said, ‘Stop picking at those, there’ll be none left for anyone else,’” she shared. Beer considers offal “irresistible”—in her view, it’s the ultimate in honoring the animal by using every single part of it.
Changing Perceptions
Maggie Beer is fiercely advocating to shift how we think about food in residential aged care. She’s a firm believer that having quality meals will make all the difference in improving their lives. She argues that offal is of great value not just nutritionally but culturally as well. She jumped in on Instagram with enthusiasm, sharing her passion for cooking delicious meals with organ meats. “That, to me, is one of the great dishes of the world,” she said.
In light of current economic challenges, where one in five Australians reports missing meals due to cost-of-living pressures, offal presents a viable alternative. Its affordability and nutrient density make it an attractive option for those looking to stretch their food budgets while maintaining nutritional quality.
Alders further notes that demand is picking up for organ meats, possibly due to growing awareness about their nutritional value. “Everyone’s aware now that our system is haemorrhaging nutrients if we’re not taking organ meats into account,” she stated.
The Export Market
Even with its growing culinary popularity, offal cannot quite close the gap on competing meat exports. In 2023, Australia exported 234,000 tonnes of edible offal. This paltry sum hardly measures up to the jaw-dropping 1.3 million tonnes of beef that Australia exported. For context, this amount is similar to the 359,000 tonnes of lamb and 255,000 tonnes of mutton exported during the same period.
Douglas even admits to the difficulties he’s encountering in sourcing offal, as fewer and fewer butchers are willing to carry these lost products. It’s becoming more and more difficult to acquire it with less and less locations really distributing it,” he said.
