I realize I'm late with this, so please excuse my tardiness, but I felt compelled to answer. I usually am a pretty defending person when it comes to different cultures, beliefs etc. (Me being Jewish myself, I can understand a lot of generalization and stereotypes can and do hurt one's feelings) I guess being largely an animal person though, I have my own limits.
If I had the option to, I would be a vegetarian myself, unfortunately, with my illness it's really not an option for me so I have to eat some meat in order to sustain me and keep me out of the hospital, or worse. Here in Australia, it's common to eat emu eggs, kangaroo meat and as I know so far "crocodile burgers." I'm sure that crocodile burgers aren't the only form of crocodile dishes, but that's the only one I know of, as my mother once ate one on an outing once in front of me...I didn't like the idea very much.
I'm very limited and particular in the types of meat that I eat. They're the traditional ones, and yes, being Jewish, they are rather kosher. So there's beef, lamb, and guiltily, even pork. Chicken or battered fish is an occasional treat but mainly because white meat really doesn't serve much purpose to me. I've even had duck a few times. However, even though kangaroo meat is largely sold at the meat aisle at grocery stores, I've never tried it, and have absolutely no desire to. I once lived with a family in my teens who had to cook me a separate meal of beef sausages while they ate "scrambled sheep brains on toast." I was mortified the first time I was made to watch them eat it at the table, personally.
However, I don't disagree with the people who enjoy the dishes, it's moreso the practice. Kangaroos and crocodiles aren't "cute" to me. Kangaroos in fact are known to brutally attack people and have actually killed in some cases. Crocodiles...well, they're definitely not cuddly. And Emu eggs? I won't even drink goat's milk or eat their cheese. But on principle, I still don't eat them. It's the boring traditional stuff for me, or I'd rather become iron deficient so much that it kills me before I could ever do that. There's just something about eating a "non-common" animal that I can't stand. Belief, culture or not, I just don't like it.
I don't care if it's culture or belief really, it's the actual practice of it that irks me. Of course, I would never, ever judge a person on it at all. I'm a little more liberal, and I try not to make too many displeased comments about it when say...my mother eats a crocodile burger in front of me, or some kangaroo steaks, but she knows I have no intention to be in the same room with her while she does it.
Yes, I believe some animals were provided to us for food, but then, some of them were prohibited too, for whatever reason. I'm not a highly religious person of my faith (hence the pork eating) but I've always stood my ground when I've stated that I can't recall dogs or other animals besides poultry, fish, cow, and sheep/goat being eaten in any religious text. (Even being Jewish, I've still seen the other versions of the Bible, must admit, I haven't read the Qu'ran)
Even disregarding the biblical or religious sense though, I just personally don't like it. Eat it sure, I can't stop them. But I'm not going to sit there in the same room while they do so, and I probably will mention that personally, I don't agree with it. When I was forced to sit at the table with the family who were eating the sheep brains (if they wanted to cook lamb, fine...but its BRAINS? Gross and disrespectful to the animal I feel) I swore to myself I wouldn't let someone force me to do such a thing again. In fact, a few years later while my mother was eating that crocodile burger at the carnival/fair/show, I actually walked away and looked around and came back when she was finished. And she still knows I disapproved of it even now. I can't help but bring it up in our many discussions about animals, but I just think there's some animals that are the exception to be eaten, the rest, should be left alone.
Besides, crocodiles and kangaroos and emu's are native Australian animals, (and globally represent Australia for the most part) so I think that should draw the line here too. It confuses me though, they're okay with crocodiles and kangaroos, but how come I never see anyone selling koala meat or fried kookaburra. Not that I even WANT to. Lol. And considering the fact that Emu eggs aren't like chicken eggs and more likely to HAVE baby emus in them...that's even worse to me. I even have a problem with veal, but that's a whole other rant on my part.
