Many people have no idea how good Australian food is, and assume it’s just similar to American cuisine.
However Australian food is delicious, and if you’re going to be travelling through the country, be sure to try as much as possible. Australia has a huge variety of food, which has been adapted and adopted since it was colonised and became a a multi-cultural society.
During the early colonial days, Australian food was innovative and original, and included native game, seafood, and native nuts and fruits.
During the gold rush in the 1850’s the influx of migrants from America and Europe introduced coffee and opened up the streets to vendors with Cornish pasties and pies. These new arrivals also developed a large taste for Chinese food, which was available in China towns, and in the port cities from 1860 to 1870.
From 1901 there was a change in cooking and eating styles, with outdoor picnics adopted, which established the barbecue traditions. New staple foods included meat pies, mutton, lamb chops, and colonial curries.
Coffee lounges became extremely popular during the modern jazz culture during the 1920s and 1930s, expanding as European migrants and American servicemen arrived during the 1940s.
The new ingredients that were available meant that new recipes could be created, which included cakes, biscuits, and new desserts, such as lamingtons, ginger biscuits, and pavlova. Vegemite and Anzac biscuits were also included, and at the end of the Second World War even more migrants arrived, including new flavours and ingredients.
The experimental nature of Australians meant that as immigrants arrived, Australian food was defined by these changes, especially Asian, Mediterranean, African, and Indian.
While Australians have long been claiming that pavlova was invented there, recent research has suggested that it was actually invented in New Zealand. Regardless, this dish is a popular dessert, particularly at Christmas time. The dessert is a meringue with a soft centre, which is then covered in fruit and cream and usually served with ice cream.
Visitors should also try kangaroo, which is popular with Australian citizens due to its gamey taste and high protein content. Barbecue is hugely popular, and usually includes shrimp and red meat. Meat pies are still staples today, and you’ll find bakeries throughout the country where you can sample flavours like steak and cheese, chicken, and mince.
Fish and chips are also a big part of Australian life, and beachside towns have especially embraced this tradition.
If you’re interested in learning more about Australian culture, this article about traditional Australian food provides interesting insight into Australian cuisine beyond the typical barbecue food. The article has recipes from some of the best cooks in Australia, and they’ve exclusively shared some of their favourite Australian recipes.
One things for sure, food will always give the average visitor an insight into the culture of a country, and Australia is no different. The ethnic influences, combined with colonial traditions mean that Australia is a great country to explore and enjoy the vast range of interesting foods.