What is Australian food?
Australian food is both tasty and varied. Australia is a relatively new country. However, in its small history, it has adapted many cuisines from its large immigrant population. Moreover, in many cases it has created many foods from its natural environment. Yet, other foods are inspired from the cuisine of overseas countries as a result of our large immigrant population.
In Australia’s largest cities, namely Sydney and Melbourne, you may dine on the cuisine from most countries and major regional areas. In Australia, the food often tastes better than in the original country due to the abundance and diversity or fresh produce.
Australian food is fresh food and our meats, fruits and vegetables are of high quality. Because of its wide variety of climates, it is largely self sufficient in its food needs. Following is a list of many foods that are either unique to Australia or were developed in Australia. Even our many many restaurants from around the globe based in Sydney and Melbourne, often have better quality food than in the country of origin.
Breakfasts
Vegemite
Vegemite on toast is a black spread made from vegetable oil that many Australians eat religiously. It is not readily available overseas and locals often send it to Australian family and friends living overseas. The trick to this Australian food is to spread it on lightly unlike other spreads. In is quite a divisive Australian food where people either love it or hate it.
Avocado on toast
Avocado on toast is available in many cafes for breakfast. This is just avocado is spread onto a slice of toast.
Bacon and Egg Roll
Bacon and egg rolls are very common in breakfast cafes. However, you can make your own with a slice of bacon, a fried egg, some barbecue sauce and a soft roll.
Mains and Snacks – The Australian food
Mains
Barbeques
Barbecues are very common in Australia and are considered very much Australian food. However, apart from Paul Hogan, nobody has ever said “Let’s put a shrimp on the barbie“. This is because we don’t call them shrimps. We have prawns instead. Technically, the two are slightly different. Normally, we cook “snags” aka sausages, and steak (both lamb and beef). Some also cook prawns, vegetarian, kangaroo and other meats on the barbecue. When inviting friends over during summer, it is the Australian food of choice.
Chicken Parmigiana
Chicken parmigiana is a chicken schnitzel or ‘chicken schnitty‘ with ham, cheese and a tomato sauce inside the crumbed outer sheath. The schnitzel originally hales from Germany. However, the addition of the ham, cheese and tomato possibly is a result of a high population of Italian immigrants at one time.
San Choi Bau
San Choi Bau is an Australian food dish found in many Chinese restaurants in Australia. However, it is not found in China. This is because it was developed in Australia as a result of the large Chinese immigrant population. Basically it wraps pork mince, peanut oil and some sauces in lettuce leaves.
Kangaroo
Kangaroo, whilst not as mainstream as beef or lamb is not only available in restaurants but available in the county’s two largest supermarkets Coles and Woolworths. This Australian food is not only tasty it is better for you than traditional lamb or beef due to its low fat and cholesterol content.
Hamburger with the lot
Hamburger with the lot, is an Australian hamburger consisting of a beef patty, lettuce, tomato, egg, cheese, caramelised onion, bacon and beetroot. No hamburger with the lot is truly Australian without the beetroot.
Emu and Crocodile
Emu and Crocodile may also be found in some boutique restaurants.
Whilst many Brits see Fish ‘n’ Chips as British, in Australia, the quality of our fish makes it unique. Our Barramundi, Flathead, Bream and Whiting is quite flavoursome compared to the rather plain English Halibut or Cod. Furthermore, in Australia, fish is often grilled or crumbed instead of just being deep fried.
Snacks
The Australian Dim Sim is deep fried and larger than the Chinese dim sim.
Meat pies, sausage rolls and sausage sandwiches are staple foods at carnivals and sports events. In days past, chiko rolls and dagwood dogs were also quite popular.
Damper is a traditional bushman’s bread prepared with flour, water, and salt and then left to cook in the embers of the campfire. It is an Australian food synonymous with the country’s pioneers.
Desserts
Lamington
A Lamington is squares of sponge cake coated in chocolate and rolled in desiccated coconut.
Chocolate Crackle
The Chocolate crackle is a children’s party favourite (also found in school fetes) in Australia and has been for generations. It is a baked snack that combines Rice Bubbles, fine coconut, icing sugar, cocoa and Copha.
Neenish Tart
A Neenish tart has a pastry base, a filling of mock cream, icing sugar paste, or lemon and sweetened condensed milk mixture, with bi-colour dried icing on the top.
Pavlova
Pavlova is a meringue dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside, usually topped with whipped cream and fruit. It takes its name from the Russian ballerina when she toured Australia.
Vanilla Slice
Vanilla slice is a slice of thick vanilla flavoured custard sandwiched between flaky pastry and topped with icing. It is available in most bakeries in Australia.
Fairy Bread
Fairy Bread is a slice of white bread with margarine topped with hundreds and thousands and is a popular staple at children’s parties. This is an Australian food synonymous with children’s parties.
Drinks
Alcoholic
Australia is the fifth largest exporter of wine around the world, holding its own against far more established players.
Many around Australia enjoy Australian beer, with each state having its own preference. The quality of the beer is well renowned.
Coffee
On the coffee side, both the Long Black and Flat White originate in Australia. The Flat White is a coffee variety that has a double shot of freshly brewed espresso and milk, which is usually steamed to create a light, silky foam on the surface. The Long Black is an espresso shot prepared by pouring or directly extracting the espresso into a cup of hot water.
Soft Drink
Solo, a lemon flavoured soft drink and Milo, a chocolate flavoured milk additive are also Australian.
Lemon Lime and bitters is a cocktail made with a combination of lemonade, lime juice cordial, and Angostura bitters garnished with a lemon or lime slice. Whilst the bitters is alcoholic, due to the low alcohol content, it is regarded as ore of a soft drink.
Ice Creams
The Golden Gaytime is a popular ice cream combination of toffee and vanilla flavoured ice cream, dipped in a choc coating and covered in biscuit pieces. Streets make and distribute it.
Splice is an ice cream encased in a pineapple and lime frozen fruit flavoured ice. At the centre of the ice cream is a wooden stick for ease of consumption.
The Weiss bar is a pairing of a normally fruit flavour and creamy ice cream in the shape of a bar. Popular flavours include passionfruit and coconut, and blackberry and vanilla.
Biscuits
Australian biscuits include Anzac biscuits, Iced VoVo and Tim Tam
Snackfoods
Burger Rings, Twisties (both cheese and chicken flavoured) and Cheezels are snack food chips that originate from here.
We have a number of unique chocolate snack foods that have originated here such as Freddo Frogs, Bertie Beetles, Caramello Koala, Cherry Ripe, Chomp, Violet Crumble and Picnic.
As well as a number of other confectioneries such as Eucalyptus Drops, Fantales, Fruit tingles, Milko Chews, Minties, Musk sticks and Redskins.
Make sure you sample some of our Australian food when you are in Australia.
Traditional Australian Food
In addition to the foods already mentioned, native Australians eat goanna (protected species), snake, lizard, wallaby, witchetty grubs, Bogong moths, green ants, Quandong, bush tomato, yams and macadamia nuts and have been for a very long time.
A note about Shrimp on the Barbie
Shrimp on the barbie was a television advertising campaign that was launched by Australian Tourism Commission. It starred Paul Hogan. It launched in the mid-80s to appeal to the American market. However the word ‘shrimp’ is not normally used in Australia. In fact most barbecues traditionally cook red meat (mainly steak and snags [sausages]). Aussie’s do like a ‘Surf & Turf’ which is a grilled seafood and meat combination dish that may have prawns as the seafood.
Sydney Restaurants that sell Australian Food
Australian Heritage Hotel (Pizzas with kangaroo, emu and crocodile)Sydney Tower (Buffet includes kangaroo, emu and crocodile sausages)
Moo Burgers (Kangaroo Burgers)
Blackbird Cafe (Kangaroo)
Many pubs and clubs offer Chicken Parmigiana and Hamburgers with the lot.
Restaurants – an expanded definition of Australian Food
In Sydney and Melbourne, we are fortunate enough to have immigration from all around the world. This means that in Australia unlike many other countries, we do not just eat Australian food, the norm is to eat food from all around the world.
Other Links
The following links may also interest you:
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