The article is written by Rebecca Todesco
One of the best parts about travelling is the chance to indulge in the delicious cuisine countries have to offer. What’s even better is that when you’re on exchange, there’s absolutely no hurry! You can take your time, sampling everything from the weird and wacky to the strange and obscure.
Australia has plenty to offer the foodies of the world, with restaurants offering every cuisine under the sun. Believe it or not: we actually eat more than kangaroo, crocodile and emu.
So if you want to try some true blue, ridgy didge Australian goodies then here’s a couple for you to try.:
Tim Tams
I know many Australians will agree with me: Tim Tams are as close to heaven on earth as one can get.
Tim Tams were gifted to the world in the sixties by the Australian biscuit company, Arnotts. According to their website, Tim Tams are described as “delicious smooth cream sandwiched between two crunchy biscuits, coated in Tim Tam chocolate and white choc.”
Tim Tams are the perfect snack in summer, winter, dipped in tea or coffee, dipped in milk, when you’re sad, when you’re hungry, during a Tim Tam Slam and just about any other time.
Vegemite
As Australia’s most infamous snack food, Vegemite is a thick black paste consisting of leftover brewer’s yeast and some vegetable additives. It has a very strong salty and bitter taste.
When foreigners try Vegemite for the first time they mistakenly scoop it out of the jar and eat it off the spoon. It’s no wonder Vegemite gets such a bad rap!
The correct way to eat Vegemite is to spread a small amount on a piece of buttered toast, successfully balancing the salty taste with the melted butter.
Fairy Bread
What started as a staple at kids’ parties has now become one of Australia’s favourite snack foods.
The greatest thing about fairy bread is that it’s so easy to prepare, you can make it at home. It involves three ingredients: white bread (cut into triangles), butter and hundreds and thousands (sprinkles).
Voila!
Anzac Biscuits
Anzac biscuits share their name with the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) which were established in World War I.
These biscuits were sent over by soldiers’ wives and women’s groups because the main ingredients were able to keep for a long period of time, even when travelling by boat.
These biscuits are sold in abundance around Anzac Day (April 25th) and are relatively easy to make at home.
Meat Pie
If someone claims to be Australian but hasn’t eaten a meat pie then they’re probably a liar.
If it’s cold and you’re on the go then a meat pie is the perfect snack option for you. It’s a hand-sized pie usually containing minced meat and gravy, wrapped in a delightfully flaky pastry.
Some meat pie variations also include cheese, potatoes and other vegetables as well as bacon and sometimes even egg.
Fish and chips
There is no better way to finish off a day at the beach than with a stack of steaming hot fish and chips. It’s filling, it’s cheap and it is absolutely scrumptious.
The menu at a fish and chippery can sometimes be overwhelming: fish, calamari rings, chips, potato cakes, dim sims, Chiko rolls, pineapple fritters, Dagwood Dog, the list goes on.
You’ve got time to work your way through the menu but if you’re new to the game then let me help eliminate some of the confusion and offer a safe and delicious option for your first fish and chips order:
-Fried fish: You can usually pick your own fish but if you want to be adventurous choose flake: it’s shark (and it’s delicious!)
-A potato cake: This is essentially a large chunk of fried potato.
-A fried Dim Sim: Also available steamed, this is a vegetable and meat filling partially wrapped in pastry.
-A minimum of chips
Finish off the order with a request to have it all coated in an excessive amount of chicken salt. You’ll thank me later.
Australia has so much deliciousness to offer. Take your time and enjoy it!