Australian Cuisine

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Australia- Cooking and Food

Overview of Australian Cuisine History
The basis of Australian cuisine was established by the English and then greatly influenced by subsequent migrants: Chinese, Greek, Italian and other nationalities. Of course, an authentic Australian cuisine existed even before the arrival of the British. The Australian Aborigines were the first inhabitants on this continent and they themselves came in numerous migratory waves from the north and north west over a period which is now believed to span over 100,000 years but certainly over 40,000. Their foods were of a high nutritional quality and whenever sufficient energy was obtained through hunting and gathering, the nutrient intake was balanced and adequate. So much so, that it allowed a rich and diverse culture of art, story-telling, dance and song to develop across the 600 tribes present at the time of the British invasion.

The English influence determined the main dishes to be Sunday roasts, grilled chops, stews and other recipes made from meat, which were served with vegetables. For example, mashed potatoes, beans, carrots and peas were among the most frequent vegetable accompaniments.

Until recently, Australian cuisine was described by simplicity and freshness - a poor categorising description since it is similarly used across the Pacific Rim and North America. Chicken Maryland was one of the most difficult recipes in that period. During the last five decades, the number of the nations that affected the Australian cuisine grew, the cooking style improved and the recipes began to be more and more complex. The influences from Italy, Greece, Indonesia and China increased. Although there were many influences over the last 200 years, the Australia of modern times now has some culturally specific dishes, due to the recent commercialisation of selected indigenous ingredients, first pioneered by [Vic Cherikoff] and several chefs and colleagues in the 1980s. These are unique herbs, spices, fruits, nuts, extracted oils and products made from them and which cannot be found outside the country.

Seafood is one of the things that has made Australia famous in a culinary sense. It is variously prepared and usually served at festivities. The most wanted fish meat is that of the pacific Cod, coral Trout, sea Perch, Barramundi, prawns (shrimp), oysters, lobsters, crabs and yabbies. Barbecues are frequent occasions, often held at the beach, backyard or other parts of the 'Great Outdoors', for family meetings, get-togethers with friends and at fundraising activities. The 'Sausage sizzle' is one of the major uses of food for fundraising. Whilst it has  diminished in popularity lately (due to health awareness), it is a dish made up of barbecued sausages and onions, served on white rolls or bread and usually accompanied by tomato sauce. Kangaroo, emu and crocodile meats are three of the ingredients that make the Australian cuisine unique. These meats were used by the aborigines and now are a representative part of the national cuisine.

Some long-standing but 'unique' concoctions which have grabbed common perception as Australian are: Vegemite (a brownish yeast extract commonly spread on bread or toast), Anzac Biscuits (biscuits with a high consistency of Oats which originate in the World War Two period, when they were introduced by the Australian ANZAC soldiers) and Lamingtons (cakes made from day old sponge cake, sometimes with a filling of raspberry jam, then coated in a thin chocolate sauce and dipped in dessicated coconut).

Cuisines of Australia


Australia has a very large territory and this is why there cannot be the same cooking style all over the country. As many other countries, Australia can be divided in regions that have a specific cuisine, due to the ethnos that affected each one of them. Every regional cuisine is determined by the cultures that influenced the region and by the local climate. For example, sometimes there is a great difference between the temperatures from the Northern and the Southern regions, and this fact concluded in using specific ingredients.

By Geographic Area and Style:


 * New South Wales Cuisine
 * Queensland Cuisine
 * Victoria Cuisine
 * Western Australia Cuisine
 * South Australia Cuisine
 * Northern Cuisine
 * Tasmania Cuisine
 * Australian Capital Territory Cuisine

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Australian Food Glossary
Finding the ingredients for an Australian recipe is not so easy when you do not know the names of the ingredients. Take time to make a list of ingredients and the names they may be found under at the local markets.


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Preparation Methods for Australian Cooking
Australian cuisine has been recently oriented to healthier preparation methods. The dishes should be made from fresh ingredients where possible. For example, the meat must not be fried in a lot of oil and vegetables should be lightly cooked or steamed. Preserving the colour of vegetables gives dishes a better look. Also, it is recommended not to use much salt.

The cooking methods of the Australian Aborigines were very simple. They were primarilty hunter-gatherers and many of their dishes were based on meat. Baking in the ashes, steaming in a ground oven and boiling are some techniques that date from that period. British settlement brought a greater variety of ingredients and broader methods of cooking.

Special Equipment for Australian Cooking
Most Australian dishes don’t require you to purchase any special tools. However, having a coffee grinder helps with roasting and grinding spices and maximizes their volatile oils, which, in turn, provides your food with more flavor. The cooking equipment used in Australia resumes to the common tools that exist in every kitchen. The common equipment consists of trays, pans, food containers, scales for measuring the weight of the ingredients, cans and so on. The number of the tools increased since the time of Australian aborigene until now. On the other hand, some items may differ. For example, the tablespoon used in Australia has a capacity of 20 ml (or 4 teaspoons), while the tablespoons in the rest of the world have a 15 ml capacity (3 teaspoons). Some of the Australian recipes may use the 20 ml tablespoons, while others may use the standard size spoons, because of the foreign influence. One must pay attention to this fact.



Australian Food Traditions and Festivals
The Australian food festivals have an old origin. These have begun with the Bunya Bunya festival, before the English settled. That festival was organized each three years and represented the gathering of the tribes. Though, the main theme of the festival was the Bunya pine seeds, one of the primordial Australian foods. Nowadays, festivals are organized to celebrate different foods and drinks, from wine and beer to Beef and hot sauce. The most important food festivals in Australia are: ‘Tastes of Prom Country' Food and Wine Festival, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Hot Sauce and Fiery Foods Festival, Fine Food Queensland, Beef Australia, Australian International Beer Festival, Casino Beef Week, Good Food and Wine Show. Some of them are planned each year while others are organized periodically. Each regional cuisine has its foods and its festivals. These events are good occasions for the Australian chefs to prove their experience and to show new methods of preparation.

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