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Read on to find out. - by Rhys McKay
Australia frequently ranks among the most multicultural countries in the world, and this shows in the vibrant food scenes in our major cities. We love curries, Mediterranean grub, and Italian food like pizza and pasta. But what kind of food can we consider Australian? What counts as traditional Australian food?
Foreigners might say Vegemite and grilled kangaroos (and to a certain extent they’re right), but surely there are other, non-cliche foods that make up Australian cuisine, right? Here, we explore typical Aussie foods – the stuff you’ll find as staples at backyard barbecues, local pubs, and bakeries.
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What is the most popular food in Australia?
This depends on who your audience is. Like we mentioned, foreigners might be most familiar with Vegemite and kangaroos, while Aussies might have something entirely different in mind. In a nationwide survey launched by Continental to find out which dish was considered by most residents as “Australia’s National Dish”, roast lamb was number one.
Other runners-up to the title of “National Dish of Australia”? Meat pies, barbecue prawns, and steak and veggies.
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The top 10 Australian foods
10. Witchetty grubs
Okay, this one doesn’t seem like typical Aussie food – you probably won’t see this in your regular pub – but it has been around for centuries! Witchetty grubs are fat white moth larvae that tastes like chicken and, according to Nomads World, pack as much protein as a whole steak! We think that should be enough to put them in the running for national food of Australia.
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It takes a while to find the right bush but once you do you have a meals worth. #Witchetty #southaustralia #bushtucker
9. Fish ‘n’ chips
No Aussie food list won’t be complete without a few traditional British bites.
Usually eaten as snacks, fish ‘n’ chips are just as popular a choice of street food in Australia as they are in the UK. Wonder why? According to CNN, “Australia has some of the best seafood in the world and that means you're almost guaranteed fresh fish”.
Fish ‘n’ chips are usually served with lemon and salt and is wrapped in newspapers.
8. Pavlova
This meringue-based cake with whipped cream and fruits on top is a creamy dessert that’s hard to hate. In fact, it’s so well-loved that it’s set off another Aussie-Kiwi rivalry. Apparently, both Australia and New Zealand claim to have concocted this delicious invention to honour the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.
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Pavlova of dreams! A double layer of meringue, sandwiched with whippped cream, drizzled with vanilla laced blackberry coulis, cascading with freshly picked blackberries and a scattering of toasted almonds. Made and modelled by the very clever @hennyplunki and eaten by me!
7. Meat pies
These ubiquitous pies are often favoured as post-drinking-binge-meals. Though fillings vary, the most common ones have got ground meat, onions, gravy, mushrooms, and potatoes inside, making them warm, hearty, and satisfying meals for any occasion.
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What a first week of AFL finals! Bring on the semis! #mrsmacs #satisfyinglysimple
6. Barramundi
This fish is not exactly unique to Australia – it’s used in Bengali and Thai cuisine as well – but its name sure is. Barramundi means “large-scale river fish” in an Aboriginal language. It’s also very common in Australian restaurants, where it’s often served grilled or pan-seared. Best paired with a salad or roasted vegetables!
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5. Lamingtons
Dessert fiends would probably nominate lamingtons over meat pies or roast lamb as the national food of Australia. There are many ways to make this sponge cake, but it’s usually coated in chocolate sauce and coconut shavings. Sometimes, they’re made into a sandwich of two cakes with raspberry jam or cream in the middle. This dessert is best paired with coffee or tea.
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After a two year hiatus, we thought it about time to dig through our recipe book and set about of making a small batch of one of our most beloved collections - the Lamingtons. For those unfamiliar with this Australian bakery staple, known mostly for its nostalgic place during our childhoods, the Lamington is a soft vanilla sponge cake, iced in chocolate and rolled in coconut. Jam and cream fillings are optional yet whose inclusion remains a hotly debated topic amongst passionate lovers of this sweet delight. We cannot really remember why we began releasing small batches of these cups annually and although we missed a release last year - we are happy to announce that this MM tradition has come home. We have been working something akin to baker's hours to ensure these ceramics were out of our giant oven in time for this week's drop and in some kind of an August miracle - they are. For everybody out there with a ceramic sweet tooth, all details for this week's Lamington drop are in our BIO. Lamington lovers unite 🥥 . . #lamington #bakedgoods #wakeandbake #stoneware #cone10 #reduction #wheelthrown #instapottery #magnoliamountain #australianceramics
4. Barbecued snags
There’s a reason “throw another shrimp on the barbie” is an Aussie cliche. We do love to barbecue! Aside from prawns and steaks, we love to barbecue snags (or sausages). They’re juicy, tasty, and easy to prepare. Perfect for a laid back weekend.
3. Burger with beetroot
Australians love their beetroots – so much so that they put them in almost every burger imaginable! This unique, bright red vegetable has a ton of health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, increasing stamina, and promoting liver function. These are all fantastic reasons to continue eating it!
2. Avocados
Who doesn’t have avocado on toast for breakfast? The pairing has become so common that you might as well nominate it as national breakfast food of Australia! Some folks like to add eggs, greens like basil, rocket, and even scallions, cheese, and tomatoes.
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When you can't decide between avo toast topping combinations, you just have one of each💁🏻♀️ Three slices of toasted spelt sourdough with avocado + black pepper: one with marmite + hemp seeds, one with lime juice + chilli flakes, one with tahini + pumpkin seeds😋🍞🥑🌶 Which one would you go for???
1. Chicken parmigiana
Is it odd that so much iconically Aussie food is Italian? Yes, kinda. But that’s just the way it is. Aussies are crazy for chicken parma. Described as “chicken schnitzel topped with an Italian-inspired tomato sauce and melted cheese”, it’s on the menu of pretty much every bar in the country.
Honourable mentions
TimTam biscuits, Golden Gaytime ice creams, ANZAC biscuits, vanilla slice, spaghetti bolognese, and damper.
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