All About Our Favorite Foods from the Land Down Under
When traveling to a foreign country, a question people always ask themselves is "Am I going to starve?" Not knowing what the local cultural cuisine is like is always a daunting experience. When I embarked on a five-month long journey to Australia, I was in the same boat. Kangaroos are too cute to eat and I wasn't sure what else they really ate in the land down under. But now that I'm back in the USA, I find myself craving those Australian delicacies that I once worried about.
Barbeque: If you're a vegetarian, you might have a hard time in the heavy meat culture of Australia. Though it sounds cliche, Australians love their meat on the barbie! There are barbeque pits in every park and on every open field, so be sure to bring a ball to toss around while waiting for the meat to cook. Whether barbequing chicken, sausage, beef, or kangaroo (yes, it is very popular), one thing is for sure: don't forget your spicy seasonings (and if someone else is hosting the barbeque, be sure to bring a side dish-- it's customary).
Baked Potato: Nothing too special here- just a plain, ol' baked potato. Except there's nothing plain about the potatoes. You can find baked potato "bars" all over- so fill up your potato with everything and anything, including mushrooms, chives, bacon, and chili. And don't forget the extra cheese!
Pavlova: Mmm, there's nothing like a slice of Pavlova after a wonderful barbeque to make the spiciness go away. Pavlova is comparable to meringue, but fluffier and fruitier. The beauty of the Pavlova is that you'll never have the same one twice- there are just too many ways to make it.
Lamingtons: For coconut lovers, Lamingtons will hit the spot. A Lamington is a chocolate sponge cake covered in icing and coconut shavings. It is the perfect chill dessert that you need after a hot day in the Australian sun.
Milo: Imagine your favorite chocolate milk...with a crunch. Milo is a chocolate powder that you put into milk, much like Nesquick. The beauty of it is that it never fully dissolves. The secret to the ultimate drink is that the proper Milo-to-milk ratio is 75-25.
Fruit: Since the fruit is so fresh in Australia, people buy a ton of it. There are a lot of farmer's markets and fruit shops, so you don't want to miss out. Just make sure that you warn the people surrounding you when you take a bite out of an apple- it's so juicy it might just squirt them from across the room.
Tim Tams: The best cookies in the entire world (in my opinion, anyway). Tim Tams have a layer of chocolate icing sandwiched between two crunchy chocolate crackers. The whole cookie is covered in a layer of milky chocolate. You can actually find these delicious cookies in the USA under the name "Arnott's." But make sure you try a "Tim Tam Slam" bite off both ends of a Tim Tam, and then use it as a straw to drink coffee or hot chocolate.
Vegemite: Now, you're probably heard about vegemite before. That dark brown stuff that Australians eat religiously (like I eat peanut butter). It's made from yeast extract usually taken from a beer brewery, and is extremely salty. I'm not going to lie and say I'm a huge fan of vegemite, but what's a list of Australian foods without this Aussie staple? As for me, no thanks. I'll stick to the other Australian delicacies.
— Written by Jennifer Alberts
Photo credit: nycfoodguy.com
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I'll have to agree with you on the Vegemite. It just doesn't sound appetizing to me. Is there some sort of combination with it, that might make something palatable?
posted 2011-03-04 07:55:04 by MikeAtSteuben