Essentials: Food, drink and cuisine in Australia

There is a widespread belief that Australia revolves around barbecues. Although the scorching heat of summer indeed allows outdoor dining, there are many other aspects to Australian food that go beyond that of the “Barbie” we all know about.

Australia is extremely diverse as an individual, and this is evident in the cuisine. The years of mass migration from different countries across Asia and also Greece, Italy, and France have led to these foods becoming an integral part of Australians’ eating habits.

Check out what Australia offers in terms of drinks and food…

Modern Australian cuisine

Due to the mild weather, Australia is quite a fortunate country as it has a vast selection of fresh and nutritious ingredients to cook with all the time instead of using ingredients that are stored from the previous seasons. This produce, which is readily available and widely utilized, is encouraged by the Australian government, which actively encourages people to live and eat a lower-fat, less salt way of life (something that goes hand-in-hand with an active lifestyle).

In the same way, Australia is a country where immigration is encouraged, something that has an important impact not just on culture and food but also on the industry as well. There are numerous Asia in addition to Mediterranean influences in the food industry, which means there is a variety of food items from a variety of different nations. Food styles that are popular in Australia include Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese dishes, as well as French, Italian, Greek, and British dishes.

Eating outdoors

The warm weather in Australia also implies that there is a tradition of dining outdoors, particularly through cooking. Numerous dishes are cooked over barbecue, ranging from meats from steaks and pork joints to seafood, basically, everything that can be enjoyed in laps or by using only one hand (with the other being reserved for cold drinks).

Because the food is typically cooked and eaten outdoors, barbecues are likely to be popular every season. The emphasis is typically on cooking meat, vegetables, and salads, as opposed to carbs.

Fresh seafood

One of the main advantages of Australia, in addition to the gorgeous weather, is the fact that Australia is an island and is surrounded by water. This makes seafood an excellent component of an Australian diet. And, what’s more, it’s significantly lower in fat than the traditional meats! In addition to the usual lobster, tuna, salmon, and prawns, there are numerous fish that you may not have heard of, including the dhufish and mud crab.

In reality, there are more than 6,000 varieties of fish species that are caught and offered for sale, So you’ll be spoilt with choices.

Indigenous foods

Indigenous food refers to “bush food” eaten by indigenous Australians before the introduction of European colonists in 1788. Before this, native Australians were able to survive on natural fruits and berries, as well as eating native meats, such as kangaroo or emu. Nowadays, a few native foods can still be located in specialty food stores and restaurants throughout the nation.

Drinks to cool down.

It’s not a secret that Australians enjoy their brews, yet it’s maybe a surprise that they also want their coffee and wine as well. Adelaide is the capital of wine of the nation, and Australia is ranked as the fourth-largest wine exporter worldwide. Australian cafe culture, especially in the cities of Melbourne and Sydney, has sparked an explosion of cafe culture across the globe. Australians are extremely in love with the cafe scene and are willing to spend more money on the coffee they are sure will be of the highest quality. The house specialty coffees include pour-over and cold drip and always changing blends that are locally grown; Australian baristas aren’t afraid to play around with flavor and are more than willing to discuss the differences between every variety they have in their collection. It’s actually difficult to find a company like Starbucks since Australia favors smaller, independent chains that have distinct personalities.

Get ready to become addicted to it, too…

Tim-Tams! Although any Australian local product (particularly seafood) will surely get your mouth salivating, if we want to narrow down Australia’s culinary scene to one thing, it’s got to be the Tim-Tam. The world-famous chocolate biscuit stuffed with the chocolate cream-filled filling can be enjoyed with the “Tim-Tam Slam,” an Australian technique that involves cutting the ends off of each side of the biscuit and then using the straw to drink a warm milk-based beverage. To make it more enjoyable, you can pair the drink with generous Milo, which is an Australian chocolate malt powder that you mix into milk.