In Australia, you will find the most usual dishes like hot dogs and pizza, and something so weird that you will be surprised. Aboriginal national dishes of Australia have kept the local residents.
Here you can try sharks and crocodiles, crabs and oysters, opossums and kangaroos. A meat of ostriches is not considered even a delicacy – it is the local version of the chicken. However, it is hard to talk about Australian cuisine, considering the fact that modern traditions have developed just a couple of hundred years ago. Moreover, the customs of the aborigines were partially forgotten. In recent years, the popularity of Asian cuisine is growing and British traditional cuisine has an impact on the country’s culinary as well. The very nature of the country, its flora and fauna, made it possible to create an original menu, which you should definitely try! With under 21 , your gastronomic holiday would be more comfortable.
Meat Pies
The traditional Australian meat pie is small and it could be eaten just in three bites. The filling consists of fried meat, vegetables, mushrooms and cheese. Australian meat pie is a national dish, which is considered both simple and special. Each region prepares it differently. In fact, a simple and nourishing snack in many restaurants is made with a simple filling- minced meat only; occasionally there could be onions and vegetable additives. In the colloquial version, the name of a pie is a “dog’s eye”. This dish is always on the menu: a homemade party, a sporting event or a breakfast after the party.
Today there are many exquisite and expensive versions of this dish, but a real pie must be tasted with mashed potatoes and sauce filling.
Hamburger with Beetroot
You can try all the hamburgers in the world, but you will not find anything more “Australian” than the cut pieces of beet on the cutlet from Australian beef. The dish is so tasty that Ronald McDonald unconditionally supported the campaign to sell the ‘McOz’ hamburger many years ago. This burger took the “take-away” niche among the local pub’s dish.
Pie Floater
Another interesting dish is a floating pie. It is traditionally cooked in the south of Australia in Adelaide. Meat pie, covered with tomato sauce, is served in a plate of thick hot green pea soup, where, according to personal preferences, mint sauce, pepper or vinegar are added. Delicate pieces of beef or lamb with onions, thyme, mushrooms, carrots, in dense sauce with the addition of beer, riches beef or vegetable broth, Worcestershire sauce or Vegemite paste in a delicate crispy sandy or puff paste-this is a pie floater. Usually, the size of a pie is 10-12 centimeters in diameter and it is made of two kinds of dough. The lower part is made from sandy pastry, and the upper part is made from puff pastry. The yolk must be spread on the upper part before baking.
Initially, the pies, immersed in pea soup, were sold on mobile trolleys of street vendors – an inexpensive quick dinner for poor working people was eaten by customers right on the street. Then the floating pies were sold in pubs and hotels as full lunches. In 2003, ‘Pie Floater’ was recognized by the National Foundation of Australia as the national heritage of South Australia.
Barramundi
Delicious fish and, at the same time, one of the symbols of the country – Australian barramundi. Stuffed with vegetables, sprinkled with lemon juice and flavored with scented herbs, baked barramundi is a popular delicacy in Australia.
In some restaurants, barramundi is prepared in an unusual way – “sous vide”-in a vacuum. The fish is placed in a special polyethylene hermetic bag. The water extracted from a depth of 900 meters, in Pacific Ocean, is heated, but not boiled. Then the fish is put in this water for about an hour. Thanks to this, juicy delicate taste, rich aroma and, most importantly, all useful properties are preserved. The name of ‘the most Australian’ fish, (barramundi), from the language of aborigines means “a major river fish.” It is served in restaurants throughout the country.
Grilled Kangaroo Meat
This dish is not for those, who like well-roasted meat, as it dries quickly. It is lightly fried, and usually only from one side. Kangaroo is well combined with garlic, pepper, juniper, rosemary and fruit flavors, such as plum, red currant and orange. This kind of meat could be found in every supermarket in Australia. There is little fat and a lot of useful protein and ferric in the meat of kangaroos. It is tough, so it is marinated before use. An excellent stuffing for pies, steaks, dumplings is made from such meat. It is stewed, baked, fried. The most delicious part is the tail. A dense, aromatic soup is made with the kangaroo tail.
Crocodile Meat
Dishes from this reptile, common in Australia, you will find everywhere. Roast from a crocodile, a crocodile stew, crocodile steak- these dishes are usual for Australia. Local people use crocodile meat for food and the skin- for wallets, belts and bags.
Fairy Bread
The basis of this delicacy is bread. It is cut into pieces of triangular shape, buttered and sprinkled with special panned confectionery, which is called ‘hundreds & thousands’.
This wonderful snack is suitable for any children’s party. It is easy to prepare, and it looks very bright.
Vanilla Slice
The dough for this slice was invented in France, where it is called “mille-feuille”, which is translated as “a thousand of sheets”. In Britain, it is called a “vanilla slice” as well, but Australians say they were the first to invent a vanilla cabbage multilayer pastry sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Slice is prepared with an incredible amount of the most varied tastes. You should try it with cream.
