I love American food. It’s mind-blowingly good. From Roscoes Chicken and Waffles, to Chick-fil-A, biscuits & gravy, to “soul food” and smoked BBQ’s, their food has something for everyone. Why then I asked myself, is Australian food often the butt of so many jokes. Americans in particular have no problems poking fun at the Aussie culinary staples: boring bakeries, boring meat pies, and boring pub food.
It is not just Americans that take issue with Australian cuisine, they alongside many others, label Australian food flat out “boring”. But just what is Australian cuisine and where it comes from? Is Australian food is actually quite diverse? Foodies claim that it takes influences from all over the world. That the unique Aussie climate and geography also play a role in shaping culinary traditions.
When most people think of Australian food, they picture vegemite and kangaroo burgers. Australian cuisine is often misunderstood by Americans. However, isn’t Australian food is more diverse than that? For starters, Australian cuisine is heavily influenced by immigrant cultures – Asian and European immigrants have both brought their own culinary traditions to the country, resulting in a fusion of flavours. Australian chefs have also been influenced by New Zealand cuisine, which is similar to Australian cuisine but with a heavier emphasis on seafood. In addition, Australian food has been influenced by the country’s Aboriginal culture. These same peoples have long used native plants and animals in their cooking, and many of these ingredients are now being used in modern Australian cuisine
As we have previously stated in our ‘Australian Fairy Bread’ article, we recognise the sizeable contributions made by every days Aussies to the food world. Couple that with some Traditional Cyprus Halloumi on most Oz breakie menus, and you are well on your way to a pretty decent meal.
