Country 9: Australia
Australia has been the most difficult country, by far, in this project. It's also the first country, where I've actually been, although granted I was only in Sydney for 9 hours during my layover on the way over to Europe.
What is Australian Food?
I spent over a week researching Australian cuisine, including asking several Australian friends if they had any ideas for a vegetarian dish that was authentically Aussie. While the indigenous Australians have been on the continent for 65,000 years, Australia is a relatively new country in terms of colonisation. The British formed various colonies across the country in the 18th and 19th centuries, and brought with them cows and sheep which became an important part of the local diet.
However, with globalisation and modernity, and the high levels of immigration that began to occur, Australia's culinary world became highly influenced by the plethora of cuisines readily available to them. The Australian gold-rushes brought more varied immigrants, mostly Chinese, and the post-war immigration programme invited even more people (particularly those from the Middle East and South Asia) to move across to Australia. As such, Australian food is an integration of various cultures around the world, mixing and combining with indigenous bush-tucker, and the European colonisers.
So it was tricky to find something that was authentic to Australia. As above, Australian cuisine is hugely impacted by other cultures, but I don't think it was fair to the project to cook an Italian dish (for example) just because it is eaten so prominently in Australia.
Additionally, Australians eat a lot of meat. Cattle and sheep are especially prominent, but I don't know anybody who isn't aware of the Australian barbecue as an event, rather than just a meal. So even if I did find something that was particular to Australia, or a regional dish, more often that not they included meat. Of course there are vegetarian dishes to be had in Australia, but they were influenced from the dishes that immigrants bought across with them.
Australian Brunch
All of the above being said, there is one thing that Australian cuisine has exported as an idea: Aussie brunch. In the same way that American diner-style restaurants have popped up across the globe, Australian brunch has made an appearance. I think of my personal favourite brunch spots in London (Lantana, Daisy Green), and undoubtedly they are Australian-owned, or pride themselves on serving Aussie brunch. While the English Breakfast will probably feature on the menu, Aussie brunch dishes are, in my opinion, a little more creative and wholesome, while serving exceptional coffee on the side (Australian coffee culture is a completely different tangent). Additionally, a lot of dishes that feature on Australian brunch menus are vegetarian - bonus points for me!
So while I am trying to do this project for dinner, I decided that for Australia I would serve brunch. Conveniently, it fell on a Saturday which made things work out even better - I woke up late, left my partner sleeping in bed, and got to work.
On the menu today we have:
All served alongside the goodness that is Bundaberg Ginger Beer.
What is Australian Food?
I spent over a week researching Australian cuisine, including asking several Australian friends if they had any ideas for a vegetarian dish that was authentically Aussie. While the indigenous Australians have been on the continent for 65,000 years, Australia is a relatively new country in terms of colonisation. The British formed various colonies across the country in the 18th and 19th centuries, and brought with them cows and sheep which became an important part of the local diet.
However, with globalisation and modernity, and the high levels of immigration that began to occur, Australia's culinary world became highly influenced by the plethora of cuisines readily available to them. The Australian gold-rushes brought more varied immigrants, mostly Chinese, and the post-war immigration programme invited even more people (particularly those from the Middle East and South Asia) to move across to Australia. As such, Australian food is an integration of various cultures around the world, mixing and combining with indigenous bush-tucker, and the European colonisers.
So it was tricky to find something that was authentic to Australia. As above, Australian cuisine is hugely impacted by other cultures, but I don't think it was fair to the project to cook an Italian dish (for example) just because it is eaten so prominently in Australia.
Additionally, Australians eat a lot of meat. Cattle and sheep are especially prominent, but I don't know anybody who isn't aware of the Australian barbecue as an event, rather than just a meal. So even if I did find something that was particular to Australia, or a regional dish, more often that not they included meat. Of course there are vegetarian dishes to be had in Australia, but they were influenced from the dishes that immigrants bought across with them.
Australian Brunch
All of the above being said, there is one thing that Australian cuisine has exported as an idea: Aussie brunch. In the same way that American diner-style restaurants have popped up across the globe, Australian brunch has made an appearance. I think of my personal favourite brunch spots in London (Lantana, Daisy Green), and undoubtedly they are Australian-owned, or pride themselves on serving Aussie brunch. While the English Breakfast will probably feature on the menu, Aussie brunch dishes are, in my opinion, a little more creative and wholesome, while serving exceptional coffee on the side (Australian coffee culture is a completely different tangent). Additionally, a lot of dishes that feature on Australian brunch menus are vegetarian - bonus points for me!
So while I am trying to do this project for dinner, I decided that for Australia I would serve brunch. Conveniently, it fell on a Saturday which made things work out even better - I woke up late, left my partner sleeping in bed, and got to work.
On the menu today we have:
All served alongside the goodness that is Bundaberg Ginger Beer.
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