The Food of Andalusia

The food of the south of Spain exemplifies the Mediterranean diet. Various types of seafood dominate the cuisine when it comes to the protein. This includes a lot of oily fish like tuna and anchovies. Pork and chicken come a distant second to seafood followed by beef which is not usually eaten. Vegetables, olive oil and legumes such as lentils, chickpeas and beans form other key building blocks of this cuisine.

The supermarkets are filled with a higher proportion of fundamental foods which form the building blocks for cooking a meal instead of pre-prepared, processed foods or meal shortcuts. This makes the Spanish diet very healthy.

Eating out is mainly about tapas. It’s about having a small plate to nibble on with a small drink. It is less about filling up with large meal than about connecting with friends and family. This too is very healthy as plenty of research shows that having meaningful connections in life is a key to a happy and healthy life.

The famous soup of Andalusia is the Salmorejo. This can be considered a cousin to the famous Spanish Gazpacho. Salmorejo is a cold, tomato based soup which also incudes bread and olive oil. Bread is not used as an ingredient in Gazpacho. Salmorejo has the same refreshing, cooling, tanginess similar to Gazpacho but is made creamier and more filling with the bread blended through. It’s a smart way to use up leftover bread. Ancestors of this soup can be traced back to the Roman Empire where a tomato-free version of this soup existed. The tomato was a much later addition once they were introduced to Spain.

Salmorejo – a traditional Andalusian tomato based soup which is eaten cold. This is very similar to Gazpacho except for the addition of bread. The addition of bread is smart, frugal cooking as it utilizes stale bread and bulks up the soup to make it more filling. These cartons are readily available in the supermarket and contains no weird ingredients so it is very healthy.

Another classic on the Iberian peninsula are the legs of ‘jamon’ or ham. In many restaurants, specialist shops and even in the local Aldi, there are legs of ham strung up. These vary in price but are usually quite expensive. They are delicately sliced into the thinnest layers and arranged carefully into plates for tapas or to be sold in smaller portions.

Jamon Iberico
Spinach and Chickpeas (Espinacas con Garbanzos) – a traditional dish from Seville. A healthy Mediterranean dish. (The other dish in the picture is a hearty Andalucian Lentil Stew).
Fried Anchovies – healthy, oily fish.
Paella and Salmorejo
Cocido Andaluz – a quintessential Spanish stew consisting of chickpeas, potatoes, morcilla sausage, ham. It’s a classic peasant dish using scraps of meat to flavour a soup which is bulked up with whatever is cheaply available e.g. potatoes and chickpeas.
Eggplant with Honey (Berenjenas con Miel) a classic Cordaban dish. Seems a little strange but actually works well and is very tasty. The honey used is traditionally Miel de Cana which is sugar cane honey. It is closer to molasses than honey from bees.
Oxtail Stew (Rabo de Toro) is a Cordoban dish – Made from the tail parts of the dead bull that was distributed after the bull fights. This was initially a poor person’s dish but turned into a rich person’s dish when it was realized that when this undesirable cut is braised for a long time, the meat becomes tender and the sauce velvety.
Churros being fried in oil – deep fried dough has a place in almost every cuisine in the world. Cheap ingredients, elevated by deep frying makes for a delicious, cheap snack!
Churros Con Chocolate
Mercado Central de Atarazanas
Mercado Central de Atarazanas
Mercado Central de Atarazanas – bacalao or salted cod is a common ingredient. Historically, cod was salted to preserve it for long ship journeys. This food has a long history that involves the slave trade.
Mercado Central de Atarazanas – various types of seafood dominates Andalusian cuisine.

Christmas in the United Kingdom

Christmas 2022 on Piccadilly Circus

Often when one speaks to a person from the UK who has been transplanted to another country, they will reminisce about how nice Christmas is “back home”. When asked why, the best they can articulate is that Christmas is a bright spot in a dark winter. This sounds utterly depressing coming from many sunny, summer Aussie Christmases. I was therefore keen to see what the fuss is about!

Christmas in the UK is like Christmas on steroids! There are a LOT of decorations and lights up. All the main shopping streets and fancy shops like Harrods, Fortnum and Masons and Selfridges compete with their Christmas light and window displays. These draw the crowds. Walking around in the evening in prime locations whether on the streets or in these major shops is a desperately slow affair as you have to constantly negotiate the throngs of people. The window displays in particular are really special, interesting and well thought out. Lots of restaurants and businesses will decorate both the interior as well as the exterior, usually with an arch of foliage, flowers and decorations over the entrance. It is all a lot of effort!

There are many Christmas markets dotted around London in the Christmas period. Some of the smaller markets will have crafty, small business type stalls whilst the big Christmas markets e.g. London Bridge, Leicester Square etc. will have what looks to be franchised type stalls selling the same commercialized items at every market e.g. Christmas baubles. In every Christmas markets, you can be assured to get mulled wine, churros, bratwurst in a bun, hot chocolate and the other usual suspects. So although the markets are pretty and well decorated, they can get a little repetitive if they are selling the same kinds of over-commercialized junky things. It was all still a sight to see and added a lot to the festive feel around town.

It seems like many households decorate a real tree. Real Christmas trees (instead of plastic trees) are sold in lots of places and it was not uncommon throughout December to see someone lugging home a huge tree on their backs.

Onwards to the highlight of Christmas, the main Christmas meal! For most families, the usual suspects will be on the table. Roast gammon or ham, roast turkey or chicken, brussel sprouts, roasted potatoes, “snips” (parsnips), swedes, carrots, bread sauce and gravy. A nut roast is a delicious addition to reduce meat consumption. Most of the vegetables will be coated in duck fat for extra deliciousness! The UK classic of “Pigs in Blanket” will also be lurking about during Christmas time. These are tiny sausages wrapped in streaky bacon and are delicious. The Scottish refer to these as “Kilted Soldiers”. A variation is “Devils on Horseback” which are prunes wrapped in streaky bacon. Also very fatty, salty, sweet and delicious! For dessert, the Christmas pudding is brought out after being doused with alcohol and set alight. It is usually served with brandy butter, a strange whipped “sauce” of butter, icing sugar and brandy.

Strangely, the famous UK roast accompaniment of Yorkshire Puddings are not part of the Christmas meal despite the meal being very roast-like.

Following somewhat in the Christmas theme is mention kindness. In our time in the UK, we have found everyone to be warm, welcoming and kind. Worthy of mention are the medical staff working for the NHS. There are constant reports of the system being in disarray and staff being overworked and burnt out. In my experience, whilst the systems and processes could be improved, every single individual I dealt with within the system was kind, professional, competent and did their best for me. This covers doctors, nurses and general staff.

The Royal London Hospital is a maze and as I was negotiating the various turns and signage to get some blood tests done, the signs stopped. I stopped too, looking around confused, clutching my blood test request stickers. I didn’t even have to ask when a kindly staff member just told me where I needed to go as if he read my mind. I wonder how many times he has done that and they really need an extra sign in that spot! Unfortunately, the blood test signage led you straight into the area where the samples are being taken without directing you first to the required sign-in station. The nurse there re-directed me to the sign-in area. I suspect she has to give the same redirection to almost every new patient. Despite how annoying that must be, she was patient as it was quite a complicated route to find the sign-in area. At the sign-in area, there was someone to assist people with the sign-in touch screen and various directions. Her job must be incredibly repetitive but nevertheless, she did it with patience and good cheer. Potentially, there could be some small improvement in the signage but to be honest, considering how maze-like the place is, confused people are unavoidable.

This is not saying that the system is perfect because it is far from perfect. For example, the wait for medications at the hospital pharmacy was at least an hour. Waiting was not an issue for some but I felt for the mother of the young disabled toddler. An hour was just too long to wait. They would return the next day for their medications but with a disabled toddler in tow, this was no small ask. However, considering the sheer volume of people that they service, I suspect that the pharmacists behind the counter rarely get moment to sit or eat during their shift. The NHS has it’s problems but despite all the many frustrations that these problems cause, the individuals working within the system still work everyday maintaining, as best they can, a good level of service, kindness and professionalism. It is to be applauded.

For those wishing for a white Christmas in London this year, it was not to be. The snow came a week or so before Christmas. It was quite a lot of snow and it lasted for a few days. It was really rare and magical! You can hardly believe these photos are of London!

Snow in London
Snow in London
Snow in London
Snow in London

Hope that you and your loved ones have enjoyed a lovely Christmas and 2023 is good year for all.

Tower Bridge on a beautiful day
Somewhere in Wapping
Near Portobello Road Markets
Taxidermy Squirrel – The Thinker
Brazen squirrel at Holland Park. They must be used to being fed!

Yotam Ottolenghi & Noor Murad: An Extra Good Night – A Review

A QR code was provided to allow audience interaction

I love to eat and I love food so when an opportunity arose to see one of the world’s most famous celebrity chefs speak at the Royal Festival Hall in the Southbank Centre, London, it was too good to pass up. The location itself right on the Thames is wonderful. Exiting Embankment Tube Station and seeing the Southbank Centre on the opposite bank and the dome of St Paul’s cathedral lit up in the night is exquisite!

The big question is, can a 2 hour show talking about food, without any prospect of eating any food, be engaging and entertaining . The theatre was about 90% full and there were plenty of groups of friends, mostly groups of ladies who had come together.. They were armed for the show with their wines (in plastic cups for safety). Judging by their chatter and laughter in the bathroom after the show, they had a great time and were very jolly from the drinks!

I was seated very far back so despite the promise of some test kitchen action, I could tell I was much too far back to get even one molecule of delicious food aroma. The only “cooking” done in the test kitchen was really just the addition of some condiments, oils and sauces to some pre-cooked eggplant.

Yotam Ottolenghi is a really well known chef of Middle Eastern Heritage who has released several books and has a number of restaurants throughout London. This Middle Eastern heritage permeates through his vegetable heavy recipes. His recipes are delicious but somewhat complicated and time consuming for the weeknight cook. He is married to a man from Northern Ireland, Karl, but despite this, he is an absolute favourite amongst the ladies. Noor Murad is a chef from Bahrain and heads up Ottolenghi’s Test Kitchen.

Together, they led us through this evening. First, they discussed the various chapters of their new book, Extra Good Things. The concept of the book is about having flavoured oils, condiments, crunchy additions, sauces, etc. to add that something special to your dish. These “extra good things” can be made, kept and used to jazz up other dishes in the coming days, thereby adding flavour with no extra work. There was some audience interaction during the show with the use of a QR code and some audience voting. They also added some condiments to basic cooked eggplant to show how adding condiments can elevate a simple dish. This added a lot of levity because one of the audience members who got to try the dish was an absolute die-hard fan. She told Ottolenghi that she had written many love letters to him and he had changed her life. At the end, she went in for a number of hugs. It was awkward and very funny.

What food inspiration did I gain from the night?

  • To Ottolenghify a dish is to add a twist to a basic dish e.g. by adding more seeds, salsa, feta, herbs, flavoured oils, lemon etc.
  • Shanklish are balls of strained yoghurt, like labneh, with flavourings stirred through and then left at room temperature for about 5 days to develop a blue cheese funk. (I’m not convinced on this one!)
  • Green Tahini – a blend of parsley, lemon juice, tahini and garlic. Sounds yum!
  • Tomato sauce with cumin, chilli and cinnamon to make an eggplant parmigiana pie with a kataifi topping.
  • Dukkah to add crunch such as on baked root vagetables with harissa chickpeas.
  • Crispy garlic for the flavoured oil and the texture of the fried garlic.
  • Rocket pesto – for a dish of pasta and beans with a shower of grated haloumi over the top. Haloumi as the new parmesan!
  • Caramel clementine dressing with the blackened chicken. The clementines adding the freshness to the rich dish. (The quality and sweetness of the clementines or mandarins you can get in the UK is extraordinary so I can believe that this would be a heavenly dish!)
  • Zaatar tomatoes which have been confit in balsamic vinegar and spooned over polenta.
  • Smoky chipotle oil made with smoked praprika, chipotle flakes and galic
  • Jammy peppers, slow cooked with onions.
  • Celebration rice – rice with lamb, chicken, herbs, nuts, pomegranate seeds.
  • Meringue roulade made with brown sugar for extra chewiness and filled with caramelised apples flavoured with vanilla and bayleaf.

It turns out that one of Ottolenghi’s favourite cuisines is Malaysian cuisine. He said that one of his dessert island dishes is Nasi Lemak, coconut rice with all kinds of toppings. (I didn’t realise that one could choose more than one dessert island food. Seems like cheating!) His favourite store bought biscuit is a milk chocolate digestive. He was silent for ages before answering this audience question. I suspect it has been a very long time since Ottolenghi has sampled a store bought biscuit!

The evening was very amusing at times because there would be a lot of detailed discussion about a particular dish or perhaps a photo on the big screen. Sometimes, the audience would let out a audible moan that vocalised their of longing and desire for the food, their frustration at being unable to eat it at that very moment and their admiration at the concept.

Yotam Ottolenghi was asked what he was serving on Christmas day. It turns out Christmas is the one day he is not allow to Ottolenghify the food as his Irish husband wants a traditional Christmas of his youth. Poor Ottolenghi has to make it through the Christmas meal with his homemade chilli sauce to add some spice to his plate. He seemed very anti-gravy. He said it was a sin to cover up all your good work on the plate with gravy.

It was a fun night. It’s always interesting to see how food is such a reflection of a person’s heritage, memories and life experiences. I enjoyed being in the Royal Festival Hall and I love any talk about good food. It does pale to the eating of food though. Does it make me want to try some Ottolenghi recipes? Maybe. I still do think they are overcomplicated but I will definitely take aspects of them for inspiration.

Yotam Ottolenghi & Noor Murad: An Extra Good Night at the Royal Festival Hall
Southbank Centre – Lit up for Christmas. A terrible photo but you get the idea!

Eating Cheaply while Traveling Through Europe

Travelling through Europe is an expensive affair. The accommodation costs, the transportation costs, costs to see various sights and then on top of all that, you have to eat as well! Food offers a window to understanding a place and the people so whilst it is good to save money, it should be balanced with trying to experience the local cuisine. Here are some tips on how to eat cheaply in Europe.

Get off the main tourist strip – Rule number 1 to reduce the cost is to steer clear of the main tourist areas. If a shop or restaurant appears to be catering predominantly to tourists, there is a good chance the food will be subpar and pricey. Look for places where working class or local families might eat in districts where the local people live and work.

Look for marked down items in the supermarket – This hardly warranted a separate point except that we were in Carrefour in France and spotted some marked-down beignets with a chocolate filling. These were so divine and memorable, they had to get mention. These tasted amazing despite the fact they were marked-down in price. I assume they were not fresh. They tasted fresh to me which makes me wonder how heavenly, freshly made, warm beignets would be.

Germany is a great place for cheap food – Due to the number of Turkish migrants, the Turkish food in Germany is outstanding. It’s fresh, good quality and of a very high standard. We were in a touristy square in a German city and bought a falafel wrap from a street food van. This was expected to be average because buying food from a touristy location usually results in bad food. On the contrary, the dough was pulled and shaped right then and baked in a wood fired oven to make the wrap! The fillings were tasty and fresh. I had never seen wraps being made fresh before but it is not uncommon in Germany.

Lahmacun – There is argument as to whether this bread with spiced mince dish is Turkish or Armenian? This type of argument is common for lots of traditional foods as food does not respect the coutry’s border. Who cares? It’s delicious!

Breads dominates German cuisine. Their breads are usually dense, dark and filling. Sandwiches, baguettes and rolls made of these types of breads are found everywhere e.g. train stations and they make for a healthy and filling meal at low cost. Another favourite from the bakery is their freshly baked pretzels. They seem plain but are delicious, not too unhealthy and relatively cheap.

German Bread

Try to eat healthily – The strong temptation on holiday is to indulge all the time. If you are on a short holiday, that’s OK. If you are on a longer trip, it’s best to eat in a more balanced way whenever possible.

A restaurant is not your only option – Restaurants in Germany expect you to purchase a paid drink when you sit to eat. Restaurants in Italy will charge you a cover charge (coperto) and sometimes a tourist surcharge (maggiorazione) of up to 15%. Both will not give you free tap water. On top of this, there will be an expectation that you tip. With all these costs adding up, it’s important to remember that a restaurant is not the only option to get some food. Takeaway places e.g. kebab shops are much more reasonably priced and there are healthy and filling options. Similarly, you can go to a hole in the wall place or a street food stall / van. Markets often have food options and of course, you can always go to the supermarket. It’s often nice to pick up a few things and head to a park or local square to eat and watch the world go by.

Crepes being made in Antibes. These were delicious!
Riebekuchen, German fried potato pancakes from a hole in the wall place in Cologne. These were delicious. Served traditionally with apple sauce. Also with chilli, herb or garlic sauce. It’s hard to go wrong with fried potato!
Belgium Frites from a takeout friterie.
Fischbrötchen in Hamburg -unlike other German cities, Hamburg is closer to the ocean hence the local cuisine incorporates more seafood. A Fischbrötchen comes in all kinds of versions, this is a fried fish version. The more traditional version is with pickled herring. Purchased from a takeaway bakery type shop at the train station.

Use the local supermarket – If you have a choice, choose a larger supermarket vs a small one. It is likely to be cheaper. We ate many supermarket meals when travelling Europe. For less than price of 1 course for 2 people in a restaurant, we could easily buy 3 courses and some fruit in a supermarket for 2.

Perusing the local supermarket gives an insight to what the local population eat. For example, French people don’t eat instant noodles for there were none to be found. The cheese section in a French supermarket is humongous. In the German supermarkets there were a lot of mayonaise-heavy salads and spreads in toothpaste like containers. These were all for bread!

Eating from the supermarket is not necessarily substandard from eating at a restaurant. We found, especially in France, the quality at the supermarket was extremely high. The fresh produce was beautiful and flavoursome and even the microwave meals were truly delicious! Unfortunately, this could not be said for Germany. Strangely, the savoury food from the supermarket was all very salty. I suspect the expectation is that the food would be accompanied by bread which would balance out the salt.

A hot weather favourite of ours are yoghurt drinks. These are not common in Australia but widely available in Europe. They are tangy and refreshing on a hot day and more filling than just juice or water.

Gazpacho was a firm favourite in Spain. This great brand was in every supermarket in the refrigerated section. It’s a cold soup which is savoury and super refreshing on a hot day.
Gazpacho – with no artificial ingredients!
French Frozen Meal – this may have been a mere frozen meal from a supermarket but this was the most delicious risotto I have ever tasted!
German Supermarket Dinner
A quick supermarket dinner – cherry tomatoes, gazpacho in a carton, French baguette, cheese and 2 oranges (not pictured)
Plum Tart from a Local Market

Fill up if it’s free – Nothing is actually free but if your accommodation comes with breakfast included, make sure you eat lots!

Look for Lunch Time Menu Deals – These might be called Menu Del Dia or Menu Du Jour or Formule. These are usually multiple courses and can include a drink. These deals are only available at lunch time, so when travelling, make lunch your restaurant treat meal and do a supermarket dinner to save money.

If you see Plat Du Jour (plate of the day), this is often a good deal too.

Formule Meals in France – much better value
Moules Mariniere in Antibes,18 euros for mussels, dessert and a glass of wine.

Another memorable lunch menu meal was partaken in Bilbao. It was entree, mains, dessert and a whole bottle of wine per person for about 16 euros! It was also an interesting insight into Basque cuisine. The Basque are a separate ethnic group that live in parts of France and Spain. They speak their own language and have their own cuisine. I had Mimitako, a tuna peasant stew that they ate on fishing boats and red fish with garlic oil. I like the use of potatoes in the Mimitako. Real food for working class people always had carbohydrates because they are a cheap and filling way to stretch a meal.

Basque Tuna and Potato Stew (Mamitako) – a fish dish eaten on tuna fishing boats.
Red Fish with Garlic Oil – this dish speaks to me of priorities. Here at this restaurant, the fish is cooked splayed open and drizzled with a salt, oil and browned garlic. It doesn’t look attractive on the plate. The fish is bony and hard to eat in polite company. This is not what matters. The meat on this fish was sweet, tender and beautifully cooked. The simple garlic oil elevated this dish without overwhelming the mild fish. This was foremost about taste and not looks. I like a restaurant brave enough to do that!

Restaurant Selection Impacts the Price – If you go to a fancy steak or seafood place, your price per head will be inevitably high. Choose a more modest place, for example a place specializing in French galettes, a cute brunch cafe or humble “mom and pop” eatery for a more reasonable price. Asian and Ethnic food places can also work out cheaper.

French Buckwheat Galettes – seafood/cream/leeks/cheese and chicken/camembert/cream

The UK Supermarket Meal Deal – British people eat a lot of sandwiches. Almost every supermarket change has some version of the meal deal where you get a sandwich/baguette/wrap, a snack and a drink for between 4 to 6 pounds. It’s very good value. There is an astounding variety of sandwiches, most of which cannot be found on the supermarket shelves in any other country. Some examples include coronation chicken, egg and cress, cheese and pickle and ploughmans. For a snack you can even get a Scotch Egg which is a hard boiled egg, coated in sausage meat and a crispy bread crumb. A Scotch Egg is very British!

UK Meal Deal – coconut water, scotch egg and a coronation chicken sandwich. A scotch egg is a UK delicacy of a hard boiled egg wrapped with sausage meat and breadcrumbs. Coronation chicken is a classic UK sandwich filling where chicken is mixed with curry flavour mayonaise, raisin and apricots. (It’s tasty enough but a little weird!)

Get a Restaurant Discount – When in Europe, you can use websites like TheFork to book restaurants at a discount. With discounts up to 50% off, this works out to be very good value! In London, you can even eat at a reduced price at brand new restaurants when they are doing their soft launch. This is a testing phase where the new restaurants are ironing out their issues. You can find these new restaurants offering discounts on the Soft Launch website.

In Toulouse, the local specialty is cassoulet, a peasant sausage and bean dish. We managed to found a restaurant specializing in cassoulet with a 50% discount on TheFork. What a great deal! We also had a delicious duck breast dish with an extraordinary pepper sauce at the same restaurant.

Cassoulet – a traditional peasant dish from Southern France consisting of slow cooked beans, sausage, pork and fat. A must-eat in Toulouse. This dish makes a lot of sense. It makes hearty warming fare after a cold winter’s day of working in the field. The meat and sausage flavours the dish which is stretched to feed many with the addition of beans which are cheap but add a creamy starchiness.
Duck Breast, Frites and Pepper Sauce – French cuisine is often lauded as the best in the world. I’m not sure I agree except when it comes to sauces. French sauces are just a triumph. They are so tasty that not a single molecule can be allowed to go to waste!

Not all supermarkets are the same – Supermarkets are aimed at various parts of the demographic and can therefore be at different price points. If you shop at Waitrose or M&S in the UK vs Lidl, Aldi or Iceland, you will have a much high bill. Our favorite and consistently the cheapest is Aldi. It’s nice that it’s always good value but another selling point is that it has only one product of any type of thing in the store. For example, if you want a can of chick peas, there will only be one brand to choose from. Multiply this for all the different types of products in the store and you have an experience where you can do your shopping with a lot less decision fatigue. You spend less time comparing prices on the same item across different brands.

Aldi was actually started by two brothers. They did very well together up to the point they had 300 stores. Then they had an argument about whether cigarettes should be sold in the store. They could not reach an agreement so they split Germany down the centre into Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud and operated their own stores each. As they expanded internationally, the world was also split into Aldi Nord (north) and Aldi Sud (south). Instead of letting an argument break down the family business, these brothers just split up the world and got on with it.

In Slovenia and in Austria, Aldi took over a popular chain of supermarkets called Hofer. Due to strong brand recognition, it was decided to leave the name as Hofer.

Whilst it is important to watch the pennies when travelling, be careful that it doesn’t take away from the joy of having new experiences and trying new cuisines. Enjoy your travels and eat good food!! Good food is a joy!

German Sausage and Potato Salad

If you are the type of person who finds eating too time consuming and you consider food only to be fuel for your body, consider these liquid food substitutes. These are definitely not for me because if food has to be labeled “This is Food”, I’m not really sure it is.

Food replacement

Nuremberg – A Pretty Place Despite the Dark History

Nuremberg

Nuremberg today struggles to be seen for more than it’s past of the Nazi rallies and the Nuremberg trials. Nevertheless, a visit to Nuremberg would be remiss without a visit to these sites. The visit to the Nuremberg Trials Museum was very sad. The video evidence presented at the trials is damning, disgusting and deeply disturbing. The saddest thing is that it wasn’t the first time, and it hasn’t been the last time for genocide and mass cruelty to take place. We humans, don’t learn.

On a brighter note, the famous local specialty in Nuremberg are it’s teeny, tiny sausages flavoured with marjoram and other spices. To be called a Nuremberg sausage, it must use the same recipe that has been handed down from the 1300s, be made locally in Nuremberg and be no longer than 9cm. Supposedly, the sausage was made so small so that tavern owners could continue selling food even during closed hours by passing these through the key hole. Another story was about how prisoners in the dungeons could be fed by passing these sausages through small holes in the wall. These are served in many of the restaurants in Nuremberg or on the street where you can ask for them served “Drei im Weggla” , three in a bun. We had ours in a crusty bun with mustard and sauerkraut.

Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Knight slaying dragon
Knight slaying dragon
Nuremberg
St Lawrence holding a grill. St Lawrence is the patron saint of cooks and more specifically grilling. This is because he was roasted to death upon a grill himself. Someone has a sick sense of humour!
The Beautiful Fountain (Schöner Brunnen)
Imperial Castle of Nuremberg (Kaiserburg NĂĽrnberg)
Imperial Castle of Nuremberg (Kaiserburg NĂĽrnberg)
Nuremberg
Nuremberg City Wall
Ship of Fools Sculpture
GroĂźe StraĂźe – This long square was almost 2 kilometres long and 40 metres wide. It was intended to be a parade road for the Wehrmacht and the central axis of the Nazi Party Rally Grounds
Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds
Zeppelinfeld – Monolithic grandstand by Albert Speer, formerly the site of the infamous Nuremburg rallies.
Nuremberg Trials Museum
Ehekarussell (Hans Sachs-Brunnen – Ehekarussell) – Controversial fountain with ring of statues portraying Hans Sachs’ poem ‘Bitter-sweet Married Life’. Yes, that is sculpture of one skeletal spouse choking to death the other spouse, all on a giant striped iguana!

Slovenian Food Tour

RiÄŤet, vegetarian barley soup/stew with bread – the soup was really deliciously full flavoured despite the lack of meat.

What do you know about the food in Slovenia? Exactly! Unlike Italian, French, Chinese or Thai food, we are just not familiar with anything to do with Slovenian food! I decided to try to rectify the situation by choosing more local food and doing a food tour.

Chicken Dumplings – These tasted like chicken sausage balls. Tasty but hardly gourmet!

The tour guide of the food tour is school teacher by profession and she talked to us non-stop, filling us up with facts about Slovenia, Slovenes and their food. It turns out, Slovenians love something “on the spoon” like soups and stews. They must always have bread in the house or there will be panic! In the past, they were quite isolated so their traditional food comes from creativity and ingenuity using locally available ingredients.

Sunday lunchtime is strictly reserved for family lunch. Traditionally, the menu for Sunday lunch will be a fixed menu, an “iron” menu which is the same every week. Amongst other set traditional dishes will be beef and noodle soup! Turns out beef and noodle soup is also on the “iron” menu for all birthdays, weddings and Christmas. Be prepared to be “tut-tutted” by your senior relatives if you deviate from the traditional menu items!

It is an offense to the host if you leave food behind. It somehow implies that the food that you have been provided is no good.

Slovenia produces some nice wine. The tour guide explained the various wine regions of Slovenia by comparing the shape of the country to a chicken. Then she could explain the various regions by talking about the chicken head or the chicken butt! Unfortunately as the country is quite small and hilly, there can only ever be low volumes of wine produced as farmers just cannot cultivate the large acreages possible in other countries.

Antipasto Platter – with pig fat, various cold meats, local pate, pumpkin seed oil and mayonnaise dip, gherkins and figs. Served with homemade bread and rose wine. The dark green, pumpkin seed oil is much treasured in Slovenia. The flesh of the pumpkin itself is just an unfortunate, almost unwanted, side product of the seeds required for the oil.
Orecchiette with cherry tomatoes, polenta blocks to be eaten with a hearty and thick Istrian seafood Brodet stew/soup (yum!) and homemade Istrian Fuzi pasta with truffles (heavenly!). So nice to have fresh, homemade pasta with some bite to it!
Dishes from Tabar – tomato/melon dish and a dish with Adriatic sardines and crispy cracker topping with lime and wild onion mayonnaise. These are examples of how cuisine in Slovenia can be adapted to fine dining style dishes.
Carniolan Sausage, Horseradish and Mustard – salty and strong tasting

There was a dessert but unfortunately it was eaten too quickly to be photographed.
Buckwheat and walnut štrukli (rolled dumplings) with a salty, butter breadcrumb (?) topping. Interesting slightly sweet and salty combination!

Venison goulash and beef with noodle soup – the “noodles” are really thin slices of eggy crepe pancake. The beef soup was really light and the idea of bulking it up with the pancake “noodles” is a great idea to make a soup stretch with relatively cheap ingredients!
Bled Cream Cake (kremšnita) is a famous specialty of Bled. It is basically a slightly more upmarket Aussie vanilla slice.

Tips for a Backpacker Roadtripping Australia

Travelling in a new country is exciting but sometimes, the mundane stuff of life can be frustrating. This post is for a person new to Australia and specifically targeted for someone who wants to travel around Australia by road. This is all the boring information to keep you safe and help you save money so you can get on with the fun stuff.

The blog will be split into two sections; safety tips and cost saving tips. For costs, frugal tips will be provided for all the major expenses for road-tripping Australia i.e. fuel, accommodation, food, sightseeing, gear etc.

SAFETY TIPS

  • Australia is a big country. Don’t underestimate the distances! Stay awake and alert when you drive. Pull over for a rest if you have to. Fatigue can cause accidents and a high speed accidents can easily by fatal.
  • When travelling in remote areas, understand the capacity of your fuel tank and know where you can buy fuel next.
  • Always have water in your vehicle and take water with you on remote walks.
  • If you breakdown, stay with your vehicles instead of walking off to find help. Many tourists have died walking off to look for help. You are easier to find by your vehicle.
  • The sun is strong in Australia. Slip, Slop, Slap i.e. Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a broad brim hat.
  • Listen to the locals and obey signage when it comes to animals such as crocodiles and jellyfish. Yes, you may be hot and desperate for a swim but there is a reason why no one else is in the water!
  • Snakes are usually more scared of you than you are of them. As you tramp through the bush, they will hear your noisy approach and slither off.
  • There are some venomous spiders. Just use your common sense and take reasonable care and you’ll be fine.
  • DO NOT drive at dawn and dusk. This is when many animals are more active. You are at a MUCH greater risk of driving into a kangaroo or even a cow. If you have to drive at that time, lower your speed and watch carefully. These animals can behave unpredictably and you will have less warning than you think.

MONEY SAVING TIPS

FUEL

Fuel is a big expense on a road trip especially considering the distances involved in traveling around Australia. Always look for the cheapest fuel along your route. If you deviate a great distance from your route for cheap fuel, it could be a false economy.

You may only save a few dollars each time but the savings accumulate. These websites are useful for finding the cheapest fuel. Most states and territories have accurate fuel prices information provided by the government except for Victoria and Tasmania. The information in Petrolspy in Victoria and Tasmania is crowdsourced so can be inaccurate especially for remote or small fuel stations.

Other tips for saving fuel include

  • When planning your trip, do your research and plan an optimised route so you don’t double back to see something you have missed. Minimising the number of kilometres you drive, saves fuel and saves wear and tear on your vehicle, thereby reducing maintenance costs and increasing vehicle re-sale value.
  • Take advantage of supermarket fuel discounts. Coles provides a 4c/L discount when you spend more than $30 in their store. The voucher is on the bottom of your paper receipt. Woolworths does similar but their vouchers are automatically stored on your Woolworths Rewards Card. These discounts only apply in affiliated fuel stations (which despite the discount, still may not be the cheapest!)
  • G’day park membership gives 4c/L off at Coles Express fuel stations.
  • Drive slower. The sweet spot for fuel economy is about 80km/hr.
  • Do not speed. Speed radar cameras are used because they are a good revenue earner for the government. Even just 2km/hr over the limit can get you caught and the fines are often steep and you will also get demerit points. Penalties are even harsher on public holiday long weekends to minimise road deaths.

ACCOMODATION

These accommodation tips assume that you will be camping. If you will be staying in hotel type accommodation, the advice is to shop around. For camping,

  • Download the Wikicamps app. There is a tiny fee but it will pay back many times over. This app will tell you where you can camp including places you can camp for free. For each place, it will tell what amenities are available e.g. toilets, showers etc. This app is absolutely essential for road-tripping Australia. An inferior free alternative is Campermate.
  • Free camp – There are plenty of areas set-up where you can rest overnight or free camp. Some of these will include drop toilets and/or picnic tables. Use Wikicamps to find these or there will road-signs that pre-empt the turn-off to a rest area.
  • The two big caravan park chains in Australia are Big4 and G’day parks. Big4 charges consistently more per night but tends to be newer and nicer. Both offer a quality and consistent product. For $50, you can purchase a 2 year membership which will get you a 10% discount for each night stayed and other perks. For value for money and a greater number of locations around Australia, I recommend a G’day park membership. They also often sell their membership at a reduced price of $35. G’day park membership also comes with a fuel discount at all Coles Express fuel stations.
  • Plan ahead around busy periods e.g. school holidays. Things get crazy around school holiday times in popular holiday destinations. The price for accommodation goes through the roof and that’s if you can get something! We were quoted $110 a night for an unpowered campsite on the Great Ocean Road on Easter weekend! In Kalbarri, there was absolutely nothing to be had during the school holidays as a recent cyclone had damaged a lot of the pre-existing holiday accommodation.

FOOD

To save on food in Australia, it is almost always, especially in remote areas, cheaper to cook yourself rather than eat out. If you are in the big cities, there are discounts to be had eating out. These are documented in this blog post.

  • Coles and Woolworths are the two nation-wide large supermarket chains. You will find these in all but the smallest towns.
  • If you are in a big city, it will be cheaper to shop at Aldi
  • If you are heading to remote areas, stock up so you don’t have to shop at tiny, small town supermarkets at a premium price.
  • Supermarkets often mark down items close to their expiry date. Take advantage of these if you can. I find Coles is better for these types of discounts.
  • Shop at markets and food court stalls near closing time. Often, they are trying to move their stock to avoid waste and will discount heavily.
  • Don’t waste your money on buying water. The water out of the tap in Australia (unless marked otherwise) is potable and can be drunk as is without any further treatment e.g. boiling. Drink tap water!
  • Join the Woolworths Reward card program and Flybuys for Coles. As you shop, you can accumulate points for additional discounts.

GEAR

When travelling around the country, you are likely to need some stuff e.g. camping stove, clothes, shoes, sleeping bags, pots and pans etc. Here are some places you could look for this stuff. This list is ordered from least expensive to the most. My suggestion is to look online (if you can) to confirm they have what you want at a decent price before heading to the store.

  1. Check on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree – secondhand stuff can often be much better quality than you would have purchased new and it’s better for the environment.
  2. Thrift shops e.g. Vinnies, Salvation Army, Good Sammy – a great choice for secondhand clothing and kitchenware.
  3. Bunnings – this is a nation-wide chain of hardware stores selling hardware, plants and other household items. Here you can buy 20L water containers, butane cannisters, folding chairs, camping stoves for a reasonable price.
  4. Kmart, BigW, Target – these stores are nation-wide chains selling clothes, kitchenware, bedding and homewares. If you are looking for casual clothing, bedding or camping gear, check here before heading to more specialist stores. It may not be high end fancy but it will be a decent quality and functional.
  5. Decathlon – This shop sells outdoor and sporting goods at an excellent price point. Unfortunately, there are only stores in NSW and Victoria so it is not widely available.
  6. 4WD Supacentre – this store specialises in camping accessories and outdoor gear with a focus on road-tripping. Their prices are good and they often have specials. You can also order stuff online.
  7. BCF and Anaconda – Do you research and pounce when they go on sale!
  8. For completeness, I will finish this list with the high end outdoor shops but DO NOT shop here if you are a budget backpacker e.g. North Face, Macpac, Paddy Pallin, Kathmandu.

BUYING AND MAINTAINING A VEHICLE

The most useful resources in Australia when buying a vehicle are;

  • Carsales.com.au
  • Facebook Marketplace
  • Gumtree
  • Facebook groups – there are Facebook groups selling all kinds of vehicles e.g. Vans for Sale NSW, Australia Car Market / Campervans for Backpacker / Traveler etc.

When buying a vehicle, always do your research to understand all the costs and requirements which can vary from state to state. Registration costs can vary depending on state and each state has different requirements in regards to the requirement for vehicle inspections. Understand how much stamp duty will cost.

When buying stuff for your car e.g. engine oil, coolant etc., these are the nation wide stores that sell vehicle stuff in order of cheapest to most expensive. Remember always to check online and compare prices.

  1. SupercheapAuto
  2. AutoBarn
  3. Repco

For vehicle servicing;

  • Try to plan your vehicle servicing for when you are in more populated cities. These are likely to have more mechanics and therefore more price competition. Shop around for the best price.
  • Some mechanics may allow you supply your own engine oil. You can then buy your engine oil on sale and pay only for labour. Call and confirm with the mechanic as not everyone will allow this. Make sure you know what oil to get because it will be your fault if you get it wrong!
  • Some nation-wide franchised mechanic chains offer a warranty where they will rectify issues caused by their service at their other branches. Some of these chains will even include a roadside assistance service as a perk of getting a service with them. Some nation-wide mechanic chains include; Ultratune, MyCar, RepcoService etc. Do your research as to which one of these provide these types of warranty.

In regards to vehicle insurance, always shop around as the price can vary significantly.

SIGHTSEEING

Visiting local parks and botanic gardens are free. These are often well planted with an interesting and diverse range of plants and may be adjacent to picturesque lakes and rivers. They often include additional amenities such as picnic tables, public toilets and sometimes BBQs.

Exploring a town or city is also free unless you join a paid tour. With all the information available on the internet and easily accessible on your phone, it’s easy to learn more about any location. Explore the main street of a small town or drive/cycle along the waterfront roads to gawk at the fancy, expensive houses! Most towns or cities that are built by the water, whether it is a river or the ocean will often have a nicely built waterfront area perfect for a lovely, scenic stroll.

Beaches are free and freely accessible in Australia, in contrast to the paid private beaches e.g. in Europe or areas where private property is built in a way that blocks free public access to the beach e.g. Asia or Europe.

There are many free lookout points in Australia and access to national parks is relatively cheap when considering that the rangers have the never-ending battle keeping out invasive plant species and feral animals, ensuring the walking trails are safe and maintaining toilets and other amenities. National parks are areas of stunning, untouched natural beauty. 

MOBILE DATA

Shop around when looking for a phone plan as prices vary greatly. We were with Circles.Life with 100GB plans at $30.

Telstra is the mobile network that has better coverage in remote areas but they can be very expensive. Optus was OK. We had coverage in most populated areas and even in some surprise locations e.g. the campground at Karijini National Park. In a 2WD vehicle, we knew that even if we broke down somewhere without phone coverage, another vehicle would come along soon enough who could provide assistance.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Toll roads exist in some major capital cities. Either set your GPS to avoid them completely or do your research on the cost and how to set-up for payment.
  • There is a minimum wage in Australia therefore, tipping is not the cultural norm.
  • When you can, zig when other people are zagging. Try to predict what the masses will be doing and consider if doing the opposite could get your better price e.g. if everyone is heading out of the city for Easter weekend, maybe there is cheap city deal you can take advantage of.
  • Don’t throw useful stuff away, sell it on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree.

Hope this helps you stay safe and save some money. Enjoy your journey around this beautiful country!

Let me know if there is anything I have missed.

What is Australian Cuisine?

This is a question without an easy answer. Australians are a mixture of the Indigenous Aborigines who have inhabited the land for the last 50,000 years, the descendants of the white settlers and the waves of immigrants that have chosen to settle and make a home here. This diversity in people has led to a diversity in food. Aussies are pretty adventurous with food because we are exposed to foods from different cultures on a regular basis and the geographic isolation of Australia, makes long overseas trips a rite of passage for most young Aussies. Travelling gives people a more open minded view to all kinds of things and food is no exception.

What does the average Aussie household eat for dinner? This obviously depends a lot on their particular individual heritage. Generalizing however, it can be safe to say that these dishes are popular and would be on rotation in many households.

  • Italian Lasagna
  • Thai Green or Red Curry
  • Mexican (Tex-Mex) Dishes e.g. nachos, tacos
  • Indian Curries e.g. butter chicken, beef vindaloo
  • Asian style stir fries
  • Italian(ish) Spag Bol (i.e. Spaghetti Bolognese)
  • BBQ (sausages, lamb/pork chops, steak, chicken skewers) and salad (green salad, potato salad)
  • Fish and Chips

And for the kids, it seems like chicken nuggets are very popular!

Popular things for breakfast are Weet-Bix and Vegemite on Toast. Weet-Bix is a whole grain cereal formed into blocks. It’s very economical to purchase at the supermarket and also healthy. Eat with milk, otherwise it will be chokingly dry!

Weet-Bix-Original. Image from https://weetbix.com.au/products/weet-bix/original/

A discussion of Australian cuisine has to address native foods that have been eaten in this country for thousands of years. There are lots of them (e.g. quandong, finger lime, lemon myrtle, etc.) however, I am not an expert and to be honest, except for the macadamia nut, they are mostly, not in wide circulation, in the general population. The awareness of native ingredients has really burgeoned in the last few years as some of these ingredients purport amazing nutritional benefits e.g. Davidson Plum. Some restaurants are starting to include these ingredients in their dishes and there are often markets stalls selling products made using these native ingredients. Nevertheless, these types of food generally haven’t managed to achieve wide appeal.

The macadamia nut is a must-try as it comes from a plant indigenous to Australia and has been commercially cultivated since the 1880s. It has a high fat content and a sweet, creamy, buttery flavour. It is a little softer than other nuts. It can also be pricey to purchase. Best to purchase with shell removed, because the spherical shell is very close to indestructible.

The following sections will cover foods that you can really only get in Australia. There are foods which are stocked in every Australian supermarket, savoury foods and sweet treats. There are also some foods which despite not being specific to Australia, have become part of the psyche of being an Australian or have attained some cultural significance.

Aussie Foods You Can Buy at the Supermarket

These are all commonly available at any Australian supermarket

Vegemite

No visitor to Australia can rightly say they have experienced the country without trying Vegemite. Firstly, a few words of warning. This is NOT Nutella. Vegemite is NOT SWEET. Do NOT spread it generously on your toast or eat it by the spoonful from the jar. You are CRAZY and will HATE IT! Vegemite has a salty, umami flavour. It is very high in Vitamin B’s and is made from a yeast extract. (The British equivalent is Marmite.) For those new to the country, it’s best not to buy a whole jar as it is certainly an acquired taste. This is a staple in most Australian households and they will be happy to allow you to try a little mostly because the reactions from first timers are usually hilarious.

Recommendation: Butter your toasted bread and take a little vegemite on the tip of your knife and spread it very thinly over your toast. It’s OK if you don’t like it at first. Most Aussies grew up eating Vegemite every day for breakfast. You can build up to it bit by bit.

Vegemite. Image from https://vegemite.com.au/our-range/

Tim Tam

Unlike Vegemite, it is absolutely impossible not to love Tim Tams! These are two biscuits which sandwich a cream filling and entirely covered in chocolate. These are Australia’s most loved chocolate biscuit. If you bring these for your overseas relatives or even to your work morning tea, everyone is your friend!!

Recommendation: Just eat them! They are yum! After you have demolished your first packet in the original flavour, you can try their other flavour variations or try the Tim Tam Slam. To do a Tim Tam Slam, you bite off opposite corners of a Tim and Tam and use it as a straw to suck a hot beverage through e.g. coffee or hot chocolate. The biscuit softens as the hot beverage channels through it into you mouth. Pop the whole lot in your mouth before it softens to the point of total disintegration!

Tim Tam Original. Image from https://www.arnotts.com/products/tim-tam/classic/original

Fantales

Fantales are an iconic Australia lolly. Lolly is the Australian way of saying sweets or candy. Fantales are chocolate covered chewy caramels. The wrapper of the lolly is literally a “fan tale” i.e. a brief biography of movie stars.

Recommendation: These are a chewy delight! Best not to pop one in your mouth if you want to say something in the next few minutes because your mouth will be glued shut dealing with all this deliciously chewy, chocolatey, caramel-ley yumminess!

Packet of Fantales. Image from https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/348170/allen-s-fantales-family-bag-lollies

Cherry Ripe

Onwards from Australia’s most iconic lolly to Australia’s most iconic chocolate bar. The honour goes to the Cherry Ripe. This is a bar of cherries and coconut wrapped in dark chocolate. This is Australia’s oldest chocolate bar dating back to 1924.

Recommendation: These are lovely, especially with the dark chocolate exterior.

Cherry Ripe. Image from https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/320108/cadbury-cherry-ripe

Arnott’s shapes

These are a line of very popular savoury biscuits. Flavours include BBQ, Pizza, Savoury, Chicken Crimpy and many others. These come in boxes which are great for a snack during a long road trip or to stash in your luggage if you fear starving in a foreign country. They are also sold in small packets which are usually used for kids lunchboxes. These are very common at Australian parties, served up in a bowl to nibble on. New and/or limited edition flavours are regularly released.

Recommendation: My guess would be that the most loved Shapes flavour was a toss up between BBQ and Pizza but the internet tells me that, based on a poll, Chicken Crimpy has been officially voted the best flavour!

Arnott’s Shapes. Image from https://www.taste.com.au/articles/arnotts-shapes-most-popular-flavour-pizza-bbq/lqcc6w19

Savoury Aussie Foods

Aussie meats

There are many jokes about being the only population that will eat our coat of arms. The Australian coat of arms features the emu and the kangaroo. Whilst the consumption of kangaroo meat is commonplace, it is much harder to find emu meat.

Kangaroo meat is highly nutritious. It’s very lean and is high in protein and iron. Kangaroos are plentiful in Australia so they can be harvested for meat in a sustainable way (although that doesn’t stop some people around the world from being concerned with eating them). Due to the low fat content, it is easy for kangaroo meat to be tough and chewy once cooked. It is much more suited to being slow cooked or in very fast stir fry. Kangaroo meat and meat products are sold in Australian supermarkets. It is easy to get kangaroo sausages, burger patties, steaks etc. These are healthier than their beef counterparts and much cheaper too! The only issue is their bold flavour which is stronger than either beef or lamb and can sometimes be too much! If you like the flavour, kangaroo meat is a very healthy choice for the frugal environmentalist!

Emu meat has yet to take off in Australia. It is purported to be tender, lean and high in protein and iron, making it a very healthy choice. It would be worth trying if you see a specialty butcher selling it!

Crocodile meat is quite hard to buy. I’ve only seen it sold at a crocodile park or at a few restaurants. It tastes and looks like a cross between chicken and fish. There are no shortage of crocodiles in the Northern parts of the country, but crocodile meat and leather products are only obtained from crocodile farms.

Feral camels are a pest in outback Australia. There is a large population of them roaming wild in the outback. As they are not indigenous, they damage the land and can foul waterholes. Unfortunately, despite this, camel meat is not widely consumed in Australia. It is generally only consumed amongst people of Middle Eastern and African heritage who have come from a culture of eating camel meat. This is hopefully changing as evidence by the Lakemba Ramadan Night Markets in Sydney where the queue for camel burgers snaked a great distance down the street.

Barramundi

Barramundi is a salt and freshwater fish which is native to Australia. It is a tasty eating fish as it has a mild flavour and lovely white flesh. You can buy fillets from Australian supermarkets and it is often on the menu at Australian restaurants. I find barramundi a little hit and miss. It is easy to overcook and can be dry. When cooked perfectly, it is a really beautiful eating fish.

Barramundi are also prized by the fishing community. In the Northern Territory, there is an annual competition held every year called “Million Dollar Fish” where people fish for “barra” in the hopes of reeling in the tagged fish that will win them 1 million dollars! No one has yet caught the million dollar fish and there are currently 8 of them swimming in the Northern Territory waterways, waiting to be caught (or possibly having already been caught by a big croc). There are smaller prizes with some people having caught barramundi fish tagged to win them $10,000.

Meat pie with Tomato Sauce

The first thing that came to mind when someone asked me what is Australian food recently was Meat Pie with Tomato Sauce. It is somewhat embarrassing to say because it isn’t a high class culinary delight and is often subjected to a lot of derision about being filled with “snouts and arses.” There are often rumours that the low quality meat pies are filled with mystery parts and waste meat. Nevertheless, the humble meat pie is an Australian food icon, and in fact with the growing sophistication of the Australian food scene, there are some really great pies now available.

It is available in every fuel station as it is a great favourite of truck drivers, trades people and road-trippers. It is also available at sporting events to be consumed with a pint of icy cold beer whilst cheering on your favourite team. Australian bakeries often enter competitions to be bestowed the coveted prize of having the best meat pie. The basic version is pie of flaky pastry in a portion for one filled with diced or mince meat with a rich brown gravy. Many variations exist but for newbies, you should always try the original first. Variations include curry chicken pies, steak pies, pepper steak pies, steak and mushroom pies, steak and kidney pies, lamb pies, bacon and egg pies, scallop pies etc. The list of variations is only limited by the imagination of the baker.

Plenty of parties and morning teas would be incomplete in Australia without some party pies and sausage rolls. Party pies are small, two bite version of the standard size meat pie.

Recommendation: Support a small town bakery by buying a good quality pie. Don’t forget to pay extra for tomato sauce. The tangy bite of the tomato sauce cuts through the richness of the meat gravy and is absolutely essential.

Meat Pie. Image from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_pie_(Australia_and_New_Zealand)

BurgerS with Beetroot

One final thing to end this savoury section. Australia must be the only place that puts a piece of canned, sliced beetroot into their burgers. This is not found in all burgers but when you see a burger called an Aussie burger or similar, the “Aussie” part is the addition of the beetroot.

Recommendation: Don’t knock it till you try it, then you can quickly try and forget about the whole embarrassing experience. You might not be able to if you have stained your clothes with beetroot juice! The addition of beetroot adds a nice tang to the burger to balance out the richness of the meat.

Sweet Treats

ANZAC BiSCUITS

ANZAC stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The Anzac biscuit is a sweet biscuit made with golden syrup, oats, flour, sugar, baking soda and butter. There is an ongoing debate as to whether they should be crispy or chewy but they are delicious either way.

The story is that these biscuits were sent by wives and women’s groups to soldiers abroad in World War 1 because they do not spoil during the long journey. Another story is that these biscuits were baked and sold to raise money for the war effort which led to them being called Anzac biscuits.

Recommendation: Make your own at home or buy them from a bakery or the bakery section at Coles or Woolies (Woolworths). These bikkies (biscuits) smell of oats, butter and golden syrup and are the perfect accompaniment to your morning “cuppa”, cup of tea. They are not a flashy biscuit but the simple ingredients shine in this humble sweet treat.

Anzac Biscuits. Image from https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/traditional-anzac-biscuits-2/5229a179-7755-46ab-925a-fd55081833d8

Damper

Damper is a bread made in a cast iron pot with a lid, called a camp oven. The pot would be covered with hot coals from the campfire. It is usually made with flour, salt, water and soda as the leavening agent. It was traditionally prepared by early European settlers to Australia.

Recommendation: Damper is quite easy to make and should be attempted whilst camping. If you don’t have a camp oven, you can wrap some of the dough around a stick and hold it over the fire. It is most delicious fresh and warm from the fire and with some golden syrup as the traditional topping. Variations can be made with the addition of sultanas to the dough or savoury ingredients to make it a savoury bread. Share it warm with your new-found camping friends because the next day, it will likely be hard as rock!

Damper in a Camp Over. Image from https://www.freecampingaustralia.com.au/cooking/recipes/breads/camp-oven-damper.html

Fairy bread

No Australian kid’s party would be complete without fairy bread. This is white bread spread with margarine and sprinkled with multicoloured sprinkles called “hundreds and thousands”. This colourful creation dates back to the 1920s in Australia. It’s inexpensive to make and kids love it, but has almost no nutritional value!

Recommendation: There is probably no need to try this one unless it is in front of you. You can imagine what is would taste like with the white bread and the slightly crunchy, sweet sprinkles. It taste like childhood when life was just simple and sweet!

Fairy Bread. Image from https://www.sweetestmenu.com/fairy-bread/

Vanilla slice

A vanilla slice is a sweet treat where vanilla custard is sandwiched between two layers of puff pastry. The vanilla slice is sometimes called a “snot block” but that’s not very nice considering how decadent a simple vanilla slice can taste. It has been compared to the French mille-feuille but the Australian vanilla slice is a much more humble treat.

Recommendation: This is a must try because you will love it! Support a small town country bakery and buy a vanilla slice to try! Extra points are awarded if you manage to avoid spilling squirts of custard on yourself when you bite into it.

Vanilla Slice. Image from https://www.theflavorbender.com/the-perfect-pavlova-recipe/

pavlova

And now, for the most famous Australian sweet treat, the pavlova! Yes, the debate still rages about whether pavlova originates from Australia or New Zealand. In this post, it is a much, beloved Australian dessert. Pavlova is a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar. It is topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit. It was named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova as this delightful confection is as light as a ballerina.

Be aware not to mix up a pavlova with meringue. Whilst both are a combination of whipped egg whites and sugar, meringues are baked until they are crispy and airy throughout. The beauty of the pavlova is the crisp exterior and the soft marshmallow-like interior.

It is traditional to have pavlova at Christmas time. They are a perfect light dessert to have on a hot summer Christmas day after a big main meal. They can be made ahead of time and stored in an air tight container. Cream and fruit should always be applied at the last minute so the pavlova stays crunchy on the outside. Traditional pavlova is topped with kiwifruit, strawberries and passionfruit although variations are unlimited. Homemade pavlovas almost always crack or sag during or after baking . They will never look as good as store bought pavlova’s. Nevertheless lashings of whipped cream and fresh fruit will hide every sin and your homemade pavlova will still taste awesome and be the hit of the party.

Recommendation: Trying a pavlova is an absolute must in Australia. It tastes of sweetness and fresh fruit, with the irresistible contrast of the crunchy exterior and soft interior. It is mostly air so it’s very light and easy to eat even after a rich, heavy meal.

You could purchase one from a bakery. It is reasonably easy to make one. It may not be beautiful but it will be tasty. An electric beater is highly recommended although it is possible to whip those egg whites by hand if you are willing to take on the challenge. The key thing is to ensure all your bowls and beaters etc. are spotlessly clean otherwise your egg whites won’t firm up. The alternative is to buy a pre-made pavlova from the supermarket. Whip up some cream and cut up some seasonal fruits to decorate.

Pavlova. Image from https://www.theflavorbender.com/the-perfect-pavlova-recipe/

Foods With a Cultural Significance

There are some food in Australia which we cannot claim to “own” but has a cultural significance and is part of the psyche of being an Australian.

The Bunnings Sausage Sizzle

The weekend has come! Finally! Time to get on with some chores around the garden and the house. Then you find that you’re missing an essential tool – this calls for a Bunnings Run! Bunnings is a nation-wide chain of stores (practically a monopoly) selling hardware, plants and other household items. It’s massive and it is a common joke that most people go into Bunnings to buy one thing and come out with ten things! Nevertheless, a weekend trip to Bunnings in the morning is usually accompanied by the smell of barbecuing snags (sausages) and onions. For a few dollars, you can get a slice of bread, a snag, some cooked onions and a squirt of sauce. Just perfect to keep you from being “hangry” and to help you stay focus on your weekend job list! The sausage sizzle stall will usually be run by a charity organisation and the profits from your sausage sizzle will go to a good cause (better buy two of them then).

Never underestimate the power of a sausage sizzle! At the last Australian election, a contender for prime minister made the news by being photographed eating his sausage sizzle from the side of the sausage instead of the end! This confused the Australian public and may have hurt his chances in the election as it made him look totally out of touch with the humble, working class.

Recommendation: It’s not fancy, high class food but it is only a few dollars and it’s an Australian tradition. So try one!

Bunnings Sausage Sizzle. Image from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6145595/Bunnings-reveals-secret-perfect-sausage-sizzle.html

Smashed Avo

Smashed “avo” or avocado hit the news in a big way in 2017 when a demographer commented in an opinion piece that young people should not be ordering smashed avo in cafes at $22 a pop but be putting that money towards a house deposit instead. This started a furious debate about housing affordability in Australia as millennials took great offence. Regardless of the housing affordability debate, smashed avo is a tasty dish with a multitude of variations. The only common thread is bread of some kind and smooshed up avocado. There could be an egg on top or fetta mixed through, or chilli flakes etc.

Recommendations: Avocado is an expensive fruit. Buy it at the supermarket when the price is good, anything around $1 per fruit is OK, and smash it into some good bread. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper and et voila, homemade smashed avo.

Smashed Avo with Fetta and Tomatoes. Image from https://www.goodfood.com.au/recipes/the-fat-smashed-avocado-and-feta-on-toast-recipe-20161019-gs5sm9

Coffee

Australians are very proud of their coffee. It is a known fact that Australian cafe’s make the best coffees in the world (or so some would say.) This is the reason that the American coffee behemoth, Starbucks just cannot get a decent foothold in the Australian market. Australians are much too discerning with their coffee. No cafĂ© will survive in Australia if it cannot make a decent coffee. Australians seem unable to start the day without their caffeine injection and it cannot just be any rubbish. White collar workers are often seen in the mornings, lining the sidewalk at their favourite hole-in the-wall cafe. They have spurned the free coffee they can have in their office kitchens to walk out, rain or shine, to spend $4 to $6 on a barista made coffee.

The coffee language in Australia is also quite complex. Types of coffees include the flat white, latte, double espresso and the long mac which has a different meaning in different states. Errors with a person’s coffee order can result in even the most mild mannered Australian to turn into a ranting cranky-pants. This is not to mention the multitudes of different milks there are.

Recommendations: If you are coffee drinker, cafes are everywhere and many are lovely small businesses. Support them and enjoy your coffee!

Flat White Coffee. Image from https://www.baristainstitute.com/how/how-make-flat-white

Chicken Parmi

After 14 months of road-tripping around Australia, what is the dish that is served in the pub of every small town, right across this massive country? It’s the chicken parmigiana! Chicken Parmigiana or Parmi or Parma or Parmy is served up with a side of chips and salad is a pub stable around Australia. It is a chicken breast pounded flat, crumbed and fried into a schnitzel. This is then topped with tomato sauce and melted cheese. Sometimes there is a slice of ham under the cheese as well. It’s a delicious and filling dish with the crunchy chicken schnitzel, tangy tomato sauce and rich, melty cheese. There is also a “wow!” factor when receiving a good pub parmi. Sometimes the chef will beat a large chicken breast so flat and wide that the resulting schnitzel is as big as a large dinner plate!

Even though Chicken Parmigiana sounds like an Italian dish, it is not a dish traditionally made in Italy. This is similar to why spaghetti bolognaise can’t be found in Italy and why butter chicken is not actually from India. Chicken Parmi may have originated from a breaded eggplant or breaded veal dish in Italy. Chicken Parm was originated in the US from Italian immigrants before coming to Australia in the 1950s. These days, Chicken Parmi is a staple on all Australian pub menus and there is fierce competition between pubs to be crowned as the one serving the best parmi!

Whilst researching this section, to my surprise, there is a debate about whether the chips for a parmi should be served on the side or underneath the crumbed chicken! I had no idea! I think the chips are best on the side so they stay crisp but sometimes the parmi is so large that there is no choice but to put them underneath!

Recommendation: When ordering food in a small country pub, steer away from exotic sounding dishes and veer towards the pub staples of a chicken parmi and chips or steak and chips. The pub likely serves many servings of these in a day and they will usually be good. The chicken parmi is so ubiquitous, good value, filing and damn tasty, there is no reason not to partake in a few accompanied with some cold beers when visiting Australia.

Chicken Parmigiana. Image from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-05/chicken-parmigiana-helping-drought-affected-farmers-at-the-irym/11277578?nw=0

The Aussie BBQ

Having a BBQ is synonymous with the laid back Australian lifestyle. Do not mistake the Australia BBQ with the American style BBQs. American BBQs are all about cooking low and slow with complex rubs and marinades. They are much more long winded. Aussie BBQs are more about speed and slapping some dinner on the table quickly. Often times, a quick dinner would be to chuck some protein on the BBQ and whip up a quick salad. Most households would have their own BBQ. If you go to a friend’s house for a meal, it is quite likely to be a barbie (BBQ) as it is a very easy way to feed a crowd. It’s easy to cook a heap of meat on the barbie and put out some bread, salads and sauces on the table. Job done, dinner served, let’s get into the beers!

Common items cooked on the BBQ include sausages, steaks, pork chops, lamb chops and chicken skewers. More adventurous foodies may cook a whole fish wrapped in foil, corn, haloumi, beer-can chicken, vegetarian skewers and prawns. It is not uncommon to smell BBQ at dinner time wherever there are people in Australia. There are likely to be beers there too!

For some strange reason, cooking on the barbie in Australia is the domain of men whilst the women make the salads. In an Australian barbie, it is not uncommon to see a group of men clustered around the BBQ, with beers in hand, engaging in some banter, usually speculating about whether the sausages are cooked enough. In contrast, the women will be grouped together with wine glasses in hand having a chat. This is a generalisation of course, but have a look next time you are at a barbie. Am I right?

Recommendations: Free gas powered BBQs are available in many parks and caravan parks around Australia. So chuck some snags or chops on the barbie, get your friends together, crack open a beer and enjoy the laid back Aussie lifestyle.

Aussie BBQ. Image from https://www.australian-information-stories.com/australian-bbq.html

Beer

Australians and Beer go hand in hand. Australians drink a lot of beer and beer drinking is quite an integral part of being Australian. Beers lubricate plenty of social events e.g. sporting matches, house parties etc. A BBQ in a friend’s home is almost certainly to have an esky filled with ice to keep the beers cool. If you are invited to a BBQ in Australia, it’s usually polite to turn up with some beers (or other drinks) and maybe some nibbles e.g. a pack of chips, dips, cheese etc. This reduces the load and cost on the host and it’s just nice to turn up with something to share.

Due to the hot climate, beers in Australia are served with a stubby holder. This is a cylinder made of flexible but dense foam which surrounds your beer bottle or can. It keeps the beer colder for longer and stops your hand from getting too cold.

Recommendation: When visiting Australia, go into a local country pub for a beer and parmi and soak in the atmosphere.

Wine

In recent years, the consumption of wine has exceeded the consumption of beer in Australia. This caused a great deal of consternation at the time until the nation gave a collective shrug and got on with getting wasted. Australia has become a large consumer and even larger producer of wine. Australian wine, without being burdened with a weight of tradition, has in many instances, turned out to be superior to some of the ancient wine growing regions of the world.

Recommendation: Drive around the countryside and take in the beauty of the wine regions of Australia e.g. Margaret River, Clare Valley. the Barossa Valley etc. Drop in to a winery for a sun drenched long lunch with matching wines, a wine tasting or just to look at their beautiful landscaping. Disappointingly, wine tasting at vineyards now often attracts a fee, but if you ask around you may be able to find one which still offers the service gratis. The wine tasting charge accrues twice, since once you’ve paid to sample the product, you then get the privilege of paying a premium price for your bottle(s) over and above what you would be charged if you went to one of the many liquor stores around the country.

Sunday Roast

It is not uncommon for families to get-together on a Sunday for a roast. Of the various meats that can be roasted, an Australian favourite would be roast lamb. A whole leg of lamb, pierced in places to stuff it with cloves of garlic and rosemary, rubbed with olive oil and slow roasted till it is falling off the bone. Served with gravy made with the lovely, meaty juices and all the usual vegetable sides.

A pork roast with crispy crackling is also very popular.

Recommendation: Craving a roast without the effort, most pubs will do a Sunday roast special.

Leg of Lamb Roast. Image from https://www.australianlamb.com.au/recipes/thyme-and-garlic-lamb-leg-roast/

Summer Christmas

For many Northern Hemisphere travelers to Australia, one of strangest things is to celebrate Christmas in the height of the Aussie summer. Australian Christmas foods and traditions are therefore a little different from the cold, winter Christmas celebrated in the northern hemisphere. Christmas in Australia might be celebrated with a luxurious picnic on the beach to cool off and enjoy the weather. Usual Christmas foods here are lighter and cooler to account for the extremely hot weather. No one wants to slave over a hot oven on a hot day and turn the house into a sauna on Christmas day. As a result, seafood such as prawns, oysters and salmon are very popular on Christmas day, as well as cooking outside on the BBQ so the house stays cool. This might be accompanied with salads which are more luxurious than normal perhaps including smoked salmon or stone fruit. The cherries are in top condition around Christmas time as are the mangoes, peaches, nectarines and apricots. Dessert will usually be a lovely, light, fruit topped pavlova.

Recommendation: What is not to love about summer in Australia? Blue skies, beach days and Christmas holidays! Enjoy it!

Salmon Bay Rottnest

Conclusion – so what is Australian Cuisine?

It could be said that Australia is a cultural desert when it comes to it’s own distinctly, identifiable cuisine. I prefer to think of Australian cuisine as a reflection of its island geography and its diverse people. Here is the diversity and beauty of Australian cuisine wrapped up in a series of observations

  • Smelling BBQ wafting in the evening air and friendly people waving to you with a beer in hand.
  • Eating oysters in Coffin Bay right by the ocean where I can see them being grown.
  • Crowding with the Australian Asian aunties in the humid Rapid Creek Markets in Darwin haggling over the best local produce the tropical climate can provide.
  • Savouring plump, perfect, local, dark cherries in Tasmania at the Salamanca Markets in Hobart.
  • Having a noisy discussion with your friends about whether to have Thai, Mexican, Malaysian, Seafood, Vietnamese, Tapas, Indian for dinner tonight! Too many delicious choices!
  • Eating a whole trout in a riverside brewery caught just a little further downstream.
  • Seeing some white Australian kids ordering Shanghai soup dumplings using their Mandarin name, “Xiao Long Bao” with a perfect accent and without a shred of awkwardness at a Chinatown Night Market stall in Sydney.
  • Eating fresh fish and chips by the water whilst watching the sunset with friends.
  • Going home to family and tasting the authentic dishes of my heritage.

This is Australia’s food culture – diverse, delicious and fresh. We are so lucky! Happy Eating my dear readers! Food is life and love and all things good so enjoy it!

Are there some aspect of Australian food that I have missed? Let me know!