Food and Beverage

Australian cuisine has the most diverse range, quality, and inventiveness than many others in the world. However, it took Australia some time to evolve from the scenes of meat pies, Vegemite sandwiches, and sausage rolls to the scene of dishes such as "seared kangaroo fillet with wilted beetroot greens and roasted onions". The culinary art of Australia only luxuriated in the 1990s. But at that time, it was already considered the most adventurous in the world. Each capital city has seen a swarm of new restaurants within the genre 'Modern Australia' cuisine, with inventive chefs at the helm and an audience of willing hedonists at the ready. This culinary reawakening is due to two factors: the wealth of superlative Australian produce, including native food, and the plethora of international cuisine brought to Australia by its immigrants from all over the world. (marimari.com)

Beverages: The speed people drink alcohol beverages in Australia is amazing. This is a remain from the period when  bars and pubs in Australia had to close down by 6 pm. Because most people works till 5 pm, there was only one hour left to have a few beers, so, you had to be fast. Nowadays, the speed had slow down a little bit, but not that much. Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in Australia, and it must be very cold. Due the increasing quality of Australian wines and consequent drop in prices, the wine became also a very popular beverage. One of the greatest Australia inventions on packaging is the "CASK" (pictured). It is a Carton box with a tap to regulate the amount desired, with no corks to be taken out or back in. Very easy, simple and cheap. Just to have an Idea, a 4 liters Casks cost about AU$ 12, and the wine is very good. Every State in Australia have different laws about drinking and in Queensland for example, supermarkets and others can not sell alcohol, only "Bottle Shops" found in almost every corner. They are open most days from 10 am to 10 pm, 7 days a week. Restaurants, bars, pubs and some cafes can sell alcohol as soon as they have a license to do so. Some not licensed, are allowed to deal as BYO ( bring your own), so it means they don't sell alcohol, but if you bring yours from home, it is OK. The law all over Australia is very rigid for drinking and driving offences with severe penalties and even prison. Drink in public places (parks, beach, etc..) also can attract fines depending on the State you are. In Queensland the fine is AU$ 75 for the first offence. One of the most popular beers in Australia is called VB = Victoria Bitter or as my Australian friend call it, The Very Best. In Queensland, the  XXXX ( four x) is very popular also, but it is weaker than the VB. The small bottles of beer are called Stubbies. The minimum drinking age is Australia is 18. (yesaustralia.com)

 

 

Traditional Australian Cuisine

Anzac Biscuits
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
125g (4oz) butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 300F (150C)

Mix oats, flour, sugar and coconut together.
Melt syrup and butter together.
Mix soda with boiling water and add to melted butter and syrup.
Add to dry ingredients.
Place 1 tablespoonfuls of mixture on greased tray (allow room for spreading).
Bake for 20 minutes.
Loosen while warm, cool on trays.
(makes about 35)

BUSH DAMPER
3 cups of self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water

Sift flour and salt into a bowl, rub in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Make a well in the centre, add the combined milk and water, mix lightly with a knife until dough leaves sides of bowl.
Gently knead on a lightly floured surface and then shape into a round, put on a greased oven tray. Pat into a round 15-16 cm (6-6 1/2 inch) diameter.
With sharp knife, cut two slits across dough like a cross, approximately 1cm (1/2in) deep.
Brush top of dough with milk.
Sift a little extra flour over dough.

Bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Reduce heat to moderate and bake another 20 minutes.

Best eaten the day it is made.

TRADITIONAL PAVLOVA
4-6 egg whites
pinch salt
8oz castor sugar/sugar (equal parts)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 level teaspoons cornflour

(Please note the following equivalents:
castor sugar or fine/super fine sugar
corn flour or cornstarch)

Preheat oven to 400F(200C).
Lightly grease oven tray, line with baking paper or use non-stick cooking spray.

Beat the whites of eggs with a pinch of salt until stiff (until peaks form).
Continue beating, gradually adding sugar, vinegar and vanilla, until of thick consistency.
Lightly fold in cornflour.

Pile mixture into circular shape, making hollow in centre for filling.
(Mixture will swell during cooking)

Electric oven: turn oven to 250F (130C) and bake undisturbed for 1 1/2 hours.
Gas oven: bake at 400F (200C) for ten minutes, then turn oven to 250F (130C) and bake a further hour.
(Fan forced oven: temperature and time needs to be adjusted accordingly.)

Turn oven off, leave pavlova in oven until cool.

Top with whipped cream and decorate with fruit as desired.

As Australian* as the Sydney Opera House or the Harbour Bridge. A thick dark spread used on toast or bread, or flavouring in soups and casseroles, and loved by Aussies since the early 1920s.

This Australian icon was developed in 1922 by Australian food technologist, Cyril P Callister, and marketed by a Melbourne businessman, Fred Walker. Made from the yeast left-overs of the beer making process, it became one of the positive side effects of the Australian brewing industry of the 1920s.

Vegemite's reputation for nutrition was boosted when infant welfare centres recommended its use for toddlers to receive their quota of vitamins B1, B2 and Niacin, but the manufacturers failed to mention that it also contained 10% salt, and so in its early days it was marketed as 'health' food. It has since had its salt levels reduced, so it conforms to health considerations.

(* Vegemite is made in Australia by Kraft Foods. In 1988 Kraft Inc was acquired by Philip Morris Companies Inc. So whilst it is manufactured by an American owned company, it is recognised as an Australian icon.)