The Most Popular Foods in Australia and New Zealand
Australia is distinguished from other continents by its distinct flora and fauna, such as eucalyptus trees, dingoes, and platypuses.
Australians are known for their laid back and friendly personality. They prefer using first names as addresses, value egalitarianism and are passionate about sports like cricket, rugby and Aussie rules football.
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Meat pie
Meat pies are an integral part of Australian and New Zealand cuisine, with Australians eating an estimated 270 million annually and New Zealanders an average of 15 each day, making them the go-to takeaway food in both nations. So popular have they become that they even inspired an automotive jingle!
A typical meat pie typically consists of a pastry crust filled with minced beef and gravy, sometimes including mushrooms, onions or cheese for additional flavouring. This delicious filling is then cooked at high temperature to create something exceptionally hot and juicy!
Before baking pies at their respective temperatures, pastry is typically coated with an egg wash for a golden-yellow hue and glossy appearance. In order to ensure even baking and continue being hot throughout, baking them at the optimal temperatures is also key to ensure they turn out perfectly!
Vegemite
Vegemite, an Australian staple, is a thick brown savory spread made with yeast extract flavored with vegetables and spices, rich in umami flavor that is great for spreading on toast or stirring into stews or soups – not to mention providing ample sources of Vitamin B!
Cyril Callister, Fred Walker’s company scientist, invented it in 1922 using brewer’s yeast (a by-product of beer brewing), along with vegetables and salt to create a dense paste similar to Marmite which had become widely popular due to food shortages during World War I in Britain.
Vegemite sandwiches have long been part of Australian culture. Yet for those unfamiliar with it, their tart taste may be off-putting at first. To ease into its flavor gradually and avoid feeling overwhelmed by it all at once, start out small when starting on your Vegemite journey.
Iced VoVos
Iced VoVos are an Australian classic; wheat biscuits topped with sweet pink fondant and raspberry jam, decorated with tiny bits of coconut. Arnotts has been crafting them since 1906 using their timeless recipe.
Kevin Rudd was Australia’s Prime Minister at the time when he made a casual reference to Iced Vovos biscuits during his election victory speech, sparking record sales of this popular treat and prompting Arnott’s to send them directly to Parliament House in Canberra for delivery.
These delicious Aussie biscuits are always a hit and can be easily made using basic pantry ingredients! Perfect for parties, bake sales, morning tea and lunch boxes…and also an awesome snack option for kids!
Sausage sizzle
A sausage sizzle is an integral part of Australia and New Zealand culture, consisting of pre-cooked pork or beef sausage (known as “snag”) served on bread with onions and ketchup for condiment. This event often serves as fundraising activities for local groups such as schools, sports clubs or bush fire brigades.
Australians have made voting compulsory since 1924 and their polling day sausage sizzle has become an annual tradition since that date. It brings family-friendly excitement and festivity into the polling place on polling day!
Democracy sausages may be popular, but their consumption can cause significant controversy. Their high salt content can lead to serious health complications including high blood pressure and heart disease; thankfully many supermarkets sell low-salt varieties.
Slipper lobster
Slipper lobsters (also referred to as flat, locust, shovel-nosed and bulldozer lobsters) are crustaceans found in Australia’s warm coastal waters. While closely related to spiny lobsters, slipper lobsters differ by not possessing large claws. Like other crustaceans, slipper lobsters possess an external skeleton which acts like armor – when growing they shed this protective shell in favor of larger one as their external armor becomes necessary for them.
The two most prevalent species are the Blunt Slipper Lobster Scyllarides squammosus found in Queensland and Aesop Slipper Lobster Scyllarides haanii with more pronounced bumps on their abdomens, caught as by-catch by prawn trawlers as by-catch; both species can be distinguished from rock lobsters by having broad flat bodies and short plate-like antennae attached at the front of their heads.
