Australian cuisine is known for its unique dishes which are adapted from various cultures around the world, including British, European, Asian, and Middle Eastern, and that is due to large-scale immigration to Australia.
Chicken and corn soup
Chicken and corn soup is prepared with onions, potatoes, chicken stock, flour, water, cooked chicken, cream, corn, and flavorings such as salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne pepper if desired.
There are many recipes for this soup, so ingredients may vary from one cook to another.
It is served warm, and bread on the side.
Pumpkin soup
Pumpkin soup is made from a purée of pumpkin. It is made by combining the meat of a blended pumpkin with broth or stock. It is best served in the colder months, and easiest to find when you head south.
Add a Granny Smith apple, for an authentic Australian version.
Pea and ham soup
The pea & ham soup has British origins.
The soup is made using dried split peas, then it is slow-cooked, you can use also frozen peas.
As well as peas, cubes of cooked ham are used, (also the perfect way to use up any leftover baked ham) which gives the soup the perfect texture.
Serve with warm bread and mint butter.
Also, you can add sliced frankfurters or smoked sausage to make it even more hearty.
Chicken Parmigiana
Chicken parmigiana is a dish consisting of breadcrumbs-coated chicken breasts that are topped with tomato sauce and cheese, then baked until the cheese melts and the chicken is properly cooked.
Although it has an Italian-sounding name, chicken parmigiana is actually an American dish, derived from an Italian dish called melanzana alla parmigiana, or eggplant parmesan.
This dish is usually served on top of rice or pasta and served with salad and chips.
Meat pies
The Australian pies should be hand-sized filled with minced meat, gravy, onion, mushroom, and cheese, and topped with tomato sauce. A gourmet version with mashed potato and mushy peas is also popular, but any other variant surely falls under a different category.
Pies are a popular snack in Australia, you can also find variations such as peppered steak, steak and mushroom, and curried chicken.
Pie Floater
A pie floater is an Australian dish that has British origins.
The Australian meat pie is usually submerged upside-down in green pea soup. The usual accompaniments to a pie floater include tomato sauce or mint sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or malt vinegar.
Chiko Roll
Chiko roll was inspired by Chinese spring rolls.
This snack consists of a dough made from eggs and flour which is filled with seasonings, carrots, cabbage, barley, mutton, celery, onion, green beans, and rice. The dough is thick and almost chewy, and Chiko rolls are commonly deep-fried in hot oil.
Despite its name, the snack never contained any chicken meat.
Spag Bol
Spag bol is short for spaghetti bolognese, it is one of Australia’s national dishes. It is typically made with a combination of Australian beef, mushrooms, onions, carrot, celery, bacon, garlic, tomatoes, and spaghetti pasta. The usage of Australian beef and mushrooms gives the dish a truly Australian feel that differentiates it from the Italian dish. It is recommended to serve the pasta first, then top it with the flavorful meaty sauce.
Dagwood Dog
Dagwood dog is a popular Australian festival staple consisting of a hot dog on a stick that is dipped in batter, then deep-fried in hot oil.
Before serving, the tip of Dagwood dog is typically dipped in tomato sauce, making it even tastier. This savory treat is also known as Pluto pup and Dippy dog, depending on the region.
Sausage rolls
Australian Sausage Rolls are seasoned sausage wrapped in a flaky, buttery pastry. They are delicious for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as an appetizer.
Australians will sometimes dip them in a tomato sauce.
They can dip it also in barbecue sauce, marinara sauce, alfredo sauce, country gravy, or cheese sauce for an added delicious flavor.
In Australia, you can find a sausage with kangaroo beef.
Snags
Barbecue snags are thick Australian sausages, usually made with beef, pork, garlic, and onions.
They are a staple of almost every Australian barbecue party, where the sausages are accompanied by mashed potatoes, grilled onions, tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, salads, chutneys, and loaves of artisanal bread on the side.
Today, there are also snags with numerous modern, gourmet fillings such as lamb and rosemary, chicken and cheese, or beef and red wine.
Beetroot Burger "The lot"
Australians love beetroots so much so that they put them in almost every burger they made.
The recipe is similar to the traditional burgers, with a special ingredient. It is prepared with chopped Australian beef, fried egg, slices of bacon, a slice of cheese, slice of onion, slice of tomato, slice of beet on top, pineapple rings, ketchup, lettuce, and hamburger bread.
In Australia, you can find a burger with kangaroo beef.
Dim Sim
Dim sims are deep-fried or steamed dumplings filled with pork or other meat, cabbage, and flavors. Although inspired by the traditional Chinese cuisine both in ingredients and the name of the dish, the Australian version differs from Chinese dumplings in size and thickness of the dumplings they are larger and thicker than the traditional Chinese versions.
It is served with soy sauce.
Barramundi
Barramundi is the Original name for this type of seabass found in Australia. Barramundi literally translates as “large-scaled silver fish”.
Grilled, fried, or seared skin-side first, it’s a much healthier alternative to battered fish and a true Aussie meal.
It is served with salad or roasted vegetables.
Vegemite
Vegemite on toast is great for breakfast, lunch, or as an anytime snack. Vegemite is a dark brown paste made from various vegetables, yeast extract, and spice additives it is rich in Vitamin B and D. It’s a bit like marmite in the UK.
The most popular way to eat it is on bread or toast with butter. Australians also eat it with avocado, melted cheese, or tomato.
Prawn cocktail
A traditional seafood starter in Australia. Although the recipe is not typical of Australia, It is one of the country's specialties since 1970.
A prawn cocktail is a dish that contains peeled prawns, with lettuce leaves, little lemon juice, mayonnaise, and tomato dressing, then served in a glass.
Australian Pizza
The Australian Pizza has a varieties toppings than the Italian pizza, varieties often have richer toppings than in Italy.
The Australian pizza is topped with a barbecue sauce, mozzarella cheese, bits of chopped bacon, and a few eggs. The pie can sometimes be enriched by the addition of onions, garlic, mushrooms, or hot peppers.
Dessert
Lamingtons
Lamington is a square-shaped sponge cake covered in chocolate sauce and coated with coconut. Other variations include two layers with a layer of cream or jam in the middle.
It is perfectly served with tea and coffee.
Pavlova
This typical Australian cake was created in honor of the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova’s visit to Australasia in the 1920s.
Pavlova is a popular meringue-based dessert that has a crisp crust and a soft, light inside. It's often decorated with whipped cream and fresh fruit and served at celebratory meals.
Its ingredients are four egg whites, white sugar, lemon juice, meringue discs, icing sugar, and red berries.
Fairy Bread
Fairy Bread is simply white bread is cut into triangles, covered with butter or margarine, and topped with multi-colored balls of sugar called "hundreds and thousands" in Australia or which is known as sprinkles in the rest of the world,
Fairy bread remains a staple of birthday parties throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Tim Tams
Tim Tam is an Australian brand of chocolate biscuits.
They consist of two malted biscuits which are separated by chocolate cream, then coated in a thin layer of chocolate. Tim Tams were created by Ian Norris and named by Ross Arnott, who had named them after the winning horse at the 1958 Kentucky Derby.
The best way to eat the Tim Tam is with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
Nowadays, the biscuits come in different varieties made with dark chocolate, white chocolate, caramel, and many more.
Anzac Biscuits
Anzac biscuits are sweet cookies made from a combination of flour, oats, syrup, butter, sugar, coconut, and soda bicarbonate. Although the origins of these cookies are not clear, both Australia and New Zealand claim to have invented Anzac biscuits.
Anzac stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps that fought together during WWI.
Iced VoVo
Iced VoVo is a classic Australian biscuit made from wheat flour with a strip of raspberry jam and two strips of pink fondant, and sprinkled with coconut.
Iced VoVo is especially popular at children’s birthday parties and they’re usually enjoyed with a cup of tea on the side.
Vanilla slice
This pastry originated in France, where it is called mille-feuille.
In Australia, it's a vanilla slice.
Vanilla slice is a dessert consists of a thick custard that’s flavored with vanilla, sandwiched between puff or phyllo pastry sheets, and topped with vanilla, raspberry, strawberry, chocolate, or passion fruit icing.
Australians & New Zealanders claim ownership of this vanilla pastry.
Aussie Pikelets
Pikelets are Australian pancakes made with a combination of flour, eggs, and milk. They are typically prepared for breakfast in Australia.
Besides Australia, these pancakes are also popular in Scotland, Wales, and New Zealand. The batter for pikelets is slightly thicker than the one used for American pancakes, which makes them heavy once they have risen in the pan. Once done, pikelets can be served hot or cold, preferably with butter, syrups, and fruits on the side, which are used as toppings.
Cruffin
Cruffin is a cross between a croissant and a muffin – it's a muffin that's made from laminated croissant dough and filled with different flavors and ingredients such as pastry cream, peanut butter, cream and strawberries, chocolate, salted caramel, and many others.
Yo-yo biscuits
Yo-yo biscuits are South Australian shortbread cookies made with flour, butter, milk, eggs, and honey.
The biscuits have a crumbly texture and are often arranged as a sandwich with a bit of buttercream in the middle.
Drinks
Flat White
Australia’s coffee culture is considered to be one of the best in the world. It is believed that the flat white originated in the 1980s, but it is still disputed whether it originally appeared in Australia or New Zealand.
Flat white is a coffee variety that couples a double shot of freshly brewed espresso and milk, which is usually steamed to create a light, silky microfoam. A perfect flat white should have an intense coffee flavor, and milk should only be a compliment, not a predominant element, while the froth on top should be less airy and bubbly than in the classic cappuccino or caffe latte.
The Flat White, however, is probably the most popular style across the country, that you will find anywhere you go.
Long Black
A long black is a coffee that is considered to be a close relative of Caffe Americano. They both combine an espresso shot with hot water, but unlike its counterpart, long black is prepared by pouring or directly extracting the espresso into a cup of hot water. The result is a full-bodied drink that leaves the cream-thick, creamy foam on top. It is believed that the term and the coffee style originated in Australia or New Zealand.
Lemon, Lime, and Bitters
Lemon, lime, and bitters is a cocktail made with a combination of lemonade, lime juice cordial, and Angostura bitters. To prepare this soft, soothing cocktail, all ingredients should be combined in a jug, then poured into ice-filled glasses garnished with lemon or lime slices.
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