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Australia
has many historic links with the
United Kingdom,
including, not least, the fact the first European settlers in the country
were from the
United Kingdom,
and that the country was a British colony and later a Dominion within the British Empire.
As you might expect given this history, many Australian dishes have been inspired by
traditional British cooking, and meals based around pies,
and roasted or grill meat, remain popular to this day.
Since World War II,
Australia has
also seen increased immigration with Mediterranean countries and Southeast Asia,
and this has greatly enriched the variety of Austrlian cuisine. New recipes, unique to
Australia have also
been developed, sometimes based on unique Australian plants, and also inspired by
"bush tucker" (foraged food, itself often inspired by traditional aboriginal recipes).
Some uniquely Australian foods include:
- Pie floater - A British style meat pie. However, the pie is covered with tomato sauce, turned
upside down and served in a thick green pea soup.
- Damper - A traditional recipe for travellers in the outback, damper is Wheat-based soda bread
that can easily be prepared at the roadside.
- Chiko roll - A spicy Australian version of Chinese spring rolls.
Chiko rolls contain mutton, cabbage, carrot, celery and sometimes barley, and are deep-fried.
- Vegemite - A paste made from yeast extract. Vegemite is eaten as a spread on toast or sandwiches.
Australia also has its own unique
desserts (although New Zealand
would also claim to be the originator of some of these).
- Pavlova
(also claimed by New Zealand)
- A meringue with a crispy exterior, but light and fluffy on the inside.
- ANZAC biscuit
(also claimed by New Zealand)
- Biscuits made from rolled oats, coconut and syrup. According to legend, they were first
prepared for the ANZAC troops sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in World War I, the recipe
be specifically designed so as to produce a biscuit that would preserve well.
- Lamingtons
- Cubes of sponge cake, covered with chocolate icing and dessicated coconut. The cubes may be sliced in half,
and a layer of cream or strawberry jam spread between the halves.
So why not discover Australian food?
On this page, you'll find a great selection of Australian Cook Books.
By Ravida Natalia
New Holland Australia
Hardcover (208 pages)
 | List Price: $29.95
Lowest New Price: $18.76
Lowest Used Price: $18.77
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Click Here | Book Description:
This stunning book is a celebration of generations of Sicilians in the food culture of Italy. It takes you through the seasons of Italy using their olive oil and family recipes that have been in the family for centuries. The author, Natalia Ravida inherited a love of food and olive oil from the legacy of her Sicilian ancestors. The family farm at La Gurra has been in the family since 1770. The estate lies in an area still devoted to farming and is dominated by a 16th century farmhouse overlooking the Mediterranean sea. This book is her favorite dishes, accompanied by beautiful photography. The book packaging features a gorgeous cloth cover. |
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By Andrew Dwyer
Melbourne University Publishing
Hardcover (240 pages)
 | List Price: $40.00
Lowest New Price: $27.60
Lowest Used Price: $35.93
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Recognizing the relationship between great food and good stories as an essential part of any outback adventure, this campfire guide provides not only recipes but also fascinating tales of Australia's outback explorers, adventurers, heroes, and villains. Outdoor cooking techniques and equipment are explained—such as camp and Bedourie ovens—as well as tips on how to choose ingredients, keep food fresh, and select firewood. With accompanying stunning images by award-winning photographer John Hay, the book's numerous recipes have been tested in the toughest bush country conditions. |
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By Tetsuya Wakuda
Ten Speed Press
Hardcover (183 pages)
 | List Price: $35.00
Lowest New Price: $80.00
Lowest Used Price: $85.00
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Tetsuya Wakuda is a true artist. Inspired by the ingredients native to his adopted country (Australia) and the techniques and flavors of his birthplace (Japan), Tetsuya combines them to complement and highlight each other in the simplest ways to bring out the most complicated flavors. For those of us unfamiliar with his reputation, Tetsuya comes with a glowing forward by Charlie Trotter that refers to Tetsuya in the same breath as Alain Ducasse, Daniel Boulud, and Thomas Keller, and rightly so. Tetsuya's presentation is perfection. Details like minute brunoise and matchstick julienne are beautiful to behold, but it's his ethereal marinades and his thoughtful use of ingredients like fresh ginger, garlic, soy, mirin, and wasabi that make his dishes so memorable, and that allow us mere mortals to follow his recipes successfully. At Tetsuya, meals are presented as numerous small dishes, but you can multiply any of his recipes to work as main courses. Linguine with a Ragout of Oriental Mushrooms is simple to prepare and bursts with the rich, earthy flavor of exotic mushrooms brightened by hints of garlic, sake, mirin, tomato, and chile. Tartare of Tuna with Goat Cheese requires sushi-quality tuna, so if you can get it, this dish is quick and easy and luscious with fresh, creamy goat cheese and lively with cayenne, garlic, ginger, white pepper, and anchovies. Not all of Tetsuya's creations are Asian influenced. There are many magnificent European-style dishes, like a Salad of Sea Scallops with Asparagus and Beans, Venison with Roasted Shallots and Morels, and Granny Smith Apple Sorbet with Sauternes Jelly. Stunning photographs of dreamy dishes and delightful bits of commentary separate recipes laid out like poetry to make this a culinary page-turner and a gift-worthy book. Without a doubt, Tetsuya would make an exciting addition to the kitchen collection of gourmets who love to cook with ingredients like market-fresh produce, sushi-quality fish and shellfish, fresh venison, squab, and guinea fowl. --Leora Y. Bloom |
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By Kendall Hill
Penguin Global
Paperback (192 pages)
 | List Price: $30.00
Lowest New Price: $17.38
Lowest Used Price: $13.12
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Random House Australia
Unknown Binding (320 pages)
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By Recipe Development Center
Lamont Publishing
Hardcover (276 pages)
| Lowest Used Price: $9.99
(As of 04:15 Pacific 17 May 2008 More Info)
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By Gilian Painter
Simon & Schuster Australia
Hardcover
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