There are a lot of unique foods that define Australia that I knew I wanted to try during my study abroad trip. I did some minor research on what foods you should try when visiting Australia and I wrote a few down. Before arriving, I knew I wanted to try fish and chips , Vegemite, and Tim Tams for sure. When I arrived in Australia, my list grew larger as I spoke to locals and learned more about the cuisine. Apparently, kangaroo is a popular dish in Australia, and I had no idea. A local told me that kangaroos are to Australia as deer are to the United States and if people don’t hunt them then they will overpopulate. I had mixed feelings about it and it felt slightly wrong, but I added kangaroo to my list of foods to try. Almost every restaurant or pub I went to had “chicken schnitty” (short for chicken schnitzel) and “chicken parm” (short for chicken parmigiana) on the menu. I’ve had chicken parmigiana in the states, but I still wanted to try the Australian version, so I added both chicken dishes to the list. At orientation for UNSW I got a mini Australian culture lesson and learned about some signature foods I should try including emu, fairy bread, and pavlova. So, my list ended up being:
Kangaroo
Tim Tams
Vegemite
Fairy bread
Chicken schnitty
Chicken parm
Fish n chips
Emu
Pavlova
MY AUSTRALIAN FOOD REVIEW
Kangaroo- Reminded me of steak. Wasn’t the biggest fan.
Tim Tams- Tried the chocolate and chewy caramel ones. So good.
Vegemite- Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. You MUST put a super thin layer on buttered toast or else its awful.
Fairy Bread- Didn’t get to try it. Was expecting cafes to sell it, but it seems like it’s more of something you make at home.
Chicken Schnitty- Had a chicken schnitty sandwhich and it was so good.
Chicken Parm- a lot crispier than served in the US. Served with chips and coleslaw instead of pasta and tomato sauce.
Fish n Chips- I liked this better than I thought I would. I’m kind of iffy when it comes to fish but the way this is fried makes it so good. Eat with tartar sauce.
Emu- Reminded me of steak also but chewier than kangaroo. Not a fan.
Pavolva- Didn’t get to try
Meat Pie-Didn’t get to try.
FOODS I TRIED THAT WEREN’T ON MY ORIGINAL LIST
Crocodile- Tasted like flavorful chicken. Really good.
Cadbury’s Carmello Koala and Freddo- These are chocolates shaped as koalas and frogs and they are really good.
Turkish bread- really sweet bread. Can be eaten on its own but usually is served filled with chicken, cheese, and spinach or Nutella. I miss this.
FOODS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES IN AUSTRALIA
French fries = Chips
Arugula = Rocket
Red Bell Pepper = Capsicum
Shrimp = Prawns
Cookies = Biscuits
