Australian cuisine

Indigenous Australians have lived off the often unique native flora and fauna of the Australian bush for over 60,000 years.[5] In modern times, this collection of foods and customs has become known as bush tucker.

It is understood that up to 5,000 species of Australian flora and fauna were eaten by Indigenous Australians.[6] Hunting of kangaroo, wallaby and emu was common,[7] with other foods widely consumed including bogong moths, witchetty grubs, lizards and snakes.[8] Bush berries, fruits, and nuts were also used, including the now widely cultivated macadamia nut, and wild honeys were also exploited.[1] Fish were caught using technologies such as spears, hooks and traps; in some areas, the construction of complex weir systems allowed the development of forms of aquaculture.[9]

Resource availability and dietary make-up varied from region to region and scientific theories of bush tucker plants being spread by hand have recently emerged.[10] Food preparation techniques also varied, however a common cooking technique was for the carcass to be thrown directly on a campfire to be roasted.[11]

Native food sources were used to supplement the colonists' diet following the arrival of the First Fleet in Botany Bay in 1788.[12][13]

Lygon St in Melbourne, is a dining destination famous for its Italian restaurants and cafes

Chinatown, Melbourne. Multiculturalism has contributed to the development of a diverse local cuisine in Australia.

Following the pre-colonial period, British colonisers began arriving with the First Fleet of ships at Sydney harbour in 1788.[14] The diet consisted of "bread, salted meat and tea with lashings of rum (initially from the West Indies but later made from the waste cane of the sugar industry in Queensland)."[15] The British found familiar game in Australia including swan, goose, pigeon and fish, but the new settlers often had difficulty adjusting to the prospect of native fauna as a staple diet.[1]

After initial difficulties, Australian agriculture became a major global producer and supplied an abundance of fresh produce for the local market. Stock grazing (mostly sheep and cattle) are prevalent throughout the continent. Queensland and New South Wales became Australia's main beef cattle producers, while dairy cattle farming is found in the southern states, predominantly in Victoria. Wheat and other grain crops are spread fairly evenly throughout the mainland states. Sugar cane is also a major crop in Queensland and New South Wales. Fruit and vegetables are grown throughout Australia[16] and wheat is a main component of the Australian diet.[17] Today there are over 85,681 farm businesses in Australia, 99 percent of which are locally owned and operated.[18]

Barbecued meat is ubiquitous with Modern Australian cuisine, though it is estimated that more than 10% of Australians are now vegetarian.[19][20]

A Granny Smith apple

There are many species of Australian native fruits, such as quandong (native peach), wattleseed, muntries / munthari berry, Illawarra plums, riberry, native raspberries, lilli pillies, as well as a range of native citrus species including the Desert Lime and Finger Lime.[21] These usually fall under the category of bush tucker, which is used in some restaurants and in commercial preserves and pickles but not generally well known among Australians due to its low availability.

Australia also has large fruit growing regions in most states for tropical fruits in the north, stone fruits and temperate fruits in the south which has a mediterranean or temperate climate. The Granny Smith variety of apples originated in Sydney in 1868.[22] Another well-known Australian apple variety is the Cripps Pink, known locally and internationally as "Pink Lady" apples, which was first cultivated in 1973.[23]

Fruits cultivated and consumed in Australia include: apples, banana, kiwi fruit, oranges and other citrus, mangoes (seasonally), mandarin, stonefruit, avocado, watermelons, rockmelons, lychees, pears, nectarines, plums, apricots, grapes, melons, papaya (also called pawpaw), pineapple, passionfruit and berries (strawberries, raspberries etc.).[24]

In the temperate regions of Australia vegetables are traditionally eaten seasonally, especially in regional areas, although in urban areas there is large scale importation of fresh produce sourced from around the world by supermarkets and wholesalers for grocery stores, to meet demands for year-round availability. During Spring: artichoke, asparagus, bean shoots, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, leek, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, rhubarb, and spinach. During Summer: capsicum, cucumber, eggplant, squash, tomato, and zucchini.[25]

Kangaroo meat is available as game in Australia, although it is not among the most commonly eaten meats. In colonial-era recipes, kangaroo was treated much like ox tail, and braised until tender forming a rich gravy. It is available today in various cuts and sausages.[29][30] Kangaroo is however a common commercial dog food in Australia.

Even less commonly eaten forms of game are emu and crocodile.

Tea was the hot beverage most commonly consumed in Australia throughout most of its history from the time the earliest British settlers, though coffee has become overall more common since the 1990s.[36] Since the 19th Century, billy tea was a staple drink for those out in the great outdoors and at campsites. Boiling water for tea in a billy over a camp fire and adding a gum leaf for flavouring remains an iconic traditional Australian method for preparing tea.[1] Famously, it was prepared by the ill-fated swagman in the renowned Australian folksong "Waltzing Matilda". Tea and freshly-baked homemade scones are common for afternoon tea between friends and family.

Although Australians often drink tea at home, it has been found that in out-of-home establishments where tea and coffee are sold together, tea accounted for only 2.5% of total sales.

Today's Australia has a distinct coffee culture. The coffee industry has grown from independent cafés since the early 20th century. The flat white first became popular in Australia, and its invention is claimed by a Sydneysider.[37][38] The iconic Greek cafés of Sydney and Melbourne were the first to introduce locally roasted coffees in 1910.

In 1952, the first espresso machines began to appear in Australia and a plethora of fine Italian coffee houses were emerging in Melbourne and Sydney. Pelligrini's Espresso Bar and Legend Café often lay claim to being Melbourne's first 'real' espresso bars, opening their doors in 1954 and 1956 respectively. This decade also saw the establishment of one of Australia's most iconic coffee brands, Vittoria, which remains the country's largest coffee maker and distributor. The brand has existed in Australia since 1958, well before it moved to the US.[39]

To this day, coffee chains such as Starbucks have very little market share in Australia, with other homegrown franchises such as the Shingle Inn, Gloria Jean's, The Coffee Club, Dôme, Michel's Patisserie and Zarraffas Coffee also contributing to the smaller coffee chain market share. One reason for this is that unlike in the United States and Asia, Australia already had a developed coffee culture for many decades before coffee chains came to the market.[40]

The chocolate and malt powder Milo, which was developed by Thomas Mayne in Sydney in 1934 in response to the Great Depression, is mixed with cold or hot milk to produce a popular beverage. In recent years, Milo has been exported and is also commonly consumed in Southeast Asia even becoming a major ingredient in some desserts produced in the region.[41]

Beer in Australia has been popular since colonial times. James Squire is considered to have founded Australia's first commercial brewery in 1798 and the Cascade Brewery in Hobart, Tasmania, has been operating since the early 19th century. Since the 1970s, Australian beers have become increasingly popular globally – with Fosters lager being an iconic export brand. However, Fosters is not a large seller on the local market, with alternatives such as Victoria Bitter & Carlton Draught outselling the popular export. Craft beer is popular, as well as distinctive products from smaller breweries such as Coopers and Little Creatures.[42]

The Australian wine industry is the fifth largest exporter of wine around the world, with 760 million litres a year to a large international export market and contributes $5.5 billion per annum to the nation's economy. Australians consume over 530 million litres annually with a per capita consumption of about 30 litres – 50% white table wine, 35% red table wine.[43] Wine is produced in every state, with more than 60 designated wine regions totalling approximately 160,000 hectares. Australia's wine regions are mainly in the southern, cooler parts of the country, in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia. Amongst the most famous wine districts are the Hunter Region, Margaret River, Yarra Valley, and Barossa Valley and among the best known wine producers are Penfolds, Rosemount Estate, Wynns Coonawarra Estate and Lindeman's.[44] In Australia's tropical regions, wine is produced from exotic fruits such as mango, passion fruit and lychees.[45]

Rum served as a currency during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Australia when metallic currency was in short supply.[46]

The famous pie floater of Adelaide

As well as national icons there are many regional iconic foods.[56]

South Australia has FruChocs, King George whiting, and a range of food of German origin including mettwurst, Bienenstich (beesting), streuselkuchen (German cake)[57] and fritz. The state has its own iconic brands such as Farmers Union Iced Coffee, YoYo biscuits, Balfours frog cakes. Jubilee cake is a specialty of South Australia.[58] In Adelaide, a variant on the meat pie is the pie floater, which is a meat pie served in a bowl of pea soup.

Victoria is famous for its home-grown Melbourne invention, the dim sim.[59] Tasmania has leatherwood honey and abalone.[60] Queensland has Weis Fruit Bar and claims the lamington.[61]

Halal Snack Pack, ("HSP", also known in South Australia as an AB) is a Middle-Eastern inspired dish common at kebab shops around Australia. It consists of doner kebab meat served over hot chips and covered in sauces (such as chilli, garlic, or barbecue sauce).[62]