When most people in the United States or Europe are asked to name a famous Australian dish, the first thing that might come to mind is:
“Shrimp on the barbie!”
The origin of the now ubiquitous Aussie buzz phrase is a series of TV ads sponsored by the Australian Tourism Commission. The spots were headlined by Paul Hogan, famous for his “Crocodile Dundee” movies. The commercials ran from 1984 through 1990. The full quote spoken by Hogan is: “I’ll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you.”
Kangaroo
So, is “shrimp on the barbie” the most notable dish associated with the cuisine of the Land Down Under? Well, the fact is that Australians like to throw a lot of different kinds of food on “the barbie.” Among them is kangaroo meat.
It’s a fact that kangaroo is among the healthiest meats in the world. It’s lean, tasty and has a texture and profile similar to a lean cut of beef. But kangaroo beats out beef in protein and iron content. It’s also leaner than beef, has fewer calories and fat content. As a bonus, kangaroo is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Vegemite
Another food strongly associated with Australia – some would say for better or worse – is Vegemite.
Even though its name suggests that Vegemite is a spread made from vegetables, it is actually prepared from yeast extract. It’s routine for just about all Australians to have a jar of Vegemite on the breakfast table because they like to spread it on toast.
Vegemite is an Australian original. It was created by chemist CP Callister at the behest of Fred Walker in 1922. Both were citizens of Melbourne. Vegemite was modelled after Britain’s Marmite.
Barramundi
Speaking of England, it’s famous for fish-n-chips. But in Australia, it’s a river fish named barramundi which captures the culinary delight of this southern hemisphere nation. Barramundi is the aboriginal term for “large-scaled river fish.”
To be a true authentic Aussie eater, you prepare your barramundi grilled, fried or seared skin-side first. There’s no batter involved like the British fish-n-chips. Put simply; barramundi is delicious.
Now it’s time for dessert. In Australia, that means Pavlova. It’s a sweet and crispy meringue crust filled with fruit infused with whipped cream. It was named in honour of the famed Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova who came to Australia to perform in the early 1920s.
