Page 12 - Australia Destination Guide - Aluring Asia

FOOD While Australia does not have a distinct culinary identity, there are some foods that are Australian favorites. Australia is a multicultural nation. With European settlement occurring as recently as 1788, Australia has had little time to develop a distinctive culinary character. PAGE 3 Population | Time | Visas Traditional Aboriginal bush tucker (foods from native plants and History animals) is the ultimate Australian food experience. Most of the PAGE 4-5 Australian population resides in the coastal areas, and access to bush History foods is limited and not actively sought. A diet rich in seafood is common for the same reason and fresh fish, prawns, scallops or oysters are a PAGE 6 regular part of many home menus. Language PAGE 7 Australian Culinary History The Land | Climate With a history of British colonization, many Australian food traditions are PAGE 8 based in English customs. A hot, baked Christmas dinner with all the People | Health & Vaccinations trimmings and hot plum pudding for dessert is common, despite summer weather conditions that can regularly see temperatures as high as 38 – PAGE 9 40C (100 – 104F). Currency | Credit Cards Safety & Crime | Tipping Etiquette With a recent history of immigrants from many nations, the Australian WATER food scape has adapted to include these varied cultures and tastes. Most PAGE 10 It is generally safe to drink tap Etiquette | Taxis Australian children are now raised as familiar with Thai, Chinese, water in Australia however, if you Safety & theft Vietnamese and Japanese dishes as they are with Western European foods. American culture has also had its inevitable impact and Australian have any concerns you should PAGE 11 consider drinking only bottled Shopping | Customs families regularly enjoy North and South American favorites as part of water, available throughout their diet. Australia. PAGE 12-13 Food & Drinks | Religion Australian Foods Insurance BEER True Australian foods, while limited, do exist. There are a variety of Beer arrived in Australia at the PAGE 14 products that Australians are particularly fond of and these, more than a Culture & The Arts particular dish, best represent the nation’s culinary identity. beginning of British Colonization In 2004, Australia was ranked fifth internationally in per capita beer Australian Breakfast Foods consumption at around 110 liters Vegemite – the traditional Australian toast spread. This concentrated per year, though considerably yeast extract is a rich source of vitamin B. The texture is similar to peanut butter and it is dark brown/black in appearance. Its strong, distinctive lower in terms of total per capita taste puts off many tourists, but Australians embrace it as their own. It alcohol consumption. The most can also be used to enhance flavors in soups, casseroles and other savory popular beer style in modern day Australia is Lager. dishes. The oldest brewery still in Weet-Bix are flaked-wheat biscuits that can be served with milk or as a bread alternative with butter and/or a spread such as Vegemite, jam or operation is the Cascade Brewery, peanut butter. They can also be used in recipes for slices and squares and established in Tasmania in 1824. as a bread-crumb substitute in savory dishes.