Australia

Country - Australia

Cuisine Description - The basis of Australian cuisine was established by the British and then greatly influenced by subsequent migrants: Chinese, Greek, Italian and other nationalities. Of course, an authentic Australian cuisine existed even before the arrival of the British. The Australian Aborigines were the first inhabitants on this continent and they themselves came in numerous migratory waves from the north and north west over a period which is now believed to span over 100,000 years but certainly over 40,000. Their foods were of a high nutritional quality and whenever sufficient energy was obtained through hunting and gathering, the nutrient intake was balanced and adequate. So much so, that it allowed a rich and diverse culture of art, story-telling, dance and song to develop across the 600 tribes present at the time of the British invasion.
The English influence determined the main dishes to be Sunday roasts, grilled chops, stews and other recipes made from meat, which were served with vegetables. For example, mashed potatoes, beans, carrots and peas were among the most frequent vegetable accompaniments.
Until recently, Australian cuisine was described by simplicity and freshness - a poor categorising description since it is similarly used across the Pacific Rim and North America. Chicken Maryland was one of the most difficult recipes in that period. During the last five decades, the number of the nations that affected the Australian cuisine grew, the cooking style improved and the recipes began to be more and more complex. The influences from Italy, Greece, Indonesia and China increased. Although there were many influences over the last 200 years, the Australia of modern times now has some culturally specific dishes, due to the recent commercialisation of selected indigenous ingredients, first pioneered by Vic Cherikoff and several chefs and colleagues in the 1980s. These are unique herbs, spices, fruits, nuts, extracted oils and products made from them and which cannot be found outside the country.
Seafood features largely in Australian cuisine. It is variously prepared and usually served at festivities. The most popular seafood includes coral trout, red emperor, sweetlip, barramundi, oysters, mussels, prawns (shrimp), lobsters, crabs, yabbies and other shellfish and crustaceans. Barbeques are frequent occasions, often held at the beach, backyard or other parts of the 'Great Outdoors', for family meetings, get-togethers with friends and at fundraising activities. The 'sausage sizzle' is one of the major uses of food for fundraising. Whilst it has diminished in popularity lately (due to health awareness), it is a dish made up of barbequed sausages and onions, served on white rolls or bread and usually accompanied by tomato sauce (ketchup). Kangaroo, emu and crocodile meats are three of the ingredients that make the Australian cuisine unique. These meats were used by the aborigines and now are a representative part of the national cuisine.
Some long-standing but 'unique' concoctions which have grabbed common perception as Australian are: Vegemite (a brownish yeast extract commonly spread on bread or toast), Anzac biscuits (biscuits with a high consistency of oats which originate in the World War One period, when they were sent to ANZAC soldiers fighting in Gollipoli; due to their composition they could handle the long trip in the mail from Australia) and Lamingtons (cakes made from day old sponge cake, sometimes with a filling of raspberry jam, then coated in a thin chocolate sauce and dipped in dessicated coconut). Copyright Recipes Wiki