Food Staples

Vegemite

  • The dark brown food paste is made from yeast extract (as opposed to Marmite's vegetable extract) and contains a large amount of Vitamin B
  • It looks like Marmite, but the locals will tell you that Vegemite is very different and substantially better; more savoury than sweet
  • A god send to parents, as kids are not allergic to the stuff; so it makes for easy sandwiches to send to schools!
  • Instructions are simple: spread butter on a piece of toast until it has melted and apply an even spread of Vegemite

Weet Bix

  • A high-fiber breakfast biscuit made from whole-grain wheat and usually has some granulated sugar or honey on top as flavouring, served with milk
  • Has been an Australian favourite since 1930
  • It's smaller, sweeter and more brick-like than the Weetabix that's found in other countries
  • Can buy a packet at your local supermarket: Woolworths, Coles or IGA

ANZAC Biscuits

  • ANZAC biscuits are biscuits that contain rolled oats, flour, sugar, desiccated coconut, golden syrup, butter, bicarbonate of soda and water
  • They are associated with ANZAC Day on 25 April and they commemorate the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought in WWI
  • They were made by the wives of soldiers during the war and subsequently sent to the soldiers fighting overseas, because the basic ingredients as mentioned above were able to keep for a long time, even on long boat journeys
  • Find some good ones at the Colonial Bakery on 4 Ennis Rd, Milsons Point

Pavlova

  • A popular meringue-based dessert that has a crisp crust and a soft, light inside. It is often decorated with whipped cream and fresh fruit and served at celebratory meals
  • Australia and NZ have another rivalry about where the Pavolva originated from. Both countries claim to have invented the dish in honour of the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, when she visited Australasia in the 1920s
  • Get some at Pavlova Pantry, 351 Rocky Point Road, Sans Souci

Lamingtons

  • Lamingtons are square-shaped sponge cakes that are coated in a layer of chocolate icing and desiccated coconut. It sometimes comes in two halves with a layer of cream or jam in the middle
  • Often referred to as the National Cake of Australia
  • Often a popular accompaniment with tea and coffee and is also baked for fundraisers

Fairy Bread

  • Sliced white bread is cut into triangles, smeared with butter or margarine and covered in hundreds and thousands which sticks to the bread for a bright and multi-coloured treat
  • A staple at kids' birthday parties
  • Easy to make

Arnott's Biscuits

  • Arnott's is an Australian biscuit company and food institution and now a subsidiary of U.S. based Campbell Soup Company
  • Arnott's make most of Australia's most loved biscuits such as the Iced Vovo, Tim Tam, Shapes, Jatz, Saladas, Tiny Teddies etc.
  • Available for purchase at your local supermarket; Coles, Woolworths or IGA

Meat Pies

  • Colloquially referred to as a dog's eye, the ingredients of the parcel have long been debated in Australian cuisine
  • It's on the menu at every house party, sporting venue and morning after a big night; usually accompanied with sausage rolls
  • Nowadays, the meat pie has many gourmet variations but if you like to keep it reasonably simple have the one with mashed potatoes and gravy
  • Find a good one at Harrys Cafe de Wheels, Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo

Chicken Parmigiana

  • Started as an eggplant dish in Italy and has since evolved into a chicken schnitzel topped with an Italian inspired tomato passata and melted cheese; can also be topped with ham or proscuitto
  • Italian name but an Australian pub classic; usually comes with a beer on parma night at the local pub
  • Find a good one at the Whitehouse on campus!

Golden Gaytime

  • Toffee and vanilla ice-cream dipped in chocolate and then covered in biscuit pieces
  • As Streets say "it's hard to have a Gaytime on your own"

Barramundi

  • Barramundi gets its name from the Aboriginal language meaning "large-scaled river fish"
  • Best pan-friend or seared skin-side first (rarely battered or deep fried); often dished up as a fish steak with a herbed oil
  • Get it at Regatta, 594 New South Head Rd, Rose Bay

Kangaroo

  • Low in fat
  • Not for lovers of well-done meat as it's prone to drying out; generally cooked rare to medium, often primarily on one side
  • Kangaroo goes well with garlic, pepper, juniper, rosemary and fruity flavours such as plum, red currant and orange
  • Get it at I'm Angus Steak House, The Promenade Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney

Emu

  • Has a few times the iron content of beef, is virtually fat-free and is low in cholesterol
  • The Australian native animal works well when smoked and served cold or as a pizza topping
  • For a modern gourmet twist, have it in a pie made up of emu meat, smoked emu, feta cheese, red wine, sun-dried tomato, onion and Tasmanian black pepper - all in a filo pastry crust
  • Quite uncommon to find in restaurants
  • Try it at the Australian Heritage Hotel, 100 Cumberland St, The Rocks

Crocodile

  • Consumed by locals, although it's definitely more of a delicacy and not widespread
  • Get it at the Australian Heritage Hotel, 100 Cumberland St, The Rocks

Fantales

  • A delectable bite-sized treat that is made up of chewy caramel coated in milk chocolate
  • It's renowned for yellow and blue wrapping covered with movie trivia, a marketing move that has endeared the treat to DVD groupies and movie goers

Barbecued Snags

  • Nothing is more Aussie than getting friends or family together for a barbecue. At the heart of any good barbecue is a selection of good Australian snags, from the traditional pork or beef to those flavoured with herbs and spices from around the world
  • A sausage sizzle is often put on outside the local hardware stores (the most famous being the Saturday sizzles at every Bunnings in Australia) and on election days
  • There's something homey about a snag in a roll or a slice of bread covered in your favourite sauce, perhaps with some friend onion on top and some potatoes on the side
  • Good flavours available at your local supermarket; Coles, Woolworths or IGA

Fish and Chips

  • Australia has some of the best seafood in the world and that means you're almost guaranteed fresh fish, served with salt and lemon, wrapped in yesterday's newspaper or white wrapping
  • Get it at Doyles on the Beach, 11 Marine Parade, Watsons Bay or at the Whitehouse!

Roast Leg of Lamb

  • It's the garlic, rosemary and olive oil that make this piece of meat delicious and tender. It's then served with enough baked potatoes to end any family feud
  • Find a good one at Victor Churchill, 132 Queen St, Woollahra

Hamburger with Beetroot

  • Nothing is more Aussie than slinging a piece of beetroot on top a pattie with Aussie beef. That soft bun, all-beef pattie and cheese is simply not properly done without the finishing touch of a beetroot
  • Get it at Burgerman, 116 Surrey St, Darlinghurst or at the Whitehouse!

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