Food and Drink
Australia’s short history has resulted in an exciting and evolving food and drink culture.
australian food
Australians love their food and this nation is built on a strong history of migration so it’s no wonder that we’ve become famous to the culinary world for our ‘fusion’ food.
English and northern European cooking styles have been a part of Australian food since colonisation.
In fact, Norton Street in Sydney and Lygon Street in Melbourne are both renowned for their Italian restaurants. Amazingly, Lonsdale Street in Melbourne is also home to the biggest Greek community outside Greece.
Then in the 1970s many Asian cuisines including Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese and Indian began to influence the Australian food landscape, as well as the many southern European and Middle Eastern influences such as Spanish, Balkan, Hungarian, Turkish and Lebanese.
Many Australian Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people enjoy native grown foods like crocodile, emu and kangaroo. These meats tend to be low in fat, high in protein, and high in fibre.
things to try
- Take a tour around one of the many Australian wine regions (but don’t drink and drive)
- Try a real Aussie beer
- Have Vegemite on toast (it can be a bit of an acquired taste but give it a go!)
- Hold an Aussie BBQ with some new mates
- Chow down on a meat pie (and don’t forget the dollop of tomato sauce)
- Dive into some Aussie desserts such as pavlova, lamingtons and ANZAC biscuits
aussie beer
We love our beer Down Under – so much so that we’re the second largest beer drinkers in the world!
Our beer is essentially a cold lager with a strength of around 5 per cent and the list of breweries is endless, including Tooheys, Carlton Draught, Coopers, Boags, Cascade (which is also the oldest that’s still operating), Hahn, James Squire, Victoria Bitter, Emu Export and Little Creatures.
Inner-city micro breweries are also on the rise and they often offer a selection of ales and ciders.
If you’re wondering who the biggest beer drinkers in Australia are, it’s Darwin residents! Unsurprisingly, Darwin is also home to the world’s largest beer bottle: the two litre ‘Darwin Stubby’.
australian wine
With many great wine regions on the doorsteps of Australia’s largest capital cities, the international reputation of Australian wine has never been greater.
Not to brag, but we’re currently fourth largest exporter of wine worldwide at around 750 million litres per year.
Luckily for you, most wineries have cellar doors that offer wine tasting so be sure to check out some of these well known Australian wine regions:
- Barrossa Valley, South Australia (Shiraz)
- Hunter Valley, New South Wales (Chardonnay, Semillon and Shiraz)
- Yarra Valley, Victoria (sparkling wines, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir)
- Margaret River, Western Australia (Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay)
don’t drink and drive
The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) limit in Australia is generally 0.05% but can be lower depending on licensing restrictions.
Random breath testing is widespread and in some states if you hit something on the road while driving you face a compulsory breath test. We always encourage people to not drink and drive.
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