Introduction
Australia is a great country that has a lot of wonderful things to offer. If you’re looking for some unique food items to try while visiting Australia, then this list is perfect for you. Here are some of the best foods in Australia:
Tim Tams
If you’re already familiar with Tim Tams, you might be wondering what the big deal is. They’re just chocolate biscuits, right? Well yes and no. A Tim Tam is a thin chocolate-covered biscuit filled with caramel. It’s a classic Australian snack food that has become popular around the world—it’s even available at Costco in the United States!
When eating one, hold it by its two ends (the flat sides) and bite into it like an Oreo cookie. Then enjoy the deliciousness of creamy milk chocolate interspersed with gooey caramel filling inside your mouth!
If you can find one at your local specialty store or grocery store in Australia, give them a try! Otherwise, they’re also available online from Amazon.
Fish and Chips
Fish and chips are a classic Australian meal. It can be found in many places and comes in all different forms. The most common way to get fish and chips is with tomato sauce and vinegar, although you can also get it with mushy peas (the British version) or tartare sauce.
Order Grazing Boxes
Grazing boxes are one of the best things to eat when visiting Australia. They’re a great way to sample a wide variety of delicious Australian food, and they make excellent gifts for friends and family back home, too.
Grazing boxes are typically served on large platters with a variety of different foods—think finger foods such as mini burgers and sandwiches, dips like hummus or baba ghanoush, seafood like prawns or oysters, chicken wings, and more. You can also find grazing boxes that include dessert options like raw earth dessert, Balsamic pearls (see here for balsamic pearls where to buy), cake pops or mini donuts!
The most popular places to get grazing boxes are at restaurants or markets. If you’re visiting Melbourne (or anywhere else in Australia)
Fairy bread
Fairy bread is a popular, Australian-born snack. Although you might not have heard of it before, fairy bread is one of the quintessentially Australian foods you can find. It consists of a piece of white bread topped with butter and sugar (usually sprinkled with hundreds and thousands of). It sounds simple, but it’s incredibly delicious—and very easy to make at home once you know how!
To make fairy bread:1) Butter two slices of white bread2) Sprinkle sugar on both pieces3) Top one slice with hundreds and thousands4) Stack them together5) Cut into bite-size pieces6) Enjoy!
Vegemite
Vegemite is a dark brown, salty spread that’s made from yeast extract. It’s one of the most iconic foods in Australia, and you can find it on toast for breakfast or in sandwiches for lunch.
It’s high in B vitamins, especially niacin and folate — so Vegemite is good for your heart and brain!
Lamingtons
Lamingtons are square cakes covered in a thick layer of chocolate icing and rolled in coconut. They’re named after Lord Lamington, the Governor of Queensland from 1895 to 1901. The Australian National Library explains that “the Lamington was created during his time as governor-general to help him celebrate his birthday.”
Lamingtons are popular throughout Australia, but you’ll find them everywhere from school cafeterias to fancy restaurants serving afternoon tea. It’s easy enough to make your own at home—just make sure you have plenty of fresh coconut on hand!
Australian meat pies
An Australian meat pie is a savory pastry filled with meat. If a hot dog is like a sandwich on steroids, then a meat pie is like a sandwich on steroids while being fed to you by your grandmother.
Meat pies are one of the most popular foods in Australia, especially when they’re eaten with tomato sauce or gravy and ketchup (a sort of relish). There’s an entire chain devoted specifically to selling these savory pastries called Meatworks. There are also vegetarian options available at some restaurants and cafes—but frankly speaking, I’d suggest sticking to the real thing if possible!
There are several different types of Australian pies: sausage rolls (made from ground pork), pasties (made from minced lamb), flaky pastries stuffed with steak mince, and gravy…and those are just some examples! How does one choose? Well luckily for me my personal favorite was also my first experience eating an Aussie-style potato-wrapped treat—and it was delicious!
Pavlova
The Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert with a crisp, firm crust and soft, airy filling. It’s named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova who toured Australia in 1926. The recipe was created by amateur baker and newspaper columnist Nellie Melba (1861–1931), who also gave us the Melba toast we all love so much today.
Pavlova has become Australia’s national dessert; it’s pretty much everywhere you look here, so it’s not hard to find if you’re interested. You can find variations on pavlovas that are either made with whipped cream or fruit purees like passionfruit or mangoes, but they’re all delicious!
Flat white coffee
A flat white is a type of coffee drink made with espresso, hot milk, and foam. It’s similar to a latte without steamed milk. The foam is typically done by pouring very hot water over a double shot of espresso in an 8-ounce cup, then mixing with the spoon or tamper before adding the hot milk.
The “flat” aspect refers to how quickly you drink it—it’s not meant to be set down and savored like other types of coffees, but instead consumed quickly so that it doesn’t go cold or lose its head (as described above). This makes sense when you consider that this specialty coffee was invented for people who spend their days on the go in Australia.
Lemon, lime, and bitters
The flat white is a drink of Australian origin, and it’s also kind of a big deal. It’s a small cup filled with black coffee, milk, and foam (the foam is the most important part).
In Australia, ordering a flat white is an art form. There are only two ways to order one:
- A single shot in the glass on top of the milk layer
- A double shot in the glass on top of the skimmed milk layer
These are fun foods to try when you come to Australia.
These foods are popular in Australia because they’re easy to find, and most of them can be made at home. They’re also a great introduction to Australian food culture—you’ll be familiar with the flavors by the time you leave.
This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive (we could spend days on this topic), but it should give you some ideas about what kind of food you might want to try when visiting Australia.
Conclusion
We hope this blog post has given you some fun ideas about what to eat when visiting Australia. There are many other delicious options, but these are a great place to start!
