I had the supreme pleasure of living down under for a couple of years a long time ago. Not a lot of people consider Australia a real culinary destination, as far as traditional Aussie food goes. Sydney has some amazing restaurants and famous chefs but real aussie fare, is definitely underrated. Here are some of the things I learned to love while I lived in Perth and Adelaide:

Pies and Pasties - The Australian meat pie is to Aussie Rules Football as the hot dog is to baseball. It also blows the hot dog out of the water whether it's a dodger dog, a Fenway Frank or an Oscar Meyer wiener. Meat pies are hand held treats, filled with beef, and a gravy-like sauce. They are contained in a pie crust often made from puff pastry and are served with ketchup. A Pasty is a savory pastry built similar to a calzone or a Jamaican Patty. They can be filled with just about anything, but the meat and veggie types are the best in my opinion. I used to walk to the end of my street in Wembley, Perth, to John's Deli and buy pies and pasties all the time. You can order them in the USA here: Australian Bakery or make yourself some: Recipe

Aussie BBQ - This is not the same as a North American BBQ. A barbecue in Australia is usually covered in snags, yabbies, bacon, shrimp and sometimes even emu. Steak and chicken make frequent appearances but you won't see hot dogs or hamburgers very often. A snag is a sausage, and I saw them of all shapes and sizes. Sometimes served in a bun but any North American who's been to Australia knows, this is not even remotely close to a hot dog. The snags we used to get were long, skinny, and neon pink. And they taste like sausage. Delicious with a little barbecue sauce. Yabbies are similar to crawfish, little crustaceans with big flavor. There is always beer, and everyone usually brings a dish of some kind. It's always barbie weather in Australia.

Shark - I know, I know, the gasps, I can hear them. When I tried shark, a) I had no idea it was shark and b) no one really knew that any sharks were endangered. It was 1986 and I was 8 years old. We used to go down to the fish and chips shop on the beach at Port Noarlunga in Adelaide and grab some beer-battered shark and chips. We'd go sometimes in the winter and be the only ones on the beach. Being Canadian, we found the weather warm while the locals would only brave the outdoors to replenish their food supply. We'd sit and stare out at the long jetty and eat our shark, which was admittedly delicious. I will never again, for the rest of my life, eat shark knowingly. But it does not stop the fact that it was yummy. Does anyone know if they still serve it there?

Pavlova - Oh my God, dessert of all desserts, pavlova is so delectable just the thought of it is making me salivate. It's a meringue covered in fresh fruit and whipped cream. My grandma came to visit us in Adelaide and took home the recipe. For years afterward she would cook it at all family gatherings, except she left the meringue a little chewy in the middle. It was so good. Wherever I find it now, it never has my Grandma's chewy middle and it's disappointing, but it is spectacular nonetheless. My favorite topping is strawberry and kiwis but any fresh fruit will do. Tropical fruits always taste the best though. Passionfruit is popular and tasty. Here's a great recipe. It's easy and delicious and worth trying.

australia, food, recipe, pies and pasties, meat pies, pasty, pasties, pavlova, bbq, barbie, shrimp, snags, yabbies, shark, cooking