Foods in Australians

The end of World War II brought about significant change in Australian cuisine. People from Europe and Asia brought new crops, seasonings, and cooking methods with them.

Wheat, rice, oranges, bananas, and grapes are just a few of the crops that grow in abundance throughout the country. Meat has always been a large part of the Australian diet, although Australians (like others around the world) began to be concerned about controlling cholesterol and fat in their diet, and decreased their consumption of meat slightly toward the end of the twentieth century. Kangaroo, though once a popular meat in Australia's early history, is no longer widely consumed; beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and seafood are more common in twenty-first century Australia.

Grated Carrot, Apple, and Raisin Salad

Ingredients

1 head of lettuce
1 medium carrot, grated
1 medium red apple, chopped fine
¼ cup raisins
1 Tablespoon coconut, flaked
Juice of lemon

Procedure

1. Carefully remove several firm leaves from the head of lettuce, and arrange in a bowl.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl.

3. Mound mixture in the lettuce "cup." Serve with cottage cheese, chicken, or lean cold meat.

Serves 6.

A typical breakfast may consist of fruit, toast with Vegemite (a salty yeast spread), fried eggs and bacon, and juice. Lunch may be an apple or a salad (such as Grated Carrot, Apple, and Raisin salad), a sandwich filled with tuna or deli meats, and an ANZAC biscuit for a treat. (ANZAC is the acronym for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. No one knows for sure, but many people think these biscuits were first prepared for troops—and for Australian and New Zealand families—around 1915 during World War I.) Dinnertime often brings leg of lamb or barbecued prawns (shrimp), roasted vegetables, a salad, and a custard or tart for dessert. Damper , a simple homemade bread, and billy tea , named for the pot it is heated in, both remain a staple for any meal.

Meat pie is considered the Australian national dish. One newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald, reported some statistics about meat pie consumption in the country:

Almost 260 million pies are consumed every year, or almost 15 per person
Men eat meat pies almost twice as often as women
62 percent of meat pies are filled with chopped steak (ground beef)
36 percent are filled with steak and onion, steak and kidney, steak and potato, or steak and mushroom
Just 2 percent are filled with chicken

Australian Meat Pie

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
1 cup ketchup
1 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
⅔ cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 prepared pie shells, 8-inch

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine ground beef, ketchup, onion, salt, milk, breadcrumbs, oregano, and pepper in a bowl.

3. Mix well.

4. Divide mixture into 2 pie shells and bake for about 45 minutes.

5. While the pies are baking, mix together Worcestershire sauce and cheese in another bowl.

6. After about 45 minutes, remove pies from oven.

7. Spread Worcestershire sauce and cheese mixture on top of pie shells.

8. Bake for about 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serves 6.

Black Australian Coffee

Ingredients

4 heaping Tablespoons decaffeinated coffee grounds
4 cups water
Pinch of salt
Pinch of dry powdered mustard (optional)
1 lemon, sliced crosswise into thin rounds

Procedure

1. Measure water into a saucepan and heat.

2. Sprinkle coffee on top of water.

3. Add salt and mustard, if desired.

4. Heat the mixture slowly to the boiling point.

5. Remove from heat immediately.

6. Let stand for 5 minutes and strain.

7. Serve coffee with a slice of lemon in each cup.

ANZAC Biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup margarine or butter
2 Tablespoons corn syrup
4 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups oatmeal
2 cups sugar
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Combine oatmeal, sugar, white flour, and whole-wheat flour in a bowl.

3. Melt margarine and add corn syrup and water in a small pan over heat.

4. Add the baking soda to pan and stir until fizzy.

5. Pour contents in pan into the bowl with dry ingredients and stir well.

6. Shape dough into balls and flatten with a fork on a tray.

7. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 4 dozen biscuits.

Lamingtons

Ingredients

½ cup butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cups flour
½ cup milk
Pinch of salt

For icing:

4 cups confectioners' sugar
5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons butter
½ cup milk
Shredded coconut

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Mix together butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs.

3. Slowly add baking powder, baking soda, flour, milk, and salt.

4. Pour mixture into an 8-inch square cake pan and bake for about 45 minutes.

5. Let cool and store overnight in a sealed container.

6. Make icing: Measure confectioners' sugar and cocoa into a large mixing bowl.

7. Heat milk and 2 teaspoons butter until the butter is melted. Add the milk gradually to the sugar mixture, stirring constantly. The icing should be fluid but not too runny.

8. Cut the cooled cake into 2-inch squares, and put the coconut into a shallow baking dish. Have ready a cooling rack set over a sheet of waxed paper to catch icing drips.

9. Holding a cake square with two forks, dip it into the icing, and then roll in the coconut. Transfer to rack to dry. Repeat until all cake square are coated.

Serves 16.

A Biscuit for a Treat?

Australians, like the English, call cookies "biscuits." They often use the nickname "bickies" or "bikkies" especially when offering a biscuit to a child (or even when offering a treat to a pet). Every household has a biscuit tin, a decorative round tin with a lid, to keep the supply of biscuits handy.

4 FOOD FOR RELIGIOUS AND HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS

Most Australians spend holidays with family, participating in special events and preparing a festive meal. Since the temperatures are mild, meals are often consumed outdoors at a picnic or on the beach. Because Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are the opposite of those in North America and Europe. Christmas falls in the middle of summer, when most school children are on their summer vacation. A typical Christmas menu may include a variety of hot and cold meats, seafood, pasta, salads, and many types of desserts. Mince pies, fruitcake, shortbread, and plum pudding are also popular after-dinner treats.

Christmas puddings may contain a small favor baked inside. It is said that the person who finds the favor will be blessed with good luck.

Easter is also widely celebrated in Australia. A traditional menu consists of roast lamb, beef, or chicken with roasted vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, peas, or broccoli. Seafood, lasagna, and salads are also favorites. Pavlova, an elegant dessert made of egg whites and sugar and garnished with fruit, is a popular Easter dessert. Most children prefer candy, and chocolate eggs are Easter favorites. Treats are often shaped like an Easter bilby, an endangered Australian mammal that resembles the North American Easter bunny.

Christmas Shortbread

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1⅛ cups butter, cubed
⅓ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons rice flour (optional)

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Grease two cookie sheets.

3. Mix flour, sugar, and rice flour in a bowl.

4. Add the butter by rubbing in with fingertips.

5. Press mixture together to form a dough ball.

6. Place dough on a lightly floured surface.

7. Knead gently.

8. Divide dough in half, placing one rounded, ½-inch thick piece on each cookie sheet.

9. Gently mark out eight equal portions on each piece, radiating from the center.

10. Prick dough with a fork.

11. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

12. Allow the shortbread to cool and store in an airtight container.

Pavlova

Ingredients

4 egg whites
1 teaspoon cornstarch (corn flour)
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup castor sugar (finer than regular sugar, but regular sugar may be substituted)
Whipping cream or whipped topping
Strawberries and kiwi for topping (other fruits or berries may be substituted)