Tastes of a Nation: Australia's Most Iconic Foods

Australia Day may have come and gone for this year, but that doesn't mean we should stop celebrating those things that make our country unique. Some of these things include the iconic food that Australians have been loving throughout history!

Here are some that have become true Aussie icons:

Lamingtons

This may come as a surprise, but the lamington was actually created by a Frenchman, a well known chef by the name of Armand Gallad to be precise. Gallad created this cake for The Governor, Charles Cochrane-Baillie, the second Baron of Lamington, in the Queensland summer of 1900. Its deliciousness caused such a stir that it was published in the Queensland Ladies Home Journal the next week and quickly became a household favourite.

Arnott's biscuits

Arnott's is an iconic Australian brand that has provided biscuits to go with our tea for the past 146 years. Starting from humble beginnings as a small bakery in Newcastle in 1865, Arnott's has grown to become more than a biscuit company – it's a part of our national history. So if you like your patriotism to be tasty, then grab a packet of Tim Tams, Mint Slices, Tiny Teddies or classic assorted biscuits.

Pavlova

The origin of the pavlova is hotly contested as New Zealand also claims to be the birthplace of this unique cake. So where does the truth lie? The pavlova, for those who don't know,

is a meringue crust filled with whipped cream and topped with fresh fruit like strawberries, kiwi fruit and mango. It was named after the Russian prima ballerina Anna Matveyevna Pavlova who visited Australia in 1926 and 1929, and New Zealand in 1926. The first pavlova recipes were definitely published in New Zealand as far back as 1926, but they were often different to the modern pavlova we know today. However, during Anna Matveyevna Pavlova's stay at the Hotel Esplanade in Perth in 1929, chef Herbert (Bert) Sachse found a New Zealand recipe for a meringue cake, altered it, and made famous the Australian icon we know today.

ANZAC Biscuits

ANZAC biscuits are also claimed by both Australians and New Zealanders and were based on the savoury biscuits that were given out as part of soldier's rations during World War I. The first recipes for the biscuits, also called 'rolled oat biscuits' or 'soldier's biscuits', emerged in the 1920s, but the ANZAC biscuit name was established after the infamous ANZAC Gallipoli Campaign. The biscuit is particularly crunchy because it is made only with things that were available during the war and that wouldn't spoil – oats, flours, sugar, coconut, butter, bi-carbonate soda and golden syrup or treacle.

Damper

Damper is a traditional bread cooked at a campfire. The original method sees Aussies wrapping the dough around a stick and then cooking it over the fire or down in the coals. It was a staple during colonial times because the dry ingredients are easy to carry (flour and salt) and it only requires some added water! The first mention of damper is said to be found in memoirs edited by the Supreme Court of New South Wales judge Barron Field between 1817 and 1824.

Vegemite

Australians are particularly obsessed with vegemite, and we delight in giving it to our foreign visitors just to see their noses wrinkle at the salty taste! Vegemite is a curious, dark brown spread made from brewer's yeast. It was first made in 1922 by a young chemist by the name of Dr. Cyril P Callister for the Fred Walker Company (later the Kraft Food Company). The spread graced Australian shelves the next year and, after a rocky start competing with the English Marmite, has now become a staple in kid's lunchboxes.

Meat pies

The pie has a long and colourful history. Historians trace the origins of pastry as  far back as ancient Egypt, and pastry wrapped around meat may have begun with the ancient Greeks. The Romans then adopted this method and from there it spread through Europe and beyond, eventually settling on Australia's shores where the small, hand held version became popular. Once again, New Zealanders also consider this item a national cuisine, but former New South Wales Premier, Bob Carr, described it as Australia's "national dish" in 2003!

From these tales it's clear to see that Australia's iconic food often comes from international sources, and this has continued into our modern food scene with many of our top chefs and restaurants drawing inspiration from unique flavours from around the world. Outside of fine dining, Australia is well known for offering a wide variety of international cuisines. You can easily walk down a single street anywhere in Australia and choose from cuisines such as Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Indian, American and Japanese, just to name a few.

Yet Australia is starting to have a unique flavour of its own, and many fine dining restaurants are recognising 'modern Australian' as its own brand. You can find gourmet meat pies in trendy cafes, while pavlova has been deconstructed and recreated in well known restaurants. It's safe to say that Australia's iconic food will continue to delight taste buds from country kiosks to three hat restaurants for years to come.

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Mireille Kilgour

Mireille Kilgour has been an entrepreneur for 35 years in the hospitality sector. French born, she has been an accomplished business owner and operator for a number of Sydney venues. Leading the industry with high profile institutions such as Lamrock Café Bondi, she has endless passion for the industry, and now has the pleasure of supporting restaurants to fill their tables with the new Good Food Gift Card program.

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