Australia is a strange place, all the way on the other side of the world, and separated from many other Western countries.
It’s no surprise really that our culture, and our food, has evolved to be so different.
That evolution has made Australia an interesting place, and it’s made Australians appreciate the foods that are so necessary to life in the sunburnt country. To celebrate that, here are the 20 legendary Aussie foods that you just won’t find anywhere else.
Lamingtons
The chocolate-soaked, coconut covered sponge that holds up the very foundation of Australian culture, lamingtons are a staple in bakeries the country over. Only made better with a jam surprise in the middle, they’re the best snack coming, any time of the day.
Party Mix
We know, it’s basically impossible to get a party mix where there’s an appropriate mix of all of your favourites, but that doesn’t make it any less difficult to turn them away. The best Australian relationships are born by two people who like all the opposite kinds of lollies after all.
Golden Gaytimes
Talking about Aussie Foods? Honeycomb ice cream + biscuit pieces = the stuff of dreams. And don’t tell us that the Golden Gaytime tubs are going to ruin anytime, because we can’t hear you over all the ice cream we’ve just eaten.
Sausage Sizzles
The Bunnings sausage sizzle is basically an Aussie Foods Saturday morning ritual in this great nation, but so too are the school fete, football final and park BBQ sizzles that keep butchers all over the country in business.
Chocolate Crackles
There aren’t too many people who have gone through the school system, either as a child or a parent, without having a close encounter with the world’s most more-ish dessert: chocolate crackles. Blissfully crunchy, it matters not that they’re made with melted fat. We love ’em.
Tim Tams
Technically, they do have these in the U.K, but they’re called Penguins and frankly, they’re far inferior. Let us just say that you wouldn’t want to bother with the ‘penguin’ slam. That’s just a disappointment.
More Reading:
Chicken Salt
What makes the deep-friend, oiled-up, golden-crisp of hot chips better than they already are? Only chicken salt my friends, the oft-yellow magic that makes you wonder: “How do they fit all the deliciousness of a chicken into those little grains?”
Chiko Rolls
The goodness of a Chiko roll is not from its ingredients (it’s a deep-fried cabbage roll after all) but in the tradition of picking one up from a dodgy, was-that-a-roach corner takeaway when you’re too stuffed to prepare anything else.
Bubble O Bill
The novelty of the ice cream/bubblegum combination will never grow old in the eyes of many Australian children, thanks to Bubble O Bill. Sure, that freaky cowboy looked nothing like he did on the wrapper, but the chocolate, caramel and strawberry ice cream, plus the almost flavourless bubblegum, remains forever.
Fantales
Beware if you try and eat Fantales directly from the fridge, but once they’re soft, they’re pretty much the best thing ever. Sure, it’s just chocolate-coated caramel, but that celeb trivia? Awesome.
Iced Vovos
Bringing together marshmallows, jam, coconut and biscuits is something that Australians will always honour with their consumption of the Iced Vovos. They’re the classic Australian biscuit, for when Scotch Fingers just aren’t cutting it anymore.
Caramello Koalas
Think Freddo Frogs couldn’t get better? Well, you’ve forgotten about the frog’s caramel cousin! If they’re melted, it’s a sticky mess, but if you can keep them together long enough to bite down on one of Australia’s native treasures? Delicious!
Cherry Ripe
Australia’s oldest chocolate bar is one that you’ll probably take for granted until the day you move to another country and realise they only make their magic on Australian shores. That cherry, coconut, chocolatey goodness. What else is life for?
Burger Rings
Feel like a burger but only want to eat with one finger? That’s what burger rings are for — the burger-flavoured chips that have been making the tongues of Australians feel weird for as long as kids have been wearing them as jewellery.
Milo
The challenge with Milo is getting the right balance of milk and that malted goodness. Of course, your version of the right balance was nothing like your mums, so when she wasn’t looking, you always piled in a few more spoons!
Paddle Pops
Classic chocolate, basic banana and whatever-flavour-this-is rainbow, life in the toasty Australian summer doesn’t get much better than the Paddle Pop. They’re almost the cheapest, but they’re basically a pocket-change rite of passage for adults and children alike.
Passiona
Passiona is one of those soft drinks that holds it’s own regardless of the company. It melds well with the hard stuff in an alcoholic punch, but also plays nice with the kids at family BBQs when all you really need is the sweet, refreshing bubbly taste of passionfruit.
Shapes
The two selling points of Shapes: Flavour You Can See and Baked Not Fried will forever make these flavour-topped biscuits a part of Australia’s food culture. Plus once you start, it is so hard to stop.
Vegemite
Americans might like to eat it by the teaspoon and talk about how disgusting it is, but it takes a true-blue Australian to get it right. Perfectly toasted bread, a slather of butter, and the individually sized scraping of Vegemite is the world’s best breakfast, guaranteed.
Fairy Bread
Probably the most magnificent Australian food on this list, regardless of their age. Regularly spotted at children’s birthday parties, this white bread/butter/hundreds and thousands combo has been granting wishes since time immemorial.
Have your say!