When you think of Australian cuisine, what comes to mind? Outside of "shrimp on the barbie" and a cold Foster's beer, most people have little idea what to expect when dining in Australia. How about smoked salmon mousse wrapped in marinated dried apricot or Queensland scallops on polenta and braised peas in a wine reduction sauce or kangaroo fillet served with sweet potatoes and a salt bush gratin. These are just some of the delicious and cutting edge fare being produced in "the land down under". Granted you can still find staples like meat pasties as well as fish and chips, carry overs from their British heritage, but things are changing. It is progressively becoming easier to find incredible food from Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and China. This is a bi product of the rampant immigration from this part of the world to Australia in recent years. Nowadays, great chefs from Perth to Sydney are integrating Asian inspired ingredients with concepts from the Mediterranean to create something completely original, and dare we say sublime.
Australia is a land blessed with unique flora and fauna and local chefs are taking notice. The nation is completely surrounded by an abundance of sea life. Thus, you can encounter incredibly fresh sea food, from oysters to scallops to shrimp to water bugs (claw less lobsters) and barimundi (a great tasting fish if you have never tried it), all can be crafted into mind blowing dishes. Of course, when you travel to Australia, you need to experience it's legendary exotic game. It is quite common to find kangaroo, crocodile, and emu ( and to a lesser degree camel) on menus throughout the country. These meats are all unique in flavor and can be combined to create something truly novel.
This blending of cultural cuisine and the incorporation of fresh and local ingredients has put Australia in the conversation as a place to sample some of the best and most innovative foods the world has to offer.
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