4 Ways to Ensure You  Eat Like A Local In Australia

The following article is a guest post by The Travelling House Sitters. Check out more articles like this on their BLOG!

Are you headed to Australia? Or are you just curious what that lot down under eat? Well you’re in luck, you’ll find out the snacks those Aussie can’t live without and what they eat when they step out of bed. You will also find out how to host an Aussie barbie (BBQ) and the classics, they just love (nope it’s not vegemite!).

Some Sweet Treats

Now in Australia when you go for your sweet afternoon treat there are pretty much only threes things you need to know about. The first is the classic Tim Tam. Now this is something that most likely be life changing. Grab your Tim Tam and bite off two opposite corners. Use one corner as a straw to drink your cold milk or hot coffee, you can thank us later.

The next thing you reach for is your good old lamington, this is a brilliant snack make up of sponge cake rolled in chocolate and coconut. Lastly you will want to grab yourself a vanilla slice from the bakery. The name might seem unassuming, however the Vanilla Slice is a iconic treat. The slice has some crispy pastry bottom and top, with  a thick, vanilla custard filling.

Host Your First Barbie Right

To start off the barbie (BBQ) right you need to get yourself some snags (sausages). Snags are an essential item to pulling off an Aussie barbie. When your grabbing the  snags make sure you’ve got bread, tomato sauce, and onions ready to go with them. BBQ’ed onions are essential for a Aussie BBQ. All you need to do is thinly slice a few onions, throw them on the barbie with some oil and sugar (only a tablespoon or so) and caramelise.

There are plenty of Australian approved ways to classy up your BBQ (or barbie) if snags aren’t for you. You could try some beetroot burgers or prawn and avo skewers ( yep, we call then prawns not shrimp). Now a beetroot burger might sound strange, but that tangy and sweet veggie will have you wondering why you haven’t added it before. We recommend cutting them in half and grill them.

When you’re invited to an Aussie BBQ make sure you bring a salad. A favourite at all Aussie barbies would be the Asian crunchy noodle salad, everyone will have a story of how there mums used to make this classic. As we mentioned most Aussie BBQs involve (a lot of) beer so make sure everyone is aware of your gas smoker safety, you might want to dedicate someone to enforcing this, so you don’t have a trip to the hospital ruining your barbie.

First Thing in The Morning

Aussie breakfast starts out pretty similar for most people (no we don’t have avocado on toast everyday). Firstly is it is the classic Weet-Bix, throw some in a bowl of milk with either sprinkle of brown sugar, a dollop of honey, or some sliced banana. As a kid this was usual go to, not mention every sporting hero on our tellies (TV’s) was sponsored by Weetbixs.

Next you have vegemite egg soldiers. First you want to throw some bread in the toaster, then you want to soft boil a few eggs. When they are cooked find yourself an egg cup, spread some vegemite on your toast and cut it the toast into 8-10 finger sized dippers. Knock the top off your egg and dip those tasty soldiers in!

But What About The Classic?

Now one thing that can’t be forgotten is your good old Aussie classics and, in that group, there are a few that come to mind. We all know that vegemite is a classic Aussie condiment, so we might just introduce you to something a little different.

A true Aussie favourite is Milo whether you have it hot, cold or on top of your ice cream it is delicious. However, some mums got really creative with it and made some beauties. We remember the  likes of Milo bubble bars, Milo ice blocks and even Milo filled macaroons. The kids who had mums who made these treats, were pretty popular at recess.

A true favourite at every Aussie birthday party under 10 (maybe 20) is fairy bread. You make fairy bread by buttering some white bread and pouring hundreds and thousands on it then cutting into small triangles or squares. Now that may sound odd, but it is truly a delicacy. If you mention fairy bread to any Aussie adult you will see memories of childhood and happiness floating past their eyes.