Traditional Australian Food to Try on Your Next Trip

Good question. Traditional Australian food covers a few bases, with various influences from different cultures gracing us with their culinary wisdom. Add a few years to those customs, with a nice sprinkle of cultural diversity and you get an awesome infusion of Australian food specialties.

However, when talking about traditional Australian food, we must begin with the heritage of our First Nations people and where traditional Australian food began…

Bush tucker, also known as bush food, comprises the traditional foods used by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia. These foods originate from the diverse environments of Australia – from arid landscapes to coastal areas. The culinary practices developed from these ingredients are a testament to the deep connection between Indigenous Australians and their lands.

These ingredients vary by season and location, reflecting the adaptability and deep ecological knowledge of Indigenous communities. Traditional bush tucker is diverse, but can include:

• Land: Seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, kangaroo, emu, goanna, various birds and witchetty grubs.
• Sea: Shellfish, mullet, crabs, mussels, whiting, bream and barramundi.

In Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, each element of the food system is imbued with meaning, often linked to the Dreaming – creation stories and spiritual beliefs that explain the origins and culture of their communities.

Food items may even serve as totems, symbolising a deep spiritual connection and responsibility towards a particular species or element of nature. These totems, often assigned from birth, underline a profound personal and communal relationship with the natural world.

Today, bush tucker not only continues to be a source of sustenance but also serves as a way to educate and share Indigenous heritage through food experiences and culinary innovations across Australia.

Bush tucker tours are available across the major cities, including Sydney, Perth, and Brisbane. Many restaurants serve bush tucker-inspired dishes, such as Quay at The Rocks and Bennelong (Sydney), Ayers Rock Resort and Mabu Mabu in Melbourne.

We strongly recommend taking time out to try some bush tucker and get to know the culinary innovations of our First Nations people. It’s a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding and appreciation of Australia’s rich cultural heritage.

After getting a genuine taste of traditional Australian food with some healthy, flavourful and sustainable bush tucker, let’s see what else is on the menu; in no particular order…

Roast Lamb

According to nationwide polls and surveys, the food voted as the national dish of Oz was roast lamb. Typically seasoned with lemon, rosemary and garlic, this meal holds a special place in the middle of the dinner table, especially on a Sunday.

If you get the chance for some home-cooked food while down under, you probably can’t do better than a succulent cut of this meat.

However, if you’re on the road, we know a place in the little town of Dunedoo, New South Wales called White Rose Cafe that serves unreal Roast Lamb and veggies.

In WA, on the other side, visit the Amelia Park Restaurant in Wilyabrup (You can thank us later!).

Vegemite

“I said, do you speak my language? He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich.”

You don’t need to be down under to know the song. Stick the radio on as you cruise from Melbourne to Brisbane on your road trip, or anywhere else, and no doubt you’ll be hearing it. But beyond the song, Vegemite is both a tradition and an icon in Australian cuisine.

Not sure what it is?

If it looks like marmite, smells like marmite, and tastes like marmite, then yeah, it’s probably marmite. Well, not in this case! But as a rich brown sticky paste made from veg, yeast extract and spice additives, it’s not far off.

You’re bound to find Vegemite in jars on shelves in any food store up and down the country. So, if you’re a fan of Marmite and enjoy a savoury snack, stick a jar in your camper while on the road.  

It might be an acquired taste. But it’s our acquired taste.

Macadamia Nuts

Native to our large evergreen Macadamia trees in eastern Australia, Macadamia nuts have been a traditional Australian food for thousands of years.

First Nations people treated macadamia nuts as a delicacy. Historical accounts suggest they roasted the nuts in the ashes of their fires before carrying them as a non-perishable food source. Nowadays, around 75% of Australia’s macadamia crop gets exported worldwide to over 40 different countries.

You can enjoy the Macadamias Australia Visitor Experience outside Bundaberg, the largest macadamia-growing region in OZ. It’s worth a visit while on a roadie from Brisbane to Cairns. On the other hand, you can always work on a macadamia nut farm when looking to extend your working holiday visa an extra year.

Australian Meat Pie

A real classic in traditional Australian food culture. The meat pie.

Typically with diced or minced meat with gravy, vegetables and sometimes cheese, the Australian meat pie is often consumed as a cheap, fast and easy takeaway.

Not too much to say about meat pies other than they’re never too far away from our chops, with the average Australian eating an average of 12 pies per year. While you may think that’s just one pie each a month, it works out to over 270 million!

Funnily enough, while visiting the macadamia region in Bundaberg, you can also try the country’s best meat pie inside Paradise Bakehouse!

Kangaroo Meat

Maksym Kozlenko, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Taken from our native marsupial you see jumping about here and in Papua New Guinea, kangaroo meat provides a lean and healthier red meat option with less than 2% fat.

It’s also high in protein, with essential B vitamins and minerals such as zinc, iron and omega 3 and 6 fats and acids. Add that all up and you have double the iron of beef and triple chicken and pork.

Despite its healthier benefits, as a traditional Australian food source, only 14.5% of Aussies reported eating kangaroo at least four times a year. But although not all that popular with the locals, you can eat kangaroo at the Australian Heritage Hotel and Pony Dining at the Rocks in Sydney.

If you’re eating out in Melbourne and hoping to try some Kangaroo, look no further than Grill Steak Seafood in Central.

Pavlova

Now for something sweeter. Named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and originating in Australia/NZ in the early 20th century, we have a traditional Australian dessert defined by its meringue base and topped with whipped cream and fruit.

Traditionally served on holidays, this iconic dish offers a crisp crust with a soft and chewy inside. Deeeelliissshhh!

Aussies and Kiwis argue over who the dish belongs to, with Herbert Sachse said to have created it in Perth in 1935 while NZ accounts go back to 1926 during a ballerina tour of the country. While the debate will no doubt rumble on until the end of time, one thing’s for sure, it’s always worth a slice of that sweetness to top off any meal!

Barbecued Snags

Although you’re unlikely to hear an Australian say “Throw another shrimp on the barbie!” – we say ‘prawn’ over here anyway – we do still enjoy a BBQ as much as any place with a bit of sun.

You might see a prawn here or there, but most Australians will be more familiar with steak, chops, or “snags” – straightforward Australian sausages, usually made of pork or beef, and often served in a single slice of white bread covered in tomato or BBQ sauce with onions.

For extra points, go find yourself a snag at your local Bunnings, an Australian household hardware and garden centre chain. Don’t ask.

With BBQ areas available in campsites up and down the country, we recommend barbecuing some snags yourself, or going veggie and making some tasty skewers, with peppers, courgette (zucchini) and tomatoes!

Avocado Toast

Speaking of veggies, if you’re veggie or vegan looking for a savoury snack, and Vegemite is not for you, we recommend avocado on toast.

With avocado orchards in every state across the country, they provide us with perennial fruit and premium products all year round. Great on its own smashed up with salt and pepper or mixed in with raw red onions, feta and cherry tomatoes with a poached egg on top, we love avos down under, particularly for breakfast and brunch.

We think the best places to eat avocado on toast in Australia are Guyala Café in Cairns, Faraday’s Cage in Fitzroy, Barbetta Cucina in Paddington and the Banksia Tree in Port Adelaide.

Pumpkin Soup

For those cooler nights by the campfire, nothing quite warms the cockles like a lovely mug of pumpkin soup. After all, it’s not sunny all the time here and can get cold in the winter months.

This traditional Australian food hits the spot just right and with so many pumpkin varieties grown all over the country, you can enjoy diverse flavours with numerous recipes.

Lamington

Some more dessert to help butter you up, we’re talking Lamington cake, defined by chocolate-coated squares of butter or sponge rolled in desiccated coconut.

This cake holds a special place in our hearts and has been awarded with its own National Lamington Day on July 21st.

The Anzac Biscuit

Did we say 10 foods? Here’s a bonus to keep those tummies from rumbling.

Established in WW1, the Anzac biscuit is long associated with the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) after wives and mothers of soldiers would send biscuits during wartime.

Made using rolled oats, flour, sugar, butter, golden syrup, baking soda and desiccated coconut, these biscuits notoriously kept well during long journeys, ideal for any long camper road trips you aim to take while travelling Oz and NZ. These biscuits can come homemade or in stores and supermarkets. 

As well as traditional Australian food, Australian food culture also has its characteristics that you will find when visiting.  

Here are a few Australian eating habits to expect on arrival:

Let There Be Meat

With our old economy driven by farm exports, meat has always been a big part of our culinary history and remains so to this day. Roast lamb and meat pies date back to the old farming diet when the country was mostly agricultural.

Although things have changed, meat still dominates Australian eating habits, with the country ranked among the top meat-eating nations in the world.

Multicultural Mosaic

From the culinary creativity of bush tucker to colonialism to gold and mineral rushes old and new, we’ve had a complex history, with a mix of different peoples that have made a home here in Australia. As a result, Australian food heritage is rich, with dozens of cultures and nationalities represented.

Wellness Movement

As in much of the worlds, Australia and NZ are now more mindful of healthy food options and trying to introduce balanced foods with more vegetables to reduce the obesity epidemic.

This enlightenment is especially prevalent across the big cities, with more food options available for vegetarians and vegans, like acai bowls, falafels, chickpea burgers and quinoa salads being popular choices.

To end this Australian food guide, we thought we’d smash through a load of FAQs to cover any outstanding questions or curiosities before you get ready to enjoy our culinary delights for yourself:

What is Considered the National Dish of Australia?

Roast Lamb is considered by many to be the national dish of Australia. Although there is a lot of debate on this one, roast lamb often comes out on top in national polls. This traditional Australian dish has its roots in the country’s agricultural heritage and lives on as a Sunday lunch classic.

Are There Any Unique Australian Ingredients I Need to Try?

Absolutely – wrap your taste buds around these unique Australian ingredients:

• Macadamia nuts
• Vegemite
• Kangaroo
• Emu
• Witchetty grubs
• Kakadu plum
• Green ants
• Crocodile
• Mud crabs
• Saltbush
• Quandong
• Lemon Myrtle
• Marron
• Wattleseed

What Are Some Must-Try Desserts When Visiting Australia?

If you have a sweet tooth, venture beyond the roast lamb and dive try these Aussie desserts:

• Pavlova
• Lamington
• Tim Tams
• Vovo tarts
• Anzac biscuit cake
• Fairy bread jelly slice

How Has Australian Cuisine Been Influenced by Other Cultures?

Australian food culture began with what we now call “bush tucker” from our First Nations people. After European settlement, our food culture centred around agriculture before Chinese settlers arrived with culinary influences during the gold rush in the 1800s.

A positive migration policy since WW2 then brought further European and Asian influences that have prevailed since, with cultures and communities from all over the world further influencing Australian cuisine.

In short, Australia has a very diverse food culture rooted in its complex history, from the culinary creativity of Indigenous Australians right through to colonisation and its position between Asia and the Pacific.

What Are Some Traditional Indigenous Australian Foods?

There is a varied Indigenous Australian food culture that developed over thousands of years, but some ingredients include:

• Fruits
• Nuts
• Roots
• Vegetables
• Grasses
• Seeds
• Kangaroo
• Porcupine
• Emus
• Possums
• Goannas
• Turtles
• Shellfish
• Fish

What Are Some Common Australian Food Slang Terms I Should Know?

We have a certain way of speaking down under, especially with what we call our food.

Here are a few Aussie food slang words to look out for:

• “Tucker”: food
• “Snag”: sausage
• “Bikkie”: biscuit
• “Chook”: chicken
• “Barra”: barramundi
• “Dimmy”: dim sim
• “Goon”: wine (cheap)
• “Goog”: egg
• “Pav”: pavlova
• “Sanger”: sandwich  

What Vegan or Vegetarian Options Are Popular in Australian Cuisine?

We tried to include some vegetarian and vegan options in our 10 traditional Australian foods above, but here is a more comprehensive list for you vegans and veggies that want to get local:

• Avocado on toast
• Beetroot salad
• Pumpkin soup
• Quinoa salad
• Chickpea burgers
• Falafel wraps
• Vegetarian pies

Are Australians into Coffee?

Australians are into coffee big time! We have fancy cafes serving tasty espresso coffee now in all our urban areas as standard. Fun fact: 75% of Australians enjoy at least one coffee every day!

What Is Australia’s National Drink?

Lemonade, lime and bitters (LLB) got voted the nation’s drink with coffee coming in close due to popularity. In terms of alcohol, Australia has a rich wine culture with numerous vineyards growing plenty of reds, whites and roses thanks to our climate.

What Do Australians Eat for Breakfast?

If you’re coming from the UK and you’re worried about missing a full English breakfast, fear not: we love a fry up here, alongside Vegemite and avocado on toast. Acai bowls are also popular with French toast, banana bread and cereals adding to our diverse brekkie demands.

What Do Australians Eat for Lunch?

As mentioned, on a Sunday, many Australians will enjoy their national dish of roast lamb. Thanks to the sunshine, you can expect plenty of barbies on the weekends, so no end of burgers, chicken and prawns. During the week, you can expect things to lighten, with standard sandwiches and salads widely eaten between working hours.

What Do Australians Eat for Dinner?

With such a diverse food culture, you’re likely to find Australians eating much the same as in any other cosmopolitan place around the world. But a few local dinner favourites would include:

• Chicken Parmigiana
• Pies
• Fish and chips
• Barramundi
• Burgers
• Thai
• Indian
• Italian
• Chinese

Hope you enjoyed our Aussie food guide and we haven’t made you too hungry!

Now, we think one of the best ways you can try all the amazing food on offer in Australia is on the road. From eating out in Sydney and Melbourne to picking macadamia nuts in Bundaberg, our country has a proud food heritage full of variety and flavour waiting to be explored.

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To plan the road trip experience of a lifetime (and gain a few pounds in the process) visit our website and book your camper today. Yeeeeeeeeew! 🚐🌟