Oh the Australian Food

So as requested by my mother, here is the much awaited post on Australian Food.

1. Yogurt - I know it sounds ridiculous but the yogurt out here is flawless! I never really loved yogurt, and now I can't live without it. There are always two cartons in my fridge. With flavors like Apple Passionfruit Mango Peach, and Honeycomb Nectarine, who wouldn't always have yogurt around? And it's not just flavored yogurt, there is the entire fruit in there, seeds and all, so you know it's legit. It's better than legit, it's too legit to quit (please somebody name that movie).

2. Mi Gorheing - So even though it has a fancy name, it's just the oz version of ramen noodles, but better. Instead of just having the seasoning packet, it comes with peanut oil, this soy sauce stuff, dried onions, and chili sauce. And that's considered the cheap college food! It's amazing! It makes ramen noodle seem like eating wet cardboard. To make it even better, when your noodles are boiling, crack a few eggs in, I know it may seem gross at first but think of lots of asian dishes: They have egg in them! So it makes it amazing!

3. Sakata - These are these amazing disc shaped thin rice crackers about 2 inches in diameter. They come in all these amazing flavors like soy ginger, or chili lime, or barbeque, or just plain rice (which are the best ones). You wouldn't think something so plain would be so good, but I have serious issues not finished a package of them within the day, they are just that addicting.

4. Leechee Nuts - They are this little spiky red thing, that looks not that great. But you crack open the skin and there's this milky slimy looking thing. It looks slightly like giant fish eye or something, but they taste like heaven! Just avoid the huge seed in the middle. Too bad they are $8 kilo or else I would eat them everyday.

5. Bread - Everyone knows that in the US whole wheat, whole great, really good bread is always more expensive. Not the case out here, well at least at Coles grocery store. Everyday the fresh bakery makes the most amazing bread and then it goes on sale for 2 for $3.50. Total Bargain! The best one is Soy and Linseed bread. It's all whole grain with no sugar or anything. So good. Or whole wheat with seasame seeds. It's a good thing that white bread is more expensive because white bread instantly makes me fat. After eating a loaf of white bread I can look at my love handles and be like "Hey look, there's that piece of bread." So not good! So thankfully healthy stuff is cheaper.

As a general rule of thumb though, food in australia is about 2x more expensive than in the US. Take chicken for example: $10 for 2.2 lbs. That's $5 a lb. Not cool since chicken is my staple food in college!

6. Kebabs - So when I first heard of kababs I thought they were just like shiskabobs or something, just like meat on a stick. Oh I was sooo wrong. Kebabs are this wonderful creation. You take stuff like lamb, beef, lettuce, tomato, onions, sweet chili sauce, garlic sauce, etc etc and wrap it in this big pita flatbread thing: oh man they are amazing! It's like a rich mans burrito. They are so good! The first kebab I ever had was in Byron, and my life was changed from then on. I remember sitting on the curb, looking at the ocean thinking "Good thing there's not a kebab shop in Lismore, or else I'd be broke."

7. Vegimite - I've already written about it in previous posts, so no need for repetition. Just know it's really good! American's need to open their their "food minds" and try it more often (99% of american's hate the stuff). It's really is good.

8. Sausages and Rissoles - Sausages in the US are primarily a breakfast food. They are actually an exclusive breakfast food. Well here they are the cheap, good, barbeque food. If there is free food at the uni somewhere, it's sausages and bread. Oh, and coleslaw. Coleslaw is big out here, and it's really good. At the Uni Bar and party nights they have sausages. They are in casings, not just like free form sausages in the US, but these are legit, real sausages. They are really good.
Rissoles are just meat patties, but they have stuff in them too like onions and other veggies and stuff. They are made out of mince, so they cook and look differently than just a ground beef patty that you would make. They are pretty good too. Heaps of people have rissoles.

9. Veggie Patties - When I hear veggie patties, I think of vegans and tofu, and some soy imitation for vegetarian meat. They are not that at all. They are actually what their name says: veggie patties. They are made out of potatoes, corn, peas, and other veggies, all smushed together and crumbed on the outside. They are incredible! It's especially good to put coleslaw on top, and then a bit of barbeque sauce all on top of a piece of bread. So good!

Beet Root - So I normally don't associate beet root with anything, maybe Thanksgiving Dinner. I don't really think I've ever had beet root knowingly. Just haven't. Well out here, beet root come as a staple on all hamburgers. It's just like lettuce and tomato. Who would have thought of beet root as a condiment? Not me that's for sure. It's amazing though, I will never be able to eat just a normal burger after now. They put the most random things on their burgers here, and it always turns out flawlessly. Like hash brown patties, and pineapple, and egg and beet root. All on the same burger. It sounds intensely gross, but man is it ever good. The US is lacking in awesome burgers. You think Carls Jr. experiments with burger condiments, well just come to Oz.

All in all the food here is incredible. I love it. I know that if I ever return to the US I will certainly be bringing some Australian Culinary traits back with me for sure. And beet root and vegimite will always be found in my cupboards.