What Food is Popular in Australia?
Are you wondering what to eat in Australia?
What kind of food is popular in Australia, especially snacks and desserts?
Maybe you are wondering what kids eat while growing up in Australia.
I figured that now that my kids are truly Australian (officially, they are now dual citizens), it is time for them to try all the Aussie favorites.
When you think of Australian food, I know Vegemite is one of the first things that comes to mind.
I tried Vegemite during my first trip to Australia in 2004, but I had no idea how to eat it. I thought it would be like jelly, so I put a lot on my toast when I saw that it was a breakfast option one morning.
It is not like jelly. Also, I have to say that I mean jam as jelly in Australia is like Jello in the US.
While the food is generally the same, there are things that Aussie kids grow up with that American kids do not. We decided to try as many as we could.
Shapes Crackers
I did not know about Shapes.
We moved to Australia, and my husband excitedly purchased them. I assumed that there would be a bunch of different-shaped crackers in each box, but each flavor has one shape. We tried the cheddar and pizza flavors first.
I have no idea what flavor Mark got that first time because I did not get any, but his first choice when I told him we were trying them was pizza. His second choice was cheddar. The cheddar shapes are rectangles and kind of taste like Annie’s cheddar bunnies mixed with Cheez-It. I prefer Cheez-Its, but we all liked the cheddar shapes.
I put Mark in charge of snacks one day, and he came home with meat pie-flavored Shapes. They have beef fat in them, and I do not eat beef, so I did not try them. The kids refused to eat meat pies, but they did eat the crackers. M said that they tasted yuck, but Z liked them. I swear, if it is crunchy, he will eat it, no matter what it tastes like. M did eat more, despite her initial claim.
They smelled just like meat pies, complete with tomato sauce on top. I am hoping that these never show up at my house again.
I have seen the fried chicken Shapes in the stores, but I will refrain from buying them.
We have bought a variety pack of individual bags. It comes with pizza, BBQ, and mini chicken crimpy. The kids love them all. Shapes have become a snack staple.
Tim Tams
We have already tried Tim Tams (here), but we have not done the Tim Tam challenge. That is when you bite off the ends of the cookie and use it as a straw for your milk.
Mark told me that this is no longer a thing as they changed the cookies. There used to be a space where you could suck up milk, but it is no longer an option.
While you can often find Tim Tams in the cookie section at grocery stores outside of Australia, they are still considered Australian cookies.
Vegemite
I bought a jar of Vegemite, and it has been sitting in the cupboard for months.
Having visited Australia multiple times in the past, I have tried Vegemite. I despised it the first time I tried it during my first trip to Australia in 2003. I did not know how to eat it, so I slathered it on my toast like jam.
While I was warned that the correct way to eat Vegemite is in small doses, like a thin layer on buttered toast, I never wanted to try it again.
My kids’ vocabulary is changing; they are Australian citizens, and they seem more Aussie every day.
It is time to try the Vegemite.
I toasted a piece of white bread, buttered it, and spread a thin layer of Vegemite on top. I placed fairy bread on the same plate and told the kids that if they tried the Vegemite, they could have the fairy bread.
Then I made the mistake of trying it myself. All I can compare it to is licking the barrel that beer is made in at the brewery. It is awful.
Both kids hated it. Z asked me to never make it again.
Mark isn’t even pretending to try it.
Violet Crumble
As I mentioned in a previous post, Violet Crumble was my absolute favorite find during my first trip to Australia. Now, they are a bit sweet for me, but I promise that does not stop me from eating them.
I don’t eat the whole bar at once. The rest of my family enjoyed Violet Crumbles, and they have no problem eating as much as they are allowed.
Cherry Ripe
Another candy bar I tried during my first visit to Australia is the Cherry Ripe.
They taste like a cherry-flavored Mounds bar.
Lamington
My mom is from Ohio, and my parents lived in Cleveland after they graduated from college, while my dad was in podiatry school. I have clear memories of Davis Bakery and its coconut bars. My parents used to bring them home to Florida after trips back to Ohio. I had no idea that these coconut bars were the same as a lamington.
Lamingtons are 1 of the 3 desserts we had at our wedding. Unfortunately, the bakery we used is no longer open, but we chose to offer 3 Aussie desserts instead of cake. We served lamingtons, vanilla slices, and caramel slices.
While I don’t recommend the prepackaged lamingtons found in the grocery store, the whole family agrees that fresh bakery lamingtons are always delicious. Sometimes they have jam inside, and sometimes they do not, but they are always good.
One day in quarantine, we ordered 4 types of lamington from Tokyo Lamington in Sydney for our daily tea party. I do not think that you can go wrong with lamingtons.
Meat Pies and Sausage Rolls
The kids refuse to try meat pies and sausage rolls. When M was younger, we found an Australian pie shop, and she stole my chicken curry pie. Now, she won’t eat any pies.
We had a fancy version of a meat pie during high tea at the W. Zach still refused to try it, but M ate hers and said that it was okay.
I don’t eat beef or pork, but I love any type of chicken or veggie pie/roll.
11 months into our time in Australia, Z ordered his first sausage roll. We were on vacation in Tasmania, and that is what he picked for breakfast. He is now hit or miss with them.
Golden Gaytime
We opted to try a special version of the ice cream cones, “gay time.” There is currently a birthday edition, and of course, that is the one the kids picked.
The original has nuts, and these do not.
The picture on the box was a bit misleading. Z said, “They look good on the box, but inside they look all dirty.”
While they didn’t taste bad, none of us were excited about them, and we wouldn’t purchase them again. To me, they tasted like graham crackers.
Vanilla Slice
My kids have no interest in trying vanilla slices, even though they are their dad’s favorite. I enjoy them too. These are some of the desserts we served at our wedding.
We made them in the US, and I made some here in Australia as well. You do need custard powder, which is easy to find in Australian grocery stores, but you may have to order it online outside of Australia.
Find out where to have the best vanilla slice in Brisbane.
Pavlova
I believe that pavlova is a New Zealand dessert, but it is popular in Australia too.
Mark usually makes it at least once a year when we are in the States, and the kids are enjoying having them more often here. They like to decorate the top with different fruits, especially passion fruit, kiwi, and strawberries.
Fantales
Fantales are another item that I did not realize was popular in Australia.
They are chocolate-covered caramel.
M lost a tooth in hotel quarantine, and the hotel tooth fairy dropped off a package that included Fantales. A day later, Mark’s cousin sent us a care package and included Fantales in it.
The candy is hard and chewy, so I kept it away from the kids.
More for me!
Unfortunately, Fantales are no longer being made.
Twisties
After seeing Twisties in the store, I finally brought some home. Mark was so confused, as he was certain that I had tried Twisties before. Nope. I had no idea what they were.
Basically, they are Cheetos. They look the same and taste similar, though they aren’t quite as bright orange, and they do not taste the same.
I will not be buying these again.
Like everything else, it seems, twisties come in a variety of flavors such as chicken, BBQ, chili cheese, and twisted tomato.
I am not trying any of those flavors.
Of course, the kids were happy to eat the rest of the Twisties.
Milo
Milo is a malt beverage mix. I assumed that it was the same as a hot chocolate mix.
It is winter here, and Brisbane just won the bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympics. To celebrate, I decided to finally break out the can of Milo that has been in our cabinet for months.
Mark said he would make it for us.
When I sat down to drink it, I was surprised that it was cold. He just mixed Milo with cold milk.
He said that is how you drink it, but he could heat it if I wanted.
I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to have crunchy bits in it or dissolve fully, like hot chocolate, so I asked a friend while he heated my Milo.
It stays crunchy. Some dissolve, but the whole point is that it is crunchy.
It dissolved as my Milo got warmer, and I did not add any more on top. Aussies add a scoop of Milo to their ice cream.
It was not as sweet as the hot chocolate powder that I am used to.
Fairy Bread
Fairy bread is one of the few things that anyone around the world can make. Just take a piece of white bread, spread butter on top, and then sprinkle on sprinkles. This is a popular treat at children’s birthday parties.
My kids have had fairy bread before. I usually make it for breakfast on Valentine’s Day and use a heart cookie cutter.
I had never tried it before, as it does not sound like grown-up food. Also, as my friend will tell you, I am “joyless” because I do not love sprinkles.
I made fairy bread to go with the Vegemite toast.
To be honest, it isn’t bad!
It is way better than toast with Vegemite.
You can’t go wrong with buttered bread. The sprinkles add a crunch. I would eat it again.
I still don’t understand why this is considered a sandwich option, but I would eat fairy bread at a party.
Freddo Frog and Caramello Koala
Freddo Frog and Caramello Koala are typical kids’ chocolates here. They are made by Cadbury, and are the kind of candy that is often given out on Halloween and at birthday parties.
They’re both good, but not amazing. Typical cheap chocolate, but in fun shapes with cute names.
Freckles
Freckles are nonpareils, but prettier.
They generally come in one size, which would be comparable to a large nonpareil.
The other difference is that the sprinkles (or hundreds and thousands as they are called here) are colorful.
Of course, these are a hit.
I even like the name Freckles better than nonpareils.
Family Favorites
I separated everything into two groups: fresh and packaged.
For fresh items, Mark said vanilla slice, Z picked fairy bread, and I picked lamingtons. M claims they are all good, but she won’t eat a vanilla slice.
Out of the packaged items, Mark’s favorite is Violet Crumble. Z likes Milo, and I chose Tim Tams. M again claimed that she likes them all.
The clear least favorite is Vegemite.
Mark is asking me what freckles are, so maybe they aren’t Aussie favorites. We got them in Tasmania as they’ve been on my list to try. What do you think? A new Aussie favorite?
Check out more of our taste tests here:
Tell me more!
What are other Aussie Kid Favorites that we need to try?
Is there something we have been missing out on?
What is your favorite?
Anything you would never try?
Which item are you currently searching for and hoping to try?
If you are from somewhere else, what are the favorites in your country?
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