14 June, 2007 Australian food + Multiculturalism = Meat Pie Pizza?

My friend was dining on her holiday in Mexico when she was presented with a menu. She had been in unfamiliar territory for a week and was missing home, so when she spotted Taco and Enchilada on the menu her eyes lit up. “I can’t believe it,” she said. “They have Australian food here”.

I’m sure you had an embarrassed giggle just like her boyfriend did. But although MOST people know that Tacos are actually Mexican, it’s not so easy to define what Australian food is. Is it more than snags on a barbie and lamingtons?

What is Australian food?

- “Steak and BBQ, sausages and that sort of stuff.”
Andrew Lutomski, aged 20 of Chisholm

- “BBQ. I know really creative.”
Annie McAppion, aged 20 of Chifley

- “Meat pies and sausage rolls can only be found here. And maybe in New Zealand.”
Richard Lupeituu, aged in his 40s of Canberra City (Tongan born)

- “Pies and fancy fusion food.”
Bec Uzzell, aged 20 of Monash

- “Pies and snags.”
Scotty Moore, aged 22 of Gordon

Do Australians really like vegemite?

- “No. Vegemite is an acquired taste. But when I was a little kid I was forced to eat it. They said ‘its good for you, it’ll build you up’.”
Richard Lupeituu, aged in his 40s of Canberra City

- “Yes, I am a happy little vegemite!”
Kate Needham, aged 20 of Chisholm

- “In small doses.”
Julia Grieve, aged 17 of Gowrie

- “I love it, no other substitute (ie. Marmite) counts.”
Annie McAppion, aged 20 of Chifley

- “No, it’s too tangy, I don’t like it.”
Ben, 20 of Tuggeranong

I safely determined that most people have tried vegemite and damper, but not all like people them. Pies, sausages, steaks and anything that can be thrown on a BBQ are widely considered our national dish. But I don’t believe that most Australians have a BBQ every day or even every week. If we did, I’m sure we’d all have heart attacks.

Today Australia’s cuisine mostly mirrors our cultural diversity, as many of our dishes have been seasoned by flavours from countries around the world. The variety of people and cultures in Australia has made dining in this country a unique and sometimes interesting experience, which is not always friendly to our taste buds. My stomach agrees with Tandoori Chicken Pizza and Sushi with cooked tuna and mayonnaise. But Satay sausages? Eating at my house can also get a little interesting. We often have Nasi Goreng (fried rice) with mince and pasta sauce. That doesn’t sound particularly appetising, but trust me - people have gone further with their hybrid foods.

- “The Meat Pie Pizza, I can’t stand it. I don’t get it.”
Thomas Stevens, aged 18 from Calwell

- “My grandparents put this Asian sauce on sausages, it was pretty bad!”
Bec Uzzell, aged 20 of Monash

- “They used to have deep fried Mars Bars.”
Ben, 20 of Tuggeranong

- “There is nothing strange if you’re willing to try everything once.”
Annie McAppion, aged 20 from Chifley

- “Have you tried Curry pie?”
Isaac Moir, aged 20 from Hume

Actually, the whole dining experience can get a little interesting. Every time I go to a Japanese restaurant I end up with more rice in my lap than in my mouth. And we’ve all had that embarrassing moment when we have attempted to pronounce an dish and it sounded like “Paneer Am…number twenty-one please”.

I once went to a ‘seafood and steak’ restaurant and the waiter brought a finger bowl to our table. My family friend from Jakarta squeezed in the lemon and put his hands on either side of the bowl and lifted it towards his mouth to drink. This is when I realised how even the most simplistic aspects of cultures can be so different.

- “I’ve been to a few Indian restaurants and there were these two dishes, I can’t even remember them…I couldn’t say them so I just pointed to them and said ‘I’ll have that one’. And that goes for the wine too, Chassagne?”
Andrew Lutomski, aged 20 of Chisholm

- “I have had some suspicious meat at a few restaurants.”
Kate Needham, aged 20 of Chisholm

- “The atmosphere of going to a foreign restaurant is very different.”
Scotty Moore, aged 22 of Gordon

- “In China Town, we had dumplings, and they were slimy. We also had tea with floaties in it, it was different.”
Amy, aged 21 of Tuggeranong

- “We didn’t know what to do with a zucchini soup in a shot glass at one restaurant.”
Isaac Moir, aged 20 of Hume

Modern Australian cuisine is actually defined as the blending of completely different ethnic traditions. Sometimes this can be tummy-turning but most people agree that we benefit through multiculturalism especially through food. If it wasn’t for multiculturalism, “we’d just have damper and lamb” (Amy, aged 21 of Tuggeranong).

There is a greater variety of food in Australia because of multiculturalism. But most importantly the exploration of other cultures through food helps us to further understand the culture from which the food has comes from and the people who have come from there. Although there are often shocked looks when people first eat an escargot (French snails), most times it is followed up with “tastes like chicken”, and a smile.

They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. I know food is only a small part of culture, but it’s a start.