Roast lamb has been declared Australia's national dish in a major poll that shows we're still a country of meat eaters at heart.
Most Australians still preferred familiar, traditional food for dinner. Old favourites such as steak and vegetables, roast lamb or chicken, spaghetti bolognaise and lamb chops are consistently nominated as favourite dishes.
From savoury to sweet, Vegemite to Tim Tams, there certainly are a lot of foods to suit anyone on their Australian travels. You might like the idea of pavlova or one of Australia's famed vanilla slices, or maybe the aboriginal witchetty grub or kangaroo might suit your adventurous taste buds better.
Australian Eating Habits
Australians tend to eat three meals a day: Breakfast – eaten in the morning is either light and cold (cereal, toast, coffee) or heavy and hot (bacon, eggs, sausages, fried tomato) Lunch – eaten around 12 – 2 pm is usually a light meal such as a sandwich, or salad.
An Australian Breakfast
An Aussie breakfast can take many forms but the most common is the big fry up! Nothing beats a plate of beautifully cooked farm fresh eggs, smokey bacon, grilled tomato and mushrooms. Sausages, hash browns or beans can be optional extras!
Pavlova is a popular and a national dessert in Australia. It is a meringue-base cake that has a light and crisp crust with a soft marshmallow center. It is usually served with whipped cream topped with fruit.
Australia is known for many things, including swathes of tropical beaches, marine reserves, Aboriginal culture, cute koalas, rolling wine country, and lush rainforests.
The most hated food in the US is Olives, being named the worst by 13 states. Anchovies are also unpopular, with 12 states saying it's the worst food. There are only 10 foods collectively despised by different states: olives, anchovies, eggplant, beets, turkey bacon, bologna, sushi, well-done steak, carrots and pickles.
What foodstuffs can I not take into Australia? Foods that are prohibited unless accompanied by a valid Import Permit include beans, peas, cereal seeds, eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, uncanned meat and all pork products, milk, popping corn, raw unroasted nuts, whole salmon and trout.
And the winner (or fat gainer, should we say) is…. Red Rooster with its Bacon and Cheese Rippa single meal. This substantial meal packs a kilojoule-lade kapow with 7,730kj per serve, which is a whopping 89 per cent of the average adult daily energy intake.
In Australia and New Zealand, "soft drink" or "fizzy drink" is typically used. In South African English, "cool drink" is any soft drink. U.S. soft drinks 7-Up or Sprite are called "lemonade" in the UK.
In Australia, "biscuits" are what Americans call "cookies," and these traditional treats date back to World War I. It's said that wives and mothers of soldiers in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps—abbreviated to "Anzac"—baked these treats to send to their men overseas.
Flip-flops are also called thongs (sometimes pluggers) in Australia, jandals (originally a trademarked name derived from "Japanese sandals") in New Zealand, and slops or plakkies in South Africa and Zimbabwe. In the Philippines, they are called tsinelas.
The majority of Australians speak English as a first or other language, however a significant number of people also speak languages other than English. About 76% of Australians reported speaking only English at home in the 2021 Census.