Nobody warns you that Aussie food is less about fancy dining and more about what you eat at the footy, a servo or a kid’s birthday party. As an immigrant, I’ve made it my mission to try the classics, the ones locals grew up on and never think twice about. Here are five I’ve ticked off so far (with varying levels of regret and delight).
The Aussie Food I Have Tried
1. HSP (Halal Snack Pack)
The HSP is the late night hero of Aussie food. A foam box of hot chips, piled with shaved doner meat, melted cheese and the holy trinity of sauces, garlic, chilli and BBQ. It’s messy, salty and absolutely not a salad. You eat it with a plastic fork, standing up, after a long night. For someone who grew up on street food, this felt strangely familiar. Proof that the best Australian dishes often come from its immigrants.
2. Woolies Ice Cream Cake
Every Aussie birthday has one hiding in the freezer. The supermarket ice cream cake from Woolies is cheap, cheerful and somehow tastes like childhood, even if it wasn’t your childhood. Sliced with a hot knife, eaten before it melts. No pastry chef required.
3. Chiko Roll
The Chiko Roll is the Aussie answer to a spring roll, but bigger, crunchier and sold at fish and chip shops and servos across the country. It was first sold at the Wagga Wagga Show in 1951 and has been a takeaway icon ever since. A thick, deep fried pastry tube with a savoury filling of vegetables, barley and meat. Not delicate, not pretty, very Australian.
4. Tim Tam Slam
Every visitor needs to do this at least once. Bite off opposite corners of a Tim Tam, dip one end in hot tea or coffee, then suck the drink through the biscuit like a straw. The second the chocolate goes soft, shove the whole thing in your mouth before it collapses. It’s ridiculous and messy, and it’s the most fun you can have with a biscuit.
5. Neenish Tart
The Neenish tart looks like it was designed by a committee that couldn’t agree. A small pastry shell filled with cream, topped with icing that’s half chocolate and half white or pink. Nobody seems to know exactly where the name came from, which only makes it more charming. You’ll find it in old-school bakeries, sitting next to the vanilla slices.
Trying Aussie food as an immigrant taught me that a country’s real menu isn’t on a fine dining tasting list. It’s in the freezer aisle, the takeaway counter and the bakery window. These five aren’t fancy, but each one is a little piece of everyday Australia, and eating them made me feel a bit more like a local. Next on my list is a proper meat pie at the footy and a vanilla slice, so stay tuned.
Follow me on Instagram @KultureKween for more updates.
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