But what about Vegemite? Iconic Aussie Food Tasting

“Have you tried Vegemite yet?”

Next to questions about the U.S. presidential election (Don't worry, I'm not talking about that right now.), I have been asked this question more than anything else. Until today, the answer was always a slightly embarrassed “no.”

Here’s the problem—Vegemite doesn’t exactly have a good reputation among travelers. I heard endless bellyaching about this savory spread. It didn’t exactly make me want to run to good ole Woolies to pick up a jar of it.

With just a few weeks left in Australia, though, I figured it was time to try all of the typical Aussie foods I could.

·         Barbecue: I got a great introduction to Australian barbecue early on this semester.  Everything from sausages to veggie patties, fish and prawns to beef and chicken—it goes on the barbecue, and it all tastes great. I must admit, I’m still partial to Kansas City barbecue—I am my father’s daughter after all!

·        Meat pies: If you are an American, the first time you eat a “pie” in Australia may confuse you. A buttery crust filled with meat and gravy, these savory pies are surprising but delicious.

·     Fish and Chips: YUM. I love fish, so fish and chips is a great meal for me when I am too lazy to cook. I’ve had it fried and grilled at Costis—a little stand outside Jesmond shops—and I have had to stop myself from getting it more often. The one thing that still confuses me about fish and chips is when the cashier asks if I want no salt, salt, or chicken salt on it. Chicken salt?

·         Pavlova: I’ve heard that Australia and New Zealand argue over the origin of this dessert. Whoever came up with it is brilliant, though. Fluffy and sweet meringue is topped with fresh cream and fruit. The one I had was mango, and WOW was it delicious. The meringue is fluffy on the inside with a perfect sweet crunch on the outside, and the cream and tart mango topping come together to make for one incredible dessert.

·         Nutella: No, Australia did not invent Nutella. Yes, Nutella is available in the U.S. But the amount of Nutella consumed in this country is pretty insane. I’ve seen jars with 1 kg of Nutella in them. If you somehow haven’t tried Nutella before, go buy a jar right now. It’s hazelnut-chocolate spread and it gives you an excuse to eat chocolate all day long.

·    Tim Tams: “It’s just a chocolate biscuit. I don’t understand the hype.” Yes, it is a chocolate biscuit, but they are some of the best chocolate biscuits I’ve ever tasted. Two chocolate cookies coated in a layer of chocolate and filled with whipped chocolate goodness, Tim Tams are a must-try when in Australia. I’ve bought way too many packages of Tim Tams here.

·         ANZAC biscuits: These are sort of like a hard oatmeal cookie. Not too sweet, not too spectacular, but a good, simple biscuit with a great story. It is thought that these were sent to soldiers during war, hence the name ANZAC biscuit (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). Nowadays, a portion of the sales is given to an organization that supports servicemen, veterans, and their families.

·         Sausage roll: This is a flaky pastry filled with sausage. Pretty simple, but so hearty and filling. This is what I would call Australian comfort food.

·         Lamingtons: I got jam-filled lamingtons, which have two layers of sponge cake with jam between them. They are then coated in chocolate and coconut—what’s not to like?

·         Vegemite: Now, for the ultimate question—what is Vegemite really like? Did you like it? Did you spit it out? Before I tell you what I thought, though, I want to explain how I tried it because that actually makes an enormous difference. For all of my non-Australians out there, the most important thing is to never EVER eat Vegemite by itself. It is a savory yeast spread, so eating it plain would be nasty. I heard the best way to try it is to put a tiny bit of it on toast with butter, so that is exactly what I did.

The first bite I took confused me. It was salty, a bit bitter, and very savory. But it wasn’t bad, so I continued to taste it. Bite after bite, I was still confused. I’m honestly not sure how I felt about it even now, but it was interesting and definitely worth trying! I think I liked it, so I might even try it again. I bought a little jar of it—maybe I’ll grow to love it!

There hasn’t been a single food I’ve tried here that I truly disliked. There were definitely some that confused me at first, but trying new things is part of the fun!

Side note: Another popular thing for tourists to try is kangaroo meat, but I just couldn't bring myself to eating one of these guys.