This presentation explained the methodology behind the outcome reached by the AussieCuisine Project Team in 2018
What is AussieCuisine?
Ask anyone for their opinion and you are likely to get answers ranging from “I don’t know” to “I know it when I taste it” and everything in between.
In our most recent Gault&Millau Australia review of dining establishments in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, more than 300 restaurants indicated that they serve “Contemporary Australian Cuisine”, but most were unable to give us an informative explanation or even the defining characteristics of such a cuisine. It was this lack of a clear answer that gave birth to the AussieCuisine project.
The AussieCuisine Project is designed to explore and define the essence of Australian Cuisine.
For nearly three years we have interviewed about 35 chefs and food experts. We have held several forum discussions and researched over 125 articles and texts on Australian food and culture.
We know that Australia is a multicultural society developed over 200 years of immigration…our food is the food of our pioneers – the original indigenous society, British convicts and colonists, Chinese gold hunters, European refugee migrants, Asian refugee migrants, other displaced migrants and people who just want to be here.
So Australian eateries typically try to keep everyone happy by specialising in everything!
- The French:
- They brought us the basic cooking technique.
- The Chinese:
- They established our eating-out scene.
- The Greeks:
- They introduced us to the coffee shop concept and the mezze plate, which is the foundation of the share plate trend.
- The Italians:
- Their pasta and pizza became some of our most popular dishes.
- The Japanese:
- Their cuisine reflects the best of our coastal lifestyle.
- Our Asian neighbours:
- They added vibrancy and flavours to our cuisine.
- And of course the contribution of Our Indigenous First Australian’s cannot be ignored. Whilst often thought of as being simple hunter/gatherer survival food it is now emerging that the ancient Aboriginal Australian’s developed many modern food technologies including cultivation of grain, aquaculture and even bread making.
Australia exhibits a global cuisine, borrowing styles, techniques and recipes from around the world. Australia’s cooking is exciting, dynamic and growing – perhaps as a result of not having a long cultural history. Australia does not seek to retain a traditional regional character, as does Italy, so is free to experiment and create new fusion recipes.
So after this detailed and on-going research, we have concluded that Australian Cuisine is…
‘A fresh, light, vibrant and innovative cuisine; featuring the diversity of Australian inland and coastal produce and reflecting our relaxed outdoor lifestyle.’
WHY???
Fresh:
Australia is a large country and is lucky to have a varied supply of fresh ingredients all year round. Fresh food was of course vital to our Indigenous people and has had a major influence on the Aussie Cuisine of today
Light:
We tend to let the taste and flavours of our produce shine through without too much tampering. We feel there is no need to cover fresh food with substantial sauces or serve it with heavy accompaniments.
Vibrant:
We recognise the influence of our neighbouring countries on our cuisine. Not only have we adopted some of their dishes – for instance, salt and pepper squid can be found on most of our pub menus – but also our European-based cuisine has been invigorated with spices and umami flavour from Asia, adding a tangy and vibrant punch to our food. Often our food has “wings” and it “sings” compared to Western cuisines. Our flavour profile doesn’t hide behind the subtle nuances of European cuisine.
Innovative:
Aussie chefs tend to be more open-minded to new culinary influences and have a sense of freedom to experiment with new produce, techniques and cuisines. Whilst in Europe, chefs tend to preserve their traditional gastronomy and tend not to share our generally more creative culinary expression. In recent years our chefs have started to innovate and adapt our various imported cuisines as well as including some Indigenous cooking methods and native ingredients in their cooking.
A lot of our well-trained and passionate chefs like to challenge set boundaries and often venture to try new combinations of tastes and flavours. Not having to abide by the boundaries of culinary traditions, our Aussie chefs have had greater freedom to create their own distinct flavours and applications, which over time has given rise to our diversified culinary evolution. The sense of freedom that local chefs enjoy is undoubtedly the strength of our cuisine and is instrumental in influencing the culinary direction and diversity of Australian dishes.
Produce and lifestyle:
We are lucky to enjoy a wide range of produce and ingredients – both native and introduced – from all around Australia. We can marry products like native Saltbush with introduced lamb and local tropical fruits. And our produce is some of the freshest and least processed in the world.
As Australia is one of the most urbanised nations with 85 per cent of our population living within 50 kilometres of our coastline, our lifestyle tends to focus on the bounties of the coast.
Our love of a relaxed outdoor culture has influenced the evolution of our cuisine. Aussie-style cafes and pubs have a great influence on the current dining scene. Our fine-dining restaurants have been moving towards a ‘fine-casual dining’ experience as a reflection of our casual culture.
Our cuisine is not set in stone. Rather our culinary journey has reached a milestone with our conclusion, which would not have been possible without the contribution and insights of many Australian chefs. It will assist to keep the journey going along a defined path that our chefs can travel together, often using clever detours along the way.
We look forward to encouraging and advancing Australia Fare – Aussie Cuisine!
By Jeremy Ryland
