A nation's cuisine reflects its history and its heart. With tens of thousands of years of continuous culinary history, Adam and Poh's adventure starts at the very centre of Australia: Uluru.
If Australia were a cake - what would be the recipe? To start with - the recipe is ancient, handed down over 60,000 years by the oldest, continuous living culture on the planet.
For over a hundred years we've bought cookbooks and recipe magazines. We've learned from television chefs and television contestants. We love home cooking so much, even Hollywood star Naomi Watts passed up a date with Tom Cruise for her mum’s lamb roast. In this episode - we're heading to one of Australia's great food bowls in the Gippsland region of Victoria. We want to see what it is Australians love about simple home cooking and attempt to make the ultimate Aussie family meal.
If you were to drop a pin in a map on any regional town in Australia you will find the three supporting pillars of Aussie culture and cuisine: a pub, a bakery, and a Chinese restaurant. Within this trifecta of taste lies the secret sauce that gives Australia not just great food, but also a unique culture and approach to life. We’re travelling through Regional Victoria from Ballarat to the Bite.
Is there anything more Aussie than a meat pie? Whether pulled from the freezer, scoffed down at the footie, or as quickie at a late night convenience store, some might say that meat pies are Australia's national dish. So, Adam and Poh are heading to Tasmania on a quest to put together a not-so humble version of a classic Aussie Pie. From the spectacular West Coast with some of the cleanest air on the planet. Across the northern edge of the island which is home to some of Tassie's best kept secrets. They'll even attempt to answer the most controversial question of all... Do you want sauce with that?
Over the past couple of centuries, we've adapted, co-opted and melded tastes from all over the world. But in this episode, we are going to look at one great Aussie culinary innovation we've gifted back: brunch. From flat whites, to avo on toast, Aussie baristas and cooks are sought after all over the world. So how did Australian brekky and brunch make it big on the world stage?
There is no more iconic Australian city than Sydney. Sorry Melbourne - you may be cooler, and Brissy you may be hotter - but for sheer global iconic status, Sydney is it. Icons like the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House are famous throughout the world. But what are Australia's iconic dishes? What are some dishes we all agree are pretty tops? In this episode, we won't just be exploring iconic dishes - we'll be meeting iconic people too. But the big challenge? What one iconic dish can Adam and Poh make, that sums up the sapphire city?
We began this journey in the spiritual centre of Australia - Uluru. Now, as we approach the end, we're heading to the political capital - Canberra. This is a city built on lunches. Power lunches, political lunches, and just plain lazy lunches. But what is Australia's favourite lunch? A simple sandwich of course; and what filling do they like best? We're about to find out.
