Skip to content

Food Culture and Tradition

Resources for world's food, people and culture.

Domestic Life and Special Occasions in Australia

DOMESTIC LIFE

Australian kitchens are similar to those in North America, though smaller and probably boasting fewer appliances and gadgets. Electricity is favored over gas as a cooking fuel, but outdoor picnics and barbecues are frequent and preferred because of the pleasant climate. Home freezers are not yet common, so there are few frozen products available to the consumer. Ranges, refrigerators, and dishwashers are common, as are most of the small practical kitchen appliances familiar in North America. Most popular is the “hot water jug”: available in different sizes, this small appliance heats water quickly to the boiling point – practical in a land where frequent cups of tea are the daily rule.

FOODS COMMONLY USED

The staples of the Australian diet can be described as “steak and eggs”, and the preference for simple solid food shows up on the spice shelf too: salt and pepper and a few spices for baking. But inroads are being made in introducing “health foods” such as whole grains and yogurt, and the preparation of more vegetables and the use of skim milk powder is becoming more widespread. Price rises in fresh beef will also encourage the use of other meats and meat alternates. Women favor tea, men enjoy beer, and children drink milk at most meals.

SPECIAL OCCASIONS

Freedom of worship prevails in Australia. There are many Protestant and Roman Catholic groups, and about one-third of the population belongs to the Church of England. Since Christmas occurs in the Australian summer, a typical dinner of salads and cold meats, with an ice cream cake or pudding for dessert, is common. Special occasions such as Race Days, or local sports events, are celebrated with picnics, barbecues, and plentiful beer.

Anzac Day, April 25, commemorates Australian soldiers who died in the First World War. The day is marked by a parade of “old diggers” (soldiers) and beer parties. Australia Day, on January 26, is marked by parties featuring barbecues of beef or lamb, salads, and the favorite dessert, pavlova: a whipped cream, meringue, and tropical-fruit confection.

Recent Posts

  • Ukrainian Traditional Desserts
  • Ukrainian Traditional Dish – Varenyky, Kholodets, Nalysnyky, and Forshmak
  • Ukrainian Traditional Food
  • Ancient Egyptian Food
  • African Dishes – Explore the World’s Cooking History
  • Evolution of African Food and Beverage
  • African Traditional Dishes
  • African History & Literature
  • The Horn of Africa – Somali
  • The Horn of Africa – Ethiopia

Countries

Copyright © www.Food-Links.com - All Rights Reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
This website is using cookies. More. CLOSE
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT