Australian Food and Pub culture
...e to miss the culinary delicacies of one's home country when staying in Australia as they can easily be found in the numerous sushi-bars, Chinese restaurant, pasta-houses or burger-restaurants. These days, this fusion of flavours and styles has melded into what's now commonly referred to as "Modern Australian" -- a distinctive cuisine blending the spices of the east with the flavours of the west. It is because of that in more recent years Australia has had an increasing influx of immigrants from Asia. About 25 years ago Australia's food still had a reputation for being like England's, only worse. But this attitude certainly has changed over the past years as Australia's food has changed with the inflow of immigrants from all around the world bringing with them their national cuisine. However, one must wonder what real Australian food is? The Australian like to refer to their food as ‘tucker’. And the most popular and favourite Australian tucker is certainly meat pie. The real pie comes together with tomato sauce and mashed potato, and can be purchased everywhere - bakeries, cafes, and petrol stations. They are sold by the thousands at sporting events. When coming to Australia, you must have a taste of vegemite, which is really unique to this country. It is an Australian icon that has been part of Australian life for over 75 years. It is said that a Vegemite sandwich to an Australian kid is the equivalent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to an American kid. But there is nothing more Australian than a barbecue. It’s an important part of the Australian food culture, which is shortened to BBQ or in typical strine called 'barbie'. Most homes have their own Barbie. It is a very popular form of home entertaining.And public barbies can be found everywhere else that is not home - in a park, on the beach or on a camp site. Some of them are wood barbies, and require you to light your own fire. Many, however, work on gas for nothing or a small fee. A traditional barbie, which has beer, lots of meat, onions and salad. It is very much part of their way of life and is enjoyed by all levels of society and in all parts of Australia. Further, there are two basic rules that have to be followed: men cook barbies, women make the salad. And a barbie must have beer or it is not a barbie. Pub culture Australians have a laid back attitude to life, spending as much time on leisurely pursuits as possible. After a day’s tiring work, many people would go directly to the local pub to relax and grab a quick bite to eat. Their frequenting the pubs after work and weekends has become an important part of their lives. Pubs have long been a favoured meeting place and centre of social activity for Australians. They’re popular for food, entertainment and just getting together with friends. One of my Australian friends once told me that most Australians eat four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and beer! That was the first time I was surprised to see how important beer and pubs for an Australian! Beer is part of the Australian culture as much as meat pie and footy. To a traveller, a visit to Australia without supping a cold beer at pub is not worth the trip. It is very likely that, on arriving, some cheerful Australians will ´adopt´ you, and on your first night, take you to a pub where Australian Beer is...