Australia is not a complex place to visit. That is not to say that it doesn?t have layers of interest. In that sense Australia is as layered as the fins (or sails) of the Sydney Harbour Opera. The road to learning about this country can be as meandering as the river through the city of Brisbane itself. As I navigated this country from Gold Coast to Adelaide, I experienced and learnt so much about food and wine; things which would have perhaps been difficult to realise elsewhere. Here are a few things that marked the wine and food scene of this massive landmass along my circuit.
The essence of any meal is heightened when there is a good wine served with it. With an array of good drinks across the length, or at least breadth of this country, you are never out of options.
The wine industry is younger than the beer business for sure but it has risen and formed well over the last few decades. The best thing about them which I admire is that they don?t labour over comparisons with wines from the rest of the world. They are perhaps the first and only wine nation to realise that comparison is useless and each place must be admired for its own typicity. Just two caveats regarding beer: each state has its own local favourite, make sure you order just that. And secondly, no true Aussie ever drinks Fosters!
Focus on vegetarian
Unlike Europe, Australia has been quick to realise that veggies do exist and even matter on the culinary circuit. Chefs don?t scoff at people who don?t eat meat, although given the quality of lamb and beef and sea food, it is more lamentable than anything to be vegan. But the point is that most menus incorporate plenty of vegetarian options, well thought out ones, the kind that can pair with wines as well.
Australia is one international community but they are well integrated into the local system. In fact, the local system is nothing but a reflection of all the people who have made Australia their home. The difference between here and UK would be that the immigrants in the UK speak their own languages whereas the adopted citizens of Australia have acquired the recognisable twang. This just shows how accepting the culture is which then reflects in the tastes and flavours of the country. French-Japanese, French-Asian, Adapted Indian Fine Dining, and other such micro-cuisines have emerged as a result of this micro-cosmic social symbiosis.
Ingredients matter
As stated earlier, Australia doesn?t really have a native cuisine but that isn?t something they let themselves bogged down with. What they do instead is focus on the quality of their ingredients. No need to elucidate just how precious Australian lamb is considered, second to none in the world. Beef too is grade ?A? meat, and the sea food from the Northern coast of Queensland is also top notch.
Then they have some of the best chefs of the world who have made Australia their home and are whipping out creative little numbers in their kitchens which may have been too avant garde for their native regions.
Finally, the one thing which will definitely be reason enough for anybody to get a ticket and down under to explore the gastronomic scene, is this: continuity of innovation. Aussie?s are one population that know how to laugh at themselves and how to make light of every situation but that never distracts them from the serious work.
Big restaurants are constantly opening and refurbishing and changing their menus. They adapt to seasons and trends. From the Hilton in Sydney, which completely reinvented its decor and ambience, to the Sofitel in Brisbane, which was reborn after almost two decades of existence as the most swish address in the city.
This spirit is what truly makes Australia a place that?s rich and yet young at the same time.
?The writer is a sommelier