CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON FOOD CHOICE IN AUSTRALIAFor more than 200 years, influences from countries and cultures around the world have broadened Australia’s cuisine.

FOOD IN AUSTRALIA

The variety of foods that Australians consume today is influenced by many factors.

You will explore the historical influences on food in Australia; and how both early European settlers and continuing immigration from other diverse cultures have influenced food available today.

USE OF FOODS NATIVE TO AUSTRALIA

The culture, history and food of each country are influenced by both its Indigenous people and those people who have migrated from other countries around the world.

USE OF FOODS NATIVE TO AUSTRALIA

For over 40 000 years, Australia’s cuisine was derived from its Indigenous foods, with the Indigenous people leading a nomadic lifestyle as hunters and gatherers, moving from place to place and finding food as they went

EARLY EUROPEAN INFLUENCES

European settlers had a major influence on the diets of modern Australians. Since many of the native foods were foreign and challenging to European tastes.

European settlers brought their own foods to Australia, such as flour and beef.

DIET OF EARLY EUROPEANS

•Flour was a staple ingredient it was used to make bread and damper. •Meat consumed was beef, pork or mutton. It was usually salted or dried to preserve it as there was no refrigeration. •Salt was therefore extremely valued because of its ability to preserve meat or be used as a flavouring.• The staple drink was tea

EARLY EUROPEAN FOOD CUSTOMS

The food customs of the Europeans were not suited to the harsh Australian climate.

The settlers lacked knowledge about the Australian environment and thus planted at the wrong time of the year, resulting in poor growth and, in turn, a limited supply of food.

The lack of food meant that the settlers experienced malnutrition and had insufficient energy to work and farm the land.

EARLY EUROPEAN FOOD CUSTOMS

The settlers’ failure at farming necessitated their recognition and use of the native foods and plants.

Native meats such as kangaroo, wallaby, emu and possum were unfamiliar

Over the years, the Europeans introduced deer and rabbits into the country for hunting. These animals have now become pests to Australian farmers and environmentalists.

IMPACT OF EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT ON INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS

Indigenous Australians were hunter–gatherers before European settlement

Their nomadic lifestyle meant plenty of physical activity, and their daily diet varied according to the types of plants and animals available in the particular location and season

Most foods were eaten raw, but some were roasted or baked

IMPACT OF EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT ON INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS

With European settlement, the diet of Indigenous Australians changed to include Western foods, such as flour, sugar and processed meat.

Today, the diet of Indigenous Australians tends to be high in kilojoules, low in nutritional value, and high in fats and sugar.

The limited opportunities to hunt and gather mean physical activity levels are greatly reduced.

EFFECTS OF IMMIGRATION ON LIFESTYLE AND FOOD HABITS

During the gold rushes of the mid-1800s, many people came to Australia—particularly the goldfields in Bathurst, Bendigo and Ballarat—intent on making their fortune.

Most of these people came from Britain and China. After the gold rushes, many Chinese people settled in Australia

The Chinese grew their traditional foods, such as bok choy, for themselves but traditional cabbages to sell to others.

EFFECTS OF IMMIGRATION ON LIFESTYLE AND FOOD HABITS

After the Second World War, the government policy was to increase population with a subsidised scheme of migration;

This migration brought with it an influence of the culture, customs and food patterns of these countries. The introductions of spaghetti bolognaise and souvlaki.

EFFECTS OF IMMIGRATION ON LIFESTYLE AND FOOD HABITS

Migrants into Australia bought with them their traditional foods:

EFFECTS OF IMMIGRATION ON LIFESTYLE AND FOOD HABITS

Today, we

PREPARATION TECHNIQUES AND COOKING METHODS

Immigration has also introduced a variety of preparation techniques and cooking methods to Australia.

EVOLUTION OF AN AUSTRALIAN CUISINE

Australia’s cuisine has definitely evolved over the past century with immigration: we still include some of our traditional foods from the European settlers, but a range of new foods, flavours and techniques have been incorporated into our cuisine.

EVOLUTION OF AN AUSTRALIAN CUISINE

Modern Australian cuisine includes multicultural influences and creativity, and is still changing and developing. It allows for innovation to flourish; for example, often Australian chefs create ‘fusion foods’ in which there is a fusion of culinary styles and influences, namely European and Asian.