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Australian foods

In this box, you will find a variety of iconic Australian food items, curated with love by... oh, who am I kidding. I just grabbed some supermarket basics that you probably can't easily find in North America. :) Herein is an explanation of what's included and why.

Biscuits

  • First and foremost, chocolate ripple biscuits, so you can give us a genuine comparison of these against the chocolate Graham crackers. Choc Ripple Biscuits can be eaten straight, dunked into a beverage, or of course made into the Chocolate Ripple Cake that takes its name from them.

  • Anzac biscuits are named for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), and they happen to be rather delicious and travel well, so they had to be included. Interestingly, the name is legally protected, and they must never be sold as "Anzac cookies". (The more you know...)

Chocolate

Given who's sending you this box, the presence of chocolate is hardly going to be surprising. Most of what I'm including is made by Cadbury, a British company that for some reason isn't allowed to sell in the US. You might have access to some or all of this, but hey. It's chocolate. More is better. Right?

  • Fry's Turkish Delight is a very old brand that got bought out by Cadbury ages ago, but was so well-known and loved that they've kept the branding ever since.

  • Cadbury Roses could be considered Valentine's Day fare, but frankly, I'll eat them any day of the year. They're an assortment of chocolates, and the exact distribution has been the subject of some oh-so-scientific research by some dude who blogged about it and even got some international help.

  • Another variety pack is the "Favourites" collection. Great for passing around a group of people, because you all get to pick out your favourite. I love the honeycomb one ("Crunchie").

  • Maltesers brag that you can't eat just one. I'll leave it to you to decide whether that's a good thing or not.

  • Creme Eggs are found in two basic sizes - I guess they correspond to pigeon eggs and chook eggs. Oh right. "Chook" is our word for "chicken", specifically the animal as opposed to the food. Creme Eggs don't taste like chicken though, they taste like chocolate. Naturally.

  • Macadamia nuts are native to Australia, though they're also grown in other countries too now. You can get them straight or chocolate-covered. Due to international shipping concerns, I've included only chocolate-coated macadamias; it totally isn't just because chocolate. Honestly.

Other

It may surprise you to learn that I eat some things that aren't chocolate.

  • Lamingtons were invented by a British aristocratic lady who found that the harsh weather of Australia made cake go stale very quickly. It's covered in a sealing layer of chocolate icing, and then doused in coconut so you can pick it up.

  • Chocolate-flavoured sugar isn't particularly Australian, but it's so very Rosuav that I had to include some. Also because you didn't know it was a thing. Turn coffee into mocha, or tea into... chocolate tea? Goes well in whipped cream.

Honourable Mentions

Not every Australian icon could be included. Here's a few other foods we eat; if you ever come visit, ask for 'em!

  • Possibly the most iconic Australian food is Vegemite. If you didn't grow up eating it, you probably won't enjoy it, but feel free to pretend that I included some, you ate it, and you are proud of yourself.

  • Kangaroo. Usually in steak or minced, roo meat can be substituted for beef in pretty much anything, and it's always an improvement (in my totally unbiased opinion). Available in supermarkets at a very reasonable price.

  • Emu. Not as prevalent as roo, but still available. We eat both of the animals on our coat of arms; no other country has such practical supporters!

  • Meat pies are available in every bakery or hot bread shop across the country. You can get famous brands like Four'n'Twenty, or individually-produced ones at each bakery (and many buy from local butchers, too, making for a strong sense of community). While it IS possible to get a bad one occasionally, the odds are definitely in your favour.

  • Dim sims. No, I don't mean dim sum; the dim sim is peculiarly Australian and only inspired by Chinese cuisine. Can be eaten fried or steamed. Has too many vegetables and not enough chocolate for my liking, though.

  • Prawns. Mmmmmmm, prawns. You probably have 'em too, but you call 'em "shrimp" and they're not as prevalent.

So there you have it: a whirlwind tour of Australian cuisine, with a focus on Rosuav-friendly food items. Enjoy!