Defining the unique flavours of Australian native foods

Australian native plant foods provide new and exciting eating experiences for consumers and have the potential to re-position ‘Australian cuisine’ as a contemporary food choice for consumers worldwide. The development of a common set of flavour and aroma descriptors and characteristics was identified as a key priority for the Australian native food industry. This research assists in the development and supply of product information to support market access and market growth for this emerging industry. This work was targeted so that a concise, consistent and accurate marketing message of the flavours of these ingredients could be delivered to customers. This report details the results of the development of the first ‘Australian native flavour wheel’ and sensory descriptions for sixteen of the key commercial native food species including fruits, berries, herbs, spices and seeds.

The cultures of Restaurant Australia: epicurean food experiences for tourists in south east Queensland

Tourism Australia’s launch of the ‘Restaurant Australia’ marketing campaign in 2014 is aimed at changing perceptions of the ‘prawn on the barbeque’ image of Australian culinary culture. The campaign is the government's response to global research that reveals that tourists want ‘good’ food and wine experiences (in Australia?). In effect, ‘Restaurant Australia’, and the AUS$10 million supporting it, is promoting? the notion that Australian tourism should provide epicurean food experiences associated with high quality and ‘authentic cultural’ tourism, rather than contrived versions of national identity articulated via stereotypical notions of national cuisine. This paper adopts a cultural tourism approach, especially in relation to theories of authenticity and the relationship of post-tourists, cultural tourists, and tactical tourists to examine two very different areas of wine and food production in Australia in the context of the Restaurant Australia campaign. In particular, it considers issues associated with defining Australian cuisine and the development of a narrative about Australia as a epicurean destination.

Historiographic foodways: a survey of food and drink histories in Australia

This essay is a survey of the field of food and drink history in Australia since the 1970s. It discusses the range of research and picks out key historiographic aspects: the search for an Australian cuisine; regional food cultures; connection between sources and historical interpretation; and the interdisciplinarity of food and drink history. It suggests that as food and drink histories have broadened beyond a search for culinary traditions and a gastronomic sensibility, so our understanding of food and drink in Australian history has deepened. It also argues that food and drink history is more than textual knowledge in books and articles: television programs and exhibitions held in museums and libraries, for example, have enhanced our understanding of food and drink histories.