Australia, the Land Down Under, home of the kangaroo, the koala and the kookaburras, is an island continent that was colonized by European settlers in the later half of the 18th century. Australian cuisine is commonly dismissed as heavy, fast food cooking or weird dishes with kangaroo or crocodile meat as ingredients. Wrong and wrong again! Like its indigenous flora and fauna, the landscape of Australian cooking and food is varied and diverse with surprisingly twists to normal recipes. Scroll below for some interesting facts about Australian food. Meat, Fish and Vegetables ✤ The large coastline (11 million sq km) of Australia is home to many aquatic species, so it makes sense that seafood is a predominant food choice. Australia has nearly 600 varieties of fish, both ocean and freshwater, so fish species like the barramundi, abalone and lobsters feature regularly amongst most Australian recipes. ✤ With seafood, the global touch that is unique to Australian cuisine, is apparent here. No matter what the species of fish used, it can be cooked in a myriad of ways, such as spiced up Indian curry style, or stir-fried with noodles for an Asian taste, or the European way, baked, glazed and served with pasta. A favorite fast food style is beer-battered fish and chips. ✤ Australia is one of the top producers and exporters of meat in the world. It is the second largest exporter of beef. Other meats include lamb, mutton, pork and to a lesser extent, chicken. Australian steaks (porterhouse's, T-bone) and meat cuts are prized for the select quality and caliber of the meat. ✤ Exotic meats like kangaroo, crocodile, emu and snake meat can be found in groceries and butcher shops and are exported as well. The amazing choice of meats and the permanently sunny Australian climate makes barbecuing or "barbie", an ideal cooking style. ✤ Vegetables and fruits are seasonal in growth, so their consumption and use in recipes and foods varies according to climatic conditions. Typical Australian veggies include: artichokes, carrots, peas, zucchini, sweet potatoes and lots more. ✤ When it comes to fruits, Australia excels itself. Along with fruits like strawberries, bananas, and grapes, native fruits like quandong, riberry, kiwifruit, Australian navel oranges, muntries, finger lime, and the macadamia nut round up the colorful and delicious fruits available in local markets. Beverages ♠ For camping, Billy tea is the ideal beverage. Over a camp fire, tea water is prepared and a gum leaf is added for a zingy and distinctive taste. Billy tea is as Australian as the kangaroo and even features in the unofficial anthem and official Australian camp song, "Waltzing Matilda". ♠ The Europeans may be famous for being wine connoisseurs and experts but did you know that Australians rank fourth amongst wine exports, with an estimated 760 million liters of wine exported yearly! Modern and Traditional Styles ☸ The natives of Australia had a traditional, rugged, simple and open style of cooking food, known as bush tucker. All raw vegetables or fruits were not safe for human consumption, so pounding or mashing them or cooking them over fire, was done to remove any damaging effects. Grubs, honey ants and bogong moths were also eaten. Kangaroo, wallaby and emu were larger animal species hunted and their meats cooked over a fire. Fishing was another traditional method of food gathering. ☸ Modern Australian cuisine is a mixture and interesting blend of different cuisines. The native Aboriginal and "bushfood" style of cooking mixed with the influence of the English settlers and the various settlers from different cultures such as Asians and Arabs, added their cooking styles and foods into the mix. ☸ Today, Australia is a unique "melting pot" of global cooking styles and foods, with Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Lebanese and African on one side and on the other, Greek, French, Spanish and of course, the English. The array of unique Australian dishes available highlights this contrast, with recipes like fish and chips, Pavlova, curries and kebabs. ☸ Another noteworthy point regarding Australian cuisine, is the level of creativity and inventiveness of local chefs and restaurants, in whipping up dream concoctions. Previously unheard of combinations like kangaroo meat in a Thai curry or Italian spaghetti with balmain bugs (a type of lobster) are made. Then there are trend-setters like Tetsuya Wakuda, whose restaurant (Tetsuya's) offers food with a French and Japanese taste and style, using pure Australian elements. A signature dish is Petuna ocean trout confit. ☸ Some famous and as "Australian as the kangaroo" dishes are:

• Pavlova - Meringue dessert with crispy outer crust, soft fluffy inner, topped with cream and cut fruit.
• Lamington - Cube shaped sponge cake, coated with chocolate icing and desiccated coconut.
• Melba Toast - Thin, crisp slice of toast, topped with melted cheese or pâté. Named after famous Australian opera star, Helen Porter Mitchell (stage name: Dame Nellie Melba).
• Vegemite - Yeast paste used as a spread for sandwiches and biscuits. Similar in use and look to Marmite.
• Australian Burger - Beef patty in a bun, topped with Worcestershire sauce, pickled beets, bacon and fried egg.
• Damper - Type of soda bread, baked over the coals of a campfire.
• Boston Bun - Bun with a spicy or tangy flavor and iced thickly with coconut icing.

It's clear from the above facts, that Australian cooking is not "Throw another shrimp on the barbie"! There is a unique taste and fresh feel to Australian ingredients, be it meat or vegetarian. And the innovative flair to most recipes has to be commended. So if you are ever heading down under, bite into a Vegemite sandwich or try a balmain bug sizzler or if you are feeling really brave, how about a kangaroo fillet burger? The resulting taste may end up surprising you.