Modern Australia was settled by Great Britain in 1788. With modern New Zealand being settled several decades later. Back then, the food was as imported as the settlers who prepared it.
In the short years since then, both countries have developed a range of iconic foods which are quintessentially Australian and/or New Zealander. Sometimes they fight over who invented what and when. What follows, is a sample of these icons.
Lamingtons
A squarish piece of sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in desiccated coconut. There are many variations of Lamingtons; one calls for the cake to be cut in half and then filled with strawberry jam and whipped cream.
Lamingtons are believed to have been named after Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, Governor of Queensland, Australia.
The Pavlova
The Pavlova is a much celebrated Australian creation… Or is it? This delicate desert is part of a great debate between Australians and New Zealanders who both lay claim to its invention. The Pavlova is New Zealand's national dessert.
The Pavlova is a meringue shell with a marshmallowy center. It is topped with whipped cream and fruit. The Pavlova was aptly named after Russian prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova, who visited New Zealand in 1926 and Australia in 1929.
Australian chef Bert Sachse was credited with inventing the Pavolva at the Esplanade Hotel in Perth in 1935. However, a recipe similar to that of the Pavolva appears in the 1933 Rangiora Mothers’ Union Cookery Book.
An even eariler version was found by Dr. Helen Leach, Food Historian at the University of Otago, in rural New Zealand magazine printed in 1929.
Damper
Damper is real camping fare. It’s a type of bread made without yeast and is typically cooked in the "bush" (wild country) over hot coals and often wrapped around a stick. It is eaten with hot, sweet, black tea and sometimes drizzled with honey if there’s any handy.
ANZAC Biscuits
ANZAC Biscuits are crunchy cookies that usually consist of rolled oats, golden syrup and desiccated coconut. The biscuits were named after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The hardy cookies were made by women during World War I and sent to the ANZACs serving overseas.
Vegemite
Vegemite is a dark brown, savory spread. It was invented in 1922 by Dr. Cyril Callister, a chemist employed by the Fred Walker Company (later bought by Kraft).
Its taste can best be described as salty with a subtle bitterness (although honestly this is one product that defies description).
It is lightly spread on toast or crackers with some butter. It can also be spread on toast with peanut butter or cheese slices and sometimes used to flavor soup stocks.
New Zealanders, while many like Vegemite, tend to prefer Marmite. Marmite has quite a similar taste to Vegemite, but it’s slightly sweeter.
