Australia is renowned for boasting a multicultural melting pot of cuisines. But, while many signature dishes have gone global – think avo toast, ricotta pancakes, sweetcorn fritters and flat whites – Aussies do like to keep some cherished specialities and homegrown brands to themselves. Here, we reveal some of the dishes, ingredients and branded goods that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover some of Australia's best and most unusual dishes, listed A-Z from Anzac biscuits to a snow-white dessert...
Golden, syrupy and buttery, Anzac biscuits are traditionally baked on Anzac Day (25 April) by both Australians and New Zealanders, to commemorate Anzac soldiers who served and died in wars. Simple yet irresistible, especially when warm from the oven, they’re made by mixing melted butter and golden syrup with oats, flour, baking powder, sugar and, often, desiccated coconut. It’s a matter of personal preference whether you like your Anzac biscuits chewy or crunchy, but most people will agree that they're best enjoyed with a cup of tea.
It’s not a get-together in Australia without a box or two of Arnott's Shapes. These oven-baked crackers come in an array of flavours, from classics like BBQ, Pizza, Cheddar and Chicken Crimpy to more recent innovations like Chicken Parmi, a sought-after option inspired by the classic Aussie pub dish of the same name. Which is the most popular, you may wonder? According to the Arnott’s 2021 Shapes Flavour poll, Chicken Crimpy was the champion cracker with 22% of the vote, while Pizza and BBQ scooped second and third place respectively.
The ultimate Australian football snack and perfect road trip fuel, the Aussie pie is beloved all over the country. Served with a dollop of tomato sauce on top, they're made by cooking minced beef in a rich gravy, then encasing it in a shortcrust base with a puff pastry lid. The history of the pie can be traced back to the First Fleet. These days you’ll find pie-lined trays at every high street bakery and servo (gas station), no matter how remote. Legendary Australian pie brand Mrs Mac's has been selling tasty pre-packaged versions – in a host of flavours – since the 1950s.
The Brits might have Bovril, but the Aussies have Bonox. Invented in 1918 by Camron Thomas for the Fred Walker Company in Melbourne, this deeply salty, umami-rich concentrated beef extract is often added to soups, sauces and slow-braised dishes to add extra depth of flavour. For many Australians of a certain age, though, hot Bonox (Bonox mixed with boiling water) remains a nostalgic childhood drink, wheeled out to restore spirits on sick days.
You can't get a more classic Australian ice cream than Bubble O' Bill. A staple of milk bars and convenience stores for decades, this cowboy-shaped strawberry, chocolate and caramel ice cream comes with an oversized bubble gum nose and a cowboy hat (complete with bullet hole). Part of Unilever, the ice cream brand Streets also released a Bubble O’ Jill in 2020; Bill's cowgirl sister had a replica nose and hat, as well as luscious blonde caramel hair.
Ask for a burger 'with the lot' in Australia, and you'd better be hungry! A staple menu item at pubs, cafés and restaurants all over the country, this classic Aussie burger sees a beef patty topped with beetroot, pineapple, a fried egg and strips of bacon – and cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles are often squeezed in, too. Don’t knock the national delicacy until you’ve tried it; beetroot adds a delicious earthiness, while the pineapple provides a tasty, tangy edge.
Australia’s bush is full of incredible indigenous ingredients that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have consumed for millennia. In the past decade or so, Australian chefs have begun celebrating their country's unique culinary heritage by presenting this bounty of wild food in delicious ways; now you might see native ingredients like salt weed, wattleseeds, Kakadu plums and finger limes (pictured) on the menu in a number of top restaurants.
Dark chocolate on the outside, with a fudgy, tart-sweet cherry and coconut concoction on the inside, the Cherry Ripe dates back to 1924, making it one of Australia's oldest chocolate bars. The classic confectionery item was invented by MacRobertson’s Chocolates, which was founded in Melbourne in 1880, and whose other famous creation was the Freddo Frog. The family business was sold to Cadbury Australia in 1945. The Cherry Ripe has recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity with a number of cross-brand collaborations, including the limited-edition Krispy Kreme Cherry Ripe Doughnut.
Why settle for plain old salt when you can sprinkle your hot chips with the savoury flavour bomb that is chicken salt? This yellow, flavour-packed seasoning (typically made from salt, roasted and dehydrated chicken skins, paprika, garlic and onion powder) is said to have been invented by Peter Brinkworth in Adelaide in the 1970s, and was originally devised as a dry rub for roasted chooks. These days, you’ll find chicken salt at fish and chip shops, fast food joints and takeaways alike.
Something of a pop culture icon, the Chiko Roll was invented in Victoria by Frank McEnroe, who ran an outdoor catering business. Having seen spectators chowing down on Chinese-style spring rolls outside the Richmond Cricket Ground, he was inspired to create a larger, more robust alternative that could easily be held in one hand. The Chiko Roll made its debut in 1951, featuring a mix of diced vegetables (cabbage, onions and carrots) encased in a pastry wrapper – and was an instant hit. The deep-fried roll is still loved today, and is available at fish and chip shops and supermarkets throughout the country.
This traditional Australian soda bread dates back to the days when early European settlers, swagmen, drovers and stockmen would make a rudimentary dough in the bush using just flour, salt and water, which they then cooked over a campfire. Nowadays, butter and milk are often added to enrich the mix. Most Aussies will have childhood memories of preparing this basic bread, winding the dough around long sticks and cooking it on a fire. As those in the know will attest, damper is best eaten warm and dipped in honey, jam or chocolate spread.
A cheap sandwich filler that became popular in the post-war years, this mild-flavoured, pinkish luncheon meat has various names around the country. It’s generally called devon or Belgium meat in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, and polony in Western Australia. In South Australia, there's a similar offering called Fritz or Bung Fritz; the name alludes to the processed meat mixture being encased in sheep’s appendix, known as a bung. The meat is typically sliced and eaten in a white bread sandwich with tomato sauce.
A children’s party essential in Australia and New Zealand, fairy bread is widely believed to have been invented in Tasmania. The simple sugary treat sees sliced white bread (none of your artisan loaves here, thank you) spread with butter or margarine and sprinkled with hundreds and thousands. For the ultimate in nostalgic party fare, the crusts should be removed, and the bread cut into triangles before being artfully arranged on plates.
Of all Australian sweets, or lollies, Fantales are among the most iconic. Sadly for fans of the chocolate-covered caramels – which many will fondly associate with going to the movies – Nestlé Australia announced in June 2023 that it would be discontinuing the sweet treat. Launched in 1930, the individually wrapped sweets featured tales of movie stars and musicians on their wrappers, hence the name Fantales. The last production run of the brand, which sits under the Allen's Lollies range, was in July 2023.
A popular Aussie sweet treat since the late 1950s, the Golden Gaytime is a nostalgic combination of vanilla and toffee ice cream, dipped in chocolate and covered in a delightful biscuit crumb. There have been calls for brand Streets (part of Unilever) to change the ice cream’s name. However, after consultations with the LGBTQIA+ community, the company released a statement to say that the name would remain, saying: “The meaning behind the Gaytime name has not changed since its iconic debut in 1959 – it is, and always has been for everybody to enjoy, no matter who you are or who you love.”
Ask anyone in Adelaide for an essential foodie stop and Haigh’s Chocolates will likely be top of their list. The oldest family-owned chocolatier in Australia, Haigh’s Chocolates opened its first store in 1915. It began making its now-famous chocolate frogs in the 1930s, and today produces around four million a year. The adorable amphibian-shaped chocolates are available in a range of sizes and flavours, including dark peppermint and milk strawberry. Come Easter, equally cute chocolate bilbies (long-eared marsupials) make an appearance, too.
This pretty-in-pink shortbread biscuit, topped with fondant icing, raspberry jam and desiccated coconut, both looks and tastes very sweet. The quintessential Aussie treat, made by Arnott’s Biscuits and first manufactured in 1906, the Iced VoVo is a mainstay of an Australian ‘morning tea’. It came to global attention in 2007, when newly elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd mentioned his team should enjoy an Iced VoVo and strong cuppa in his election victory speech.
Mourning the loss of Fantales from supermarket shelves? You'll be pleased to know that Jaffas – another old-school Allen's treat – are still available from stores across the country (along with other classics like Snakes Alive and Freckles). Consisting of chocolate centres encased in a crispy, orange-flavoured shell, these colourful little balls have been tantalising Aussie taste buds since 1931, when they were served from glass jars at milk bars. They're such a bright red that they'll turn your tongue crimson, but their meltingly delicious credentials can't be denied.
Low in fat, high in iron, full of flavour and plentifully available, kangaroo is a native Australian ingredient long prized by indigenous communities as a protein staple. It was often hunted and eaten by hard-up rural families in the post-war years, too, and has become more widely popular of late, thanks to the trend for championing native ingredients and sourcing food sustainably. Kangaroo is best served rare, and is often accompanied by pumpkin or sweet potato. Its gamey flavour also works well with bold spices and native Australian fruits and shrubs.
Like many of the best inventions, Australia’s most famous cake, the lamington, is said to have been the outcome of a happy accident. The melted chocolate and desiccated coconut–covered vanilla sponge cubes stem from Queensland, with the earliest known recipe appearing in the Queensland Country Life newspaper in 1900. The bake was named after Lord Lamington, the state governor between 1896-1901, whose maid is said to have dropped a chunk of cake into melted chocolate. Lamington suggested she roll it in coconut, so he could eat it without getting his fingers messy.
This malted chocolate powder can be added to hot or cold milk, and was developed for Nestlé Australia by a chemical engineer called Thomas Mayne in 1934. His brief was to create a cheap and nutritious drink to tackle childhood malnutrition, a big worry in the Great Depression era. It was launched at the 1934 Sydney Royal Easter Show by Mayne, who famously drank a cup of Milo every day until he died aged 93. With its catchy taglines, including the 1980s classic ‘You’ve Gotta be Made of Milo’, the drink was lapped up (and slurped down) by Aussie and Kiwi kids alike. Its appeal is still strong, and a plant-based Milo joined the family in 2020.
They might not sound all that appetising, but Moreton Bay bugs (and their southern cousins, Balmain bugs) are among Australia’s most delicious seafoods. Named after the Queensland bay near Brisbane where they’re found, these crustaceans live in both muddy and sandy sea bottoms. Similar to lobsters, the tails are where the prized flesh lies; for that reason, they’re best served split down the middle, grilled in their shells and drizzled with garlic butter.
Love a popsicle, but not a fan of Golden Gaytime's toffee flavour or biscuit crumb? You can always rely on a Paddle Pop for a frosty, sugary fix. Named for their shape, these old-school ice creams have been sweetening Aussie summers since the original chocolate flavour first went on sale back in the 1950s. Over the years, lots of new varieties have been introduced – including strawberry, banana and super-colourful rainbow – all championed by Paddle Pop's iconic mascot, Max the Paddle Pop Lion, who appears on every wrapper.
These deep-fried carbs are the ultimate tasty-but-trashy takeaway treat: slices of batter-dipped potato, fried until golden brown and crispy. This chip shop speciality is known as a potato scallop in New South Wales and Queensland, a potato cake in Victoria and Tasmania, and a fritter in South Australia. Scatter with chicken salt or dip in tomato sauce, and you’ve got yourself some top no-nonsense tucker.
Forget about posh ingredient combinations and hand-sliced potatoes. Australia’s top chip (or crisp) of choice is Samboy Atomic Tomato. Crinkle-cut, brightly coloured and boldly flavoured, there’s no messing about with this snack – which, as the name suggests, has a punchy, sweet-acidic tomato flavour and plenty of crunch to it. A staple in lunchboxes and at parties and sausage sizzles alike, the brand’s Chicken, Original, Salt & Vinegar and BBQ flavours are pretty popular too.
No biscuit unites the nation quite like the Tim Tam. Often compared to the British biscuit, Penguin, the Tim Tam topples it with its crunchy biscuit, silky cream centre and chocolate exterior – and Brits can now taste the difference for themselves, as the Tim Tam officially launched in the UK in March 2024. Plenty of Aussies would argue that the only true way to enjoy this beloved chocolate treat is by doing the Tim Tam Slam: biting off two corners of the biscuit to create an edible straw, then using it to suck up hot (but not too hot!) chocolate or coffee.
Arguably the most iconic Australian brand of them all, Vegemite was invented in Melbourne in 1922, by food technologist Dr Cyril P Calliste, for the Fred Walker Company. Inspired by Marmite, it’s also made using yeast extract, but tastes distinctly different from Britain’s favourite savoury spread. It took a few decades for the homegrown brand to gain traction with the Marmite-loving locals but, after a brief and ineffectual name change to Parwill, its popularity soared in the 1940s and Vegemite has been slathered on the nation's toast ever since.
Available in three core flavours – Cheese, Chicken and Wicked Cheddar Zig Zag (a cult classic) – not one of these knobbly, squiggly corn snacks is alike. Since Twisties launched in the 1950s, heaps of special limited-edition varieties have been released, from crowd-pleasing favourites like Cheesy Chilli and Margherita Pizza to acquired-taste offerings like Cinnamon Donut. Twisties lovers were horrified in 2016 when the Zig Zag range was suddenly discontinued, out of the blue. However, following public outcry, the lightning bolt–shaped snacks were hastily reintroduced.
The Violet Crumble is Australia’s oldest chocolate bar. Nothing to do with Parma Violet sweets, the bar was launched in 1913 by Abel Hoadley, and named after his wife’s favourite flower, the violet. Often likened to a Crunchie, the Aussies make a valid case for the superiority of the Violet Crumble; the honeycomb is denser and more marshmallow-like, and there’s a better chocolate to honeycomb ratio, too.
An old-school festive dessert, White Christmas is a tooth-numbingly sweet traybake featuring glacé fruit, desiccated coconut, nuts and puffed rice, all bound together with copha (vegetable fat shortening) or white chocolate. Intended to mimic the colours of freshly fallen snow and glittering baubles, White Christmas is a treat eat – and, most likely, the closest anyone will get to festive flakes in Australia.
Now discover the world's best sandwiches, ever
Last updated by Jessica Morris.