Australian Snacks – Celebration Of The Weirdest Tastes

Australia is well-known for many things, including unique and amazing wildlife, stunning beaches, and great weather. However, Australia has much more to offer, including its fantastic cuisine and delicious treats that everybody can enjoy. In this article, let’s discover and explore some of the most popular authentic Australian snacks that you definitely need to try.

Australian Snack Names

1. Fairy Bread
2. Lamington
3. Caramel Slice
4. Cheezels
5. Anzac Biscuit
6. Tim Tams
7. Arnott’s Shapes
8. Vegemite
9. Sausage Sizzle
10. Meat Pie
11. Sausage Rolls

Sweet Australian Snacks

1. Fairy Bread

One of the strangest Australian snacks is Fairy Bread. This treat is colorful, beautiful, and loved by children. The name refers to how cute it seems. It works best with white bread. Generally, the butter is spread on top of a typical white bread loaf, and then the sweet sprinkles are added. Australia is quite proud of its food creations, which the rest of the world considers weird.
Fairy Bread is one of the simplest (and least expensive) ways to make Australian children happy at birthday and Christmas celebrations. It is also fun to make and beautiful to look at.

2. Lamington

A traditional Australian sponge cake known as a “Lamington” is typically coated with delicious and creamy chocolate sauce and topped with powdered coconut. They crumble at the slightest touch and are fluffier and lighter than other cakes. The original version of this delectable cake was probably made for Lady May Lamington in Brisbane, and it had been served continuously at their “home” for 117 years.

Lamington is one of the most loved Australian snacks and is generally similar to sponge cake. This delicious treat is covered with thin butter from the outside, and after it has hardened, an absolutely different texture is given. In a typical version, two lamington pieces are separated by a layer of jam (typically strawberry) or cream.
An interesting fact about this amazing Australian snack is that National Lamington Day was designated to be July 21st. This treat is often found at many different events and celebrations. Australian people often refer to Lamingtons as “Lammas.”

3. Caramel Slice

Sometimes we just want something sweet, but not too rich and not too fancy, just something to cure our sweet tooth. A caramel slice is what is required in situations like those.
Despite being of Irish descent, they are highly regarded for their extremely distinctive Australian variations. The nice thing about this is that it is simple to make them yourself. The first recipe for caramel shortbread, under the name “caramel shortbread,” was published in 1970 in Australian Women’s Weekly.

4. Cheezels

Cheezels are a sort of ring-shaped, corn-based, cheese-flavored Australian snack food that was given the brand name in 1970 by the APT snack company. Those delicious Australian snacks are puffy rings with a rich, savory cheddar cheese flavor and scent that are made from corn and rice.
They resemble cheese puffs, American Cheetos, and Canadian Cheezies in terms of texture. Cheezels are a huge hit at every Australian child’s party. Your fingers will become covered in processed cheese powder, which will turn them yellow for hours following application.

5. Anzac Biscuit

Traditionally connected with the Australian Army Corps, which was founded during World War I, Anzac biscuits are one of the most loved and famous Australian snacks. This delicious treat is made from butter, golden syrup, rolled oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, and desiccated coconut. 

The ingredients that are used in these amazing treats do not go bad easily. Therefore, this made the Anzac Biscuit a long-lasting treat. The biscuits lasted well throughout naval transit. It is known that wives and women’s organizations gave these biscuits to soldiers serving overseas.

6. Tim Tams

Tim Tams are one of the most loved Australian snacks that the local people are very proud of. This biscuit, which is layered and covered in rich milk, distinguished by the chocolate strip, is truly something else. Authentic Tum Tams can only be found in Australia. And therefore, Tim Tam Slam can only be done by the original version. 

However, you may be wondering, what is Tim Tam Slam? It is a process that entails biting the biscuit’s diagonal edges before putting the bottom corner into a hot beverage and drinking from the top corner like a straw before chowing down on the entire soggy biscuit.
Arnott’s, an Australian biscuit manufacturer, introduced the Tim Tam brand of chocolate cookies in 1964. Two malted cookies sandwich a light, firm chocolate cream filling, which is then covered in a thin coating of textured chocolate.

Savory and Salty Austrian Snacks

7. Arnott’s Shapes

Arnott’s Shapes are not chips, and we can’t even say that they are crisps. These Australian snacks are baked biscuits with full flavor. These flavorful creations will not only satisfy your hunger but also cheer you up since they are so delicious. 

You won’t get bored with them because they come in different flavors, including pizza, bacon, BBQ, cheese, chicken crinkle, and many more. Hence the name, each flavor has a unique shape, so for the best experience, it is recommended to try as many of them as possible. 

Those savory cookies are made by Arnott’s brand and are in the Australian and New Zealand markets. First, Arnott’s Shapes was introduced as Brockhoff Biscuits in the 1950s. The initial flavor was savory, which was quickly followed by onion, barbecue, and chicken.

Before bakers realized that those treats required a lot of dough and were really difficult to cut, they were manufactured in the form of potato chips. After the modification, the manufacture of flat biscuits started in 1974 and is still available today.

8. Vegemite

Even though this treatment does not look as good as Fairy Bread, it is still one of the most loved and strange Australian snacks. However, if you’ve tried it before, you’ve likely eaten it improperly. Vegemite won’t be enjoyed on its own, not even by Australians. 

This treat is somewhat similar to the British Marmite. The main ingredient of this spread is brewer’s yeast. An interesting fact is that this strange spread was invented in 1923 in Melbourne. 
Vegemite is apparently best consumed when smeared on toast in a 50/50 mixture with some butter. Many people believe that Vegemite and butter cannot be good together before they try. However, once you try this, it works like magic and you will eventually fall in love with it.

9. Sausage Sizzle

Australians are the greatest at the barbecue game, and what is the inseparable part of barbecue is sausage sizzle. Hot dog buns are obsolete; bread slices are now the main focus. As strange as it may sound, the hot dog buns are replaced by white bread slices, and yes, it is absolutely delicious. 

The standard hot dog ratio of too much bread to too little sausage is eliminated. Additionally, the mix of soft bread, juicy beef, and crisp onions will leave you amazed.

In case you were wondering, snag in Australian slang refers to their sausage-bread combination. Assorted ingredients that are mostly used in this delicious Australian snack are most frequently tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, or mustard, served with grilled onions and sausage on sliced bread. 
In Australia, sausage sizzles, are frequently offered during neighborhood gatherings, and they have ingrained themselves into the customs and culture. In the 1980s, the phrase “sausage sizzle” became widely used to refer to the food item, the barbecue method, or the kind of gathering it would be served at.

10. Meat Pie

This hand-sized treat is one of the national Australian snacks. The typical ingredients in meat pies include minced beef, gravy, mashed potatoes, and occasionally onions and mushrooms. This pie has a shortcrust base and a gravy that has beef mince gravy inside. 

They taste great when paired with a little tomato sauce and are often consumed while watching a football game.  Eating meat pies while watching rugby or Australian football is a common pastime in Australia. They can be eaten on many different occasions, including picnics, movies, or whenever you’re in the mood for a snack that includes some meat.

11. Sausage Rolls

Sausage rolls are one of the most delicious Australian snacks, along with Aussie meat pies, which are also known as Australian Hand Pies. Those delicious snacks are made from seasoned sausage that is rolled in the pie crust dough. 

Puff pastry sheets are rolled around sausage meat to form tubes, and they are then coated with egg or milk before baking. The mix is then baked until golden brown and is a perfect balance and one of the best Australian snacks. 
The snack is served either cold or hot. They are ideal for picnics, traveling, family gatherings, and celebrations. And guess what? Some sources state that the Sausage rolls were first made in the 19th century, and mainly, the shortcrust pastry dough was used as an ingredient.

Bottom Line

After reviewing several Australian snacks, it has once more become clear how strangely awesome this country and its culture are. In Australia, you will find some of the weirdest combinations of food and ingredients. As strange as it may sound, after tasting, it is impossible not to be amazed by the unique celebrations of tastes. 

Have you ever tried those Australian snacks mentioned above? Or which one would you try? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments section below.