A pie floater is an Australian dish that is most commonly consumed in Adelaide and Sydney. It consists of a traditional Australian meat pie that is usually submerged upside-down in green pea soup. It is believed that the origins of the dish lie in traditional English dishes of pea soup with eel and suet dumplings (dumplings in soups were known as floaters).

The usual accompaniments to a pie floater include tomato sauce or mint sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or malt vinegar. Pie floater has an impressive history that can be traced back to over 130 years. It was invented in Port Pirie, South Australia in the 1890s by a bakery operator named Ern "Shorty" Bradley. 

Salt and pepper calamari is a Chinese cuisine-inspired dish that’s so popular in Australia it might even be called one of Australia’s national dishes. The calamari, or squid in some cases, is covered in salt-and-pepper batter, then deep-fried to crispy perfection.

The dish is often prepared and served as a bar or pub snack, and it often comes garnished with garlic, fried chili, and spring onions. Salt and pepper calamari is so widely available in the country that it can be found everywhere from cafés to pubs, restaurants, and bistros. 

Vanilla slice is the Australian answer to mille-feuille - this dessert consists of a thick custard that’s flavored with vanilla, sandwiched between puff or phyllo pastry sheets, and topped with vanilla, raspberry, strawberry, chocolate, or passion fruit icing.

Due to the fact that the texture of the custard is slightly wobbly, the vanilla slice is sometimes also called a snot block. Once prepared, the dessert is cut into slices before being served. This dessert is so popular that there is an annual competition for the best vanilla slice baker, called the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph.

Damper is a traditional bushman's bread that was originally prepared with flour, water, and salt. The bread was cooked in the coals of a campfire, and it was first mentioned in Memoirs, edited by Barron Field, who was a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

According to one theory, the name damper is derived from a Lancashire expression, referring to something that damps the appetite. However, historian James Bonwick says that the name is derived from a process of damping the fire by covering it with ashes. 

The world-famous Australian culinary icon Lamington consists of a sponge cake that is dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with finely desiccated coconut. The cake is believed to have been created by accident when Lord Lamington's maid accidentally dropped his favorite cake in melted chocolate.

Lamington, the eighth Governor of Queensland, suggested that the cake should be sprinkled with coconut in order to avoid the mess while consuming it - and the erroneous cake was proclaimed a massive success by all. Today, the cake is extremely popular due to its climate suitability, as it lasts longer in the heat when it's cut in bite-sized squares and covered in coconut. 

Pikelets are Australian pancakes made with a combination of flour, eggs, and milk. They are typically prepared for breakfast in Australia. Besides Australia, these pancakes are also popular in Scotland, Wales, and New Zealand. The batter for pikelets is slightly thicker than the one used for American pancakes, which makes them heavy once they have risen in the pan.

They are small in size, and are often made with yeast, while American pancakes are prepared with baking powder. Once done, pikelets can be served hot or cold, preferably with butter, syrups, and fruits on the side, which are used as toppings.

Delicate as the ballerina it was named after, Pavlova is the quintessential summer dessert. Whipped cream is typically dolloped on top of a snowy meringue, followed by a pop of color in the form of fruit, preferably the tart varieties which contrast the sweetness of the meringue.

Research suggests Pavlova is a descendant of the German torte and was invented in the 1920s during Anna Pavlova's tour of Australia and New Zealand, although the exact inventor is still debated. The first recipe for Pavlova appeared in print in 1926, although it was not the dessert we know today, but was instead a multi-colored gelatine dish. 

This nourishing Australian soup is prepared with onions, potatoes, chicken stock, flour, water, cooked chicken, cream, corn, and flavorings such as salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne pepper, if desired. There are many recipes for this hearty home-cooked soup, so ingredients may vary from one cook to another.

Besides being easy to prepare, the soup is also a great way to use up leftover roast chicken. It is recommended to serve it warm, preferably with a foccacia or specialty bread on the side.

Fritz and sauce is a classic Australian sandwich that's especially beloved by children. It consists of two slices of bread, a bit of tomato sauce, and fritz. Fritz is a type of sausage made of beef, lamb, and pork trimmings, starch, flour, and seasonings.

The bread is buttered, then topped with the fritz slices and sauce. The sandwich is completed with the second slice of bread on top. Fritz is a tribute to the large number of German settlers in South Australia, and this sandwich is usually prepared for school lunch or an afternoon hike.