MAIN INGREDIENTS
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.
MOST ICONIC Salt and Pepper Calamari
View moreAustralian and New Zealander meat pie is made with flaky pastry that is filled with gravy and minced meat. Of course, numerous variations exist, so the filling can also be made with onions, chicken and asparagus, mushrooms, cheese, crocodile meat, vegetables, or seafood.
There are also variations of meat pies such as party pies (tiny pies served to party guests) and the pie floater (a green pea soup with a pie floating on top of it). The concept of the pie traces way back to the Neolithic period, when barley, semolina, and grains were made into a paste, filled with honey and baked over hot coals.
MOST ICONIC Meat Pie
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An institution at many pubs, restaurants, and cafés in Australia, Australian burger with the lot first made its appearance in the 1940s, when beetroot started to be added to the burger alongside onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and meat.
The inclusion of canned beetroot on a burger was possible due to the fact that there were two canneries that opened during the 1930s and the 1940s. Today, there is still a heated debate about the inclusion of beetroot - some say it is obligatory, while the others claim it's a travesty.
Burgers with beetroot rose in popularity during the 1950s and the 1960s, but in the 1970s, with the opening of fast-food chain restaurants such as McDonald's and Hungry Jacks, its popularity began to wane.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Burger
MOST ICONIC Australian Burger
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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.
MOST ICONIC Pavlova
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Chicken parmigiana is a poultry dish consisting of breadcrumbs-coated chicken breasts that are topped with tomato sauce and cheese, then baked until the cheese melts and the chicken is properly cooked. Although it has an Italian-sounding name, chicken parmigiana is actually an American dish, derived from an Italian dish called melanzana alla parmigiana, or eggplant parmigiana.
No one knows who invented chicken parmigiana, but it is very popular in American cities with a large number of Italian immigrants such as New York and New Jersey. Regardless of the origin, the dish is usually served on top of rice or pasta, while some prefer it as a part of submarine sandwiches.
MOST ICONIC Chicken Parma
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Dim sims are deep-fried or steamed dumplings filled with pork or other meat, cabbage, and flavorings. Although inspired by the traditional Chinese cuisine both in ingredients and the name of the dish, the Australian version differs from Chinese dumplings in size and thickness of the dumplings (they are larger and thicker than the traditional Chinese versions).
The dish was invented in Melbourne around 1945 by a Chinese chef named William Wing Young, who created the dumplings for his restaurant, called Wing Lee. Dim sims, affectionately called dimmies, are typically dipped in soy sauce before consumption, and can often be found in fish and chips shops, corner stores, and some Chinese restaurants in Australia.
MOST ICONIC Dim sim
View moreSausage sizzle is a popular Australian and New Zealander event in which sausages are grilled or barbecued. The event mostly occurs in large public spaces. Sausage sizzles can be a free event or a fundraiser event for a local community organization such as bush fire brigades or public schools.
The term sausage sizzle denotes both the event and the barbecuing technique. Cheaper sausages (a.k.a. snags) are grilled or barbecued, then served on a slice of bread. Ketchup, barbecue sauce, and mustard are the typical condiments, while fried onions are usually placed on top of the sausage sandwich.
Avocado toast is a dish consisting of a piece of toasted bread topped with a combination of mashed avocados, salt, pepper, and (sometimes) citrus juice. There are many varieties of this dish, so it can be enriched with ingredients such as salmon, tomatoes, onions, eggs, garlic, cheese, olive oil, or red pepper flakes.
Although the dish is quite simple and straightforward, the location of its origin is not – some claim that it is an Australian invention, while others proclaim that Los Angeles is the place where it was born. Regardless of its origin, avocado toast started its modern-day revival on Instagram, and it has been trending across the globe ever since.
MOST ICONIC Avocado Toast
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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.
MOST ICONIC Pikelets
View moreHokey pokey is a New Zealander ice cream variety consisting of vanilla-flavored ice cream with small lumps of honeycomb toffee dispersed throughout it. Although it is produced in New Zealand, this ice cream variety is regularly exported to Japan, where it has achieved a quite popular status over the years.
The name hokey pokey refers to the New Zealand term denoting honeycomb toffee.
MOST ICONIC Hokey Pokey Ice Cream
View moreTasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 100 Oceanian Foods” list until February 16, 2025, 3,015 ratings were recorded, of which 2,592 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.