The barbecue is a national icon on the Australian landscape but the humble barbecue has a long history in Australia. Not only will you find a barbecue in most homes but also in wide range of locations around the country. Governments and businesses owners understand peoples love for a barbecue and have accommodated for this throughout our communities. You can find a barbecue at a:

-          Caravan park

-          Camping site

-          National park

-          Local park

-          Business sites

-          Beach

Traditional Aboriginal cooking always involved the use of a traditional barbecue – outdoor cooking over a fire or hot coals. They would also use the earth to create earth ovens. The first fleet brought with them traditional English style ovens but it could be assumed that the extreme heat of the Australian landscape enticed them to search for alternative cooking methods outside. That combined with lessons from the local Aboriginals would have led to the humble barbecue being born.

Australian’s have always been aware of the strong cultural reference the BBQ has, but the world was introduced to this through an advertising campaign featuring Paul Hogan. The 1986 advertisement sees Hogan enticing visitors to Australia with a traditional Australian barbecue and the now famous catch phrase “I’ll put a shrimp on the barbie”.

Today Australia’s bbq culture is changing again. Australian’s are become more educated on cuisine and cooking and their palates are much more sophisticated. Burnt sausages and chops are now being replaced with gourmet sausages, marinated steaks and fresh seafood which are all cooked to perfection and served with complimenting gourmet salads and wines.

But even though tastes are changing Australian’s are still keen on maintaining a connection with their country and their history. This trend has filtrated into our restaurants and cafes as “bush tucker”flavours are making more appearances on menus. Some of these include:

-          Wattle Seeds

-          Karrajong Flowers

-          Lilly Pilly Berries

-          Quandon (wild peach)

-          Lemon Myrtle

-          Pepper Leaf

-          Kakadu Plum

Next time you’re planning the menu for your traditional Australian barbecue why not add some traditional flavours and ingredients.