Modern Australian

If the thought of Australian cuisine conjures up images of barbies and bushtucker, think again. The days when cooks down under were famous for nothing but damper bread and lamingtons have long gone. Traditional Aussie meat pies have given way to a new breed of classics thanks to a rapidly growing, diverse influence of Asian and European culture.

Australia has always had a love for Chinese cuisine, but it didn't benefit hugely from other international tastes until its post war immigration programme, which saw thousands of Italians, Greeks, and Lebanese arrive on its shores. Many are now second or third generation, with one foot still firmly in their European roots, resulting in trendy bistros and modern classics mixed with a lighter Australian style. No longer are dishes born from one single country. Instead they are fused and classified as simply 'modern Australian'.

The British connection

If Australian cuisine has ever been tainted with a reputation for blandness, we only have ourselves to blame. Bushtucker aside, for the country's first 150 years, food eaten here reflected its British heritage.

Traditional dishes such as meaty stews, potato dumplings and jam pudding, were brought in with the first English immigrants in the 19th Century. This style of cooking remained part and parcel of the Australian culinary scene until relatively recently, when the influx of new immigrants meant chefs embraced a lighter cooking style.