Australia is blessed with incredible food and produce. Here are the best that are definitely worth a road trip.
Australians have countless reasons to travel overseas, but when it comes to top-quality produce, is it bragging to say that Australia comes out on top? Well, we don’t want to be accused of false modesty…
From native super fruits to wine that gives the French a run for their money, these are the Australian foods worth travelling for.
1. Barramundi, Darwin, NT
You will find barramundi on menus across Australia, but the barras in the Top End are considered the best. It’s become so popular that once a year, anglers descend on the Northern Territory to catch the ‘million dollar barra,’ which is tagged and released in the waters, ready for enterprising anglers as part of the Million Dollar Fish competition.
Barramundi in the Top End is considered the best. (Image: Jojo Yuen)
Best season? November to May (wet season).
Where to try? Fin and Tonic on Marina Boulevard in Darwin, NT.
2. Green Ants (gulguk), Arnhem Land, NT
Indigenous Australians have been eating these tiny but fierce insects for millennia. Today, the lemony-coriander seed-tasting treat is gaining momentum among more eaters. Try them in Arnhem Land.
Try green ants in Arnhem Land. (Image: Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia)
Best season? All year round.
Where to try? One of the most famous ant-based products is the green ant gin made by SomethingWild Australia on Larrakia land.
3. Bowen/Kensington Pride Mangoes, Bowen, Qld
Not just the home to the Big Mango! Australia’s most popular breed of the luscious, tropical fruit originated from the Whitsundays town of Bowen. This summer sweet treat is now grown up and down the Queensland coast. Pick your own in the Aussie summer.
Pick your own mangos. (Image: Rajendra Biswal)
Best season? December to January.
Where to try? Fresh mangoes are everywhere here. If you’re taking a road trip up to Townsville, stop halfway to pick your own at The Frosty Mango on the Bruce Highway, Mutarnee, Qld.
4. Prawns, Gulf Country, Qld and NT
Whether cooked, peeled or chucked carelessly onto the barbecue, one thing is for certain: Aussies love their prawns. The tropical waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria, stretching between Queensland and the Northern Territory, contain enormous, fat banana prawns and some of the biggest tiger prawns in Australia.
Aussies love their prawns. (Image: Getty Images/luchezar)
Best season? Tiger prawns are caught around August to December; banana prawns are best caught September to November and March to May.
Where to try? Take the Savannah Way to the coastal town of Karumba for prawns fresh off the fishing boats.
5. Sydney Rock Oysters, South Coast, NSW
Turns out Australians are quite greedy when it comes to our oysters. Most are sold domestically, and the addiction doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Mad about the molluscs?
Go on a seafood odyssey down the NSW South Coast. From Nowra to Eden, there are plenty of places to try Australia’s native oyster.
Go on a seafood odyssey down the NSW South Coast. (Image: Destination NSW)
Best season? September to March.
Where to try? Jim Wild’s Oyster Shack at Greenwell Point in Shoalhaven is a great pick for Sydney daytrippers.
6. Macadamias, Northern Rivers, NSW
Did you know Australia is the only place in the world where macadamias grow wild? The sweet and rich nuts have been growing here for tens of millions of years. Today, the native Australian macadamia is grown up and down the east coast of NSW, with the rich soils of Byron Bay producing gorgeously fatty mouthfuls that are popular overseas and at home.
Pick some sweet and rich macadamias. (Image: Destination NSW)
Best season? March to August (harvest time).
Where to try? Wander through the macadamia crops during harvest time at The Farm near Byron Bay, NSW.
7. Cheese, Gippsland, Vic
Who wants a charcuterie platter? Our answer will always be a resounding, ‘Yes, cheese!’ Australia has a massive array of gourmet, inventive, and reinvented traditional cheeses.
And it’s down in the rich dairy pastures of Gippsland where the creamy milk is transformed into addictive specialties, like hearty slices of blue-veined cheese.
Bassine Specialty Cheeses makes premium artisan cheese.
Best season? Available year-round.
Where to try? Fill up your picnic basket at the Bassine Specialty Cheeses store at 2125 Bass Highway, Glen Forbes, Vic.
8. Samphire, Eyre Peninsula, SA
A quick pop followed by drops of seawater suffusing your mouth. Eating the salty snack of the samphire is oddly addictive. The samphire succulent grows in salty areas around the world, but Australia has its own species that can be found in salt lakes, such as those on the Eyre Peninsula. Try ‘sea asparagus’ on salads, as a side accompaniment to shellfish, or dried and sprinkled as a boost of vitamin C.
Samphire bursts with salty flavour. (Image: Getty Images via lynnebeclu)
Best season? Summer.
Where to try? Unfortunately, Australian samphire is currently at the ‘look, don’t taste’ foraging level. You can get a big fine for picking it.
9. Kakadu Plum (gubinge), Dampier Peninsula, WA
Another win for those seeking some antioxidant power is the sweet-sour Kakadu plum. The fleshy native fruit is up to six per cent vitamin C and can be found in the Kimberley region, as well as stretching all the way to Cape York.
The sweet-sour Kakadu plum grows in the Kimberley region.
Best season? January to February in Western Australia.
Where to try? Take a bush food tour on Nyul Nyul country with Twin Lakes Cultural Park.
10. Marron, Margaret River, WA
Jet 2500 kilometres south to Margaret River and try the state’s largest freshwater crayfish, which can weigh in at over two kilos. Hairy and smooth marron live in the fresh waters here, but the former are endangered and should not be eaten.
Luckily, other kinds of marron can be grown and harvested on farms during the short summer season, before being dished up with garlic butter.
Marron is a must-try in the Margaret River region (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
Best season? January to February.
Where to try? You can tuck into the crayfish during Marron season across restaurants in the Margaret River, like the Voyager Estate.
11. Sparkling wine, Tamar Valley, Tasmania
Australia has half a dozen regions where sparkling wines are produced. But it’s the cool climate of Tasmania’s Tamar Valley that produces French-style drops that have us dropping past Calstock instead of Champagne.
The wines found at the family-owned wineries here are made from pinot noir and chardonnay varieties and are delectable enough to make anyone cheers!
Enjoy a glass of Tasmanian sparkling wine in the Tamar Valley. (Image: Adam Gibson)
Best season? All year round – thank goodness.
Where to try? When it comes to Tamar Valley wineries, it is hard to go wrong. But for sparkling, Jansz Tasmania is a must.
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