Tucker Down Under

Food. The (second) most basic survival need. It is what keeps our bodies functioning. But to me, it is oh so much more. I love food. It's what I look forward to the most each day. (Sad I know.) So, I was excited to see what food would be like in Australia. Here's what I've learned so far:

First off, food is called tucker here. Don't ask me why. The Aussies say they like to abbreviate things here (barbie = barbeque), but then tucker is a longer word than food.

Breakfast is pretty similar to American breakfasts - with eggs, hash browns, sausage, and bacon (which is chewy and more ham-like) - except for a few things. Baked beans are popular for breakfast, but that's also common in Europe. And here's the kicker - spaghetti is also served for breakfast. Was Australia made for me or what? All my life, I've been made fun of because I prefer to have pasta rather than eggs for breakfast. Turns out, 20 million people feel the same way. I couldn't be happier. Interestingly enough, when we told the Australian staff that spaghetti wasn't a normal breakfast food in the US, they were blown away.

And then there are the sauces. I am a sauce fanatic. I've even been known to choose food based on what sauce I can have with it. And here, I have discovered sweet chili sauce. Aussies love it and put it on everything - fish, pasta, veggies, chips (french fries), eggs, you name it. So I'm doing like the Aussies do and have been eating it with all my meals. Delicious.

Marinara sauce, much to my dismay, is very different here. It's still a pasta sauce, but with prawns, clams, oysters, and other seafood. (Marinara - Marina - fish. Get it?) So, instead I have to order tomato sauce. But ketchup is also called tomato sauce. . . it gets confusing. I just hope I don't end up with ketchup on my spaghetti.

Tam Tams are a delicious Aussie cookie. It's a biscuit covered in chocolate, sometimes with caramel in the middle. You can eat it by doing what they call "Tam Tam Slammin' ", which may be considered a competitive sport here. You bite off the ends of the cookie (it's rectangular) and use it as a straw to drink a hot frothy coffee drink. It's much harder than it sounds. Believe me.

Veggie burgers here are really different, but still really good. It's an eggy mixture that has peas, carrots, and corn, which is then breaded and deep fried. It turns out soft and in a patty shape. You can eat it on a bun, but I prefer it without one. Goes great with sweet chili.

On the topic of burgers, all burgers (and they have many kinds - chicken, veggie, steak, pork) have beetroot on them. I don't think I'll ever understand.

And finally, vegemite. The iconic food of Australia. I was lucky (?) enough to try it on my first day here, when it was given to us on pieces of bread. Unlike theories that it tastes like peanut butter or chocolate (my brother Kirk was convinced it was a chocolate alternative), it is bitter and salty. I figure if I try it a few more times maybe I'll get accustomed to the taste and grow to like it. . . maybe.

Overall, the food is good. It's very international with foods from India, Thailand, Japan, Turkey, Mexico, Lebanon - literally every country you could think of, and more. I still have some foods to try (kangaroo meat maybe?) but so far I'm impressed. Turns out I won't have to live off pasta after all.