If you’re anything like me, food cravings always win. Whatever my body is craving it will most likely get. Craving something and not being able to get your hands on it because supermarkets don’t sell it in the country you’re living in, sounds like my worst nightmare. Unfortunately, that’s the case for a lot of Aussie expats. We reached out to our family and friends that live in other countries to check up on them, see what foods they’re missing the most and if they’d like us to send them a care package. Here are the 10 Australian foods they said they’re missing the most.
Yes, we know we can make ANZAC biscuits ourselves (in fact, we have a whole bunch of yummy ANZAC recipes to prove it), but when you get a last-minute hankering for the sweetness of a slightly chewy ANZAC bicky you just wish you had a packet stowed away in the cupboard.
From Snakes and Frogs Alive to Killer Pythons and the classic Party Mix, Allen’s reigns supreme when it comes to confectionery for Aussies. While other countries, like the United States of United Kingdom, have a wide variety of candy on offer nothing quite matches Allens.
The slogan says it all, “Life’s pretty straight without Twisties…”. Arguably, one of Australia’s most popular chips many are unaware that they are of Australian origin (perhaps they wouldn’t move to another country if they did). The iconic chip was born in 1951 and has become a staple in Australian school lunch boxes and pantries and are sorely missed from those living abroad.
The superior salt when it comes to hot chips. It’s common practice for many chicken shops to season hot chips with chicken salt that Aussies take for granted. Fun fact: chicken salt was developed in the 1970s by Peter Brinkworth in Gawler, South Australia to season chicken for rotisseries. Getting your hands on it in other countries is no easy feat.
While there are alternatives to satisfy Violet Crumble (ahem, Crunchie), they are not equal to the Aussie classic. The chocolate bar was first made by Hoadley’s Chocolates in South Melbourne around the year 1913; and is currently made in Adelaide, South Australia by Robern Menz after a period of ownership by Nestlé. Cadbury launched its own version, Crunchie, in the UK in 1992 and will always be Violet Crumble’s understudy in my opinion.
The ultimate snack food, soy crisps are actually Australian and are very hard to source overseas. Because they are so widely found in Australia – in trail and bar mixes, on cheese boards, in supermarkets – it’s easy to assume that they are an international import.
One of Cadbury Chocolate’s most popular products and arguably the nation’s chocolate, Caramello Koala is only available Down Under. Thankfully, they are small and you can fit a large amount without taking up too much space in your suitcase.
Once a Milo kid, always a Milo kid. This Aussie malt drink powder is beloved by kids and adults alike. Whether it be heated up with milk during the winter or sprinkled over ice cream in the summer, this iconic sweet treat is something we couldn’t live without. We don’t know how you do it, expats.
No hot summer day is complete without a Golden Gaytime. Streets’ toffee and vanilla flavoured ice cream dipped in chocolate coating and covered in delicious biscuit pieces and the fact it is unavailable anywhere else in the world is mind blowing.
Honestly, who can get through the week without eating a Tim Tam? While they are available through Amazon in some countries you’re looking at forking out over $20 for one packet, so we’re leaving them on this list. The true king of chocolate biscuits, Tim Tams will always hold a special place in Aussie hearts, no matter how far away they live.
