There is an undeniable magic about the Med. This ‘inland sea’ – the name means ‘middle of the land’ – has a hold over us that is about more than the pretty tourist posters. This body of water, and the diverse cultures and countries that live around it, and in it, have other attractions that perhaps add to the allure.

For some of us, it is where we, or our family, are from; our roots and our heritage. For others, it’s a bucket-list destination. While some of us have rose-tinted memories of our first solo holidays, and the free-wheelin’ misadventures around the Med.

One of the best things to come from this region is the Mediterranean diet, which consistently comes out as one of the healthiest no matter what fad is currently being peddled. What’s not to love about loads of vegies, fresh fish and red wine? And with nothing really demonised or prohibited. It’s chickpeas and stews, dips and pizza. It’s pasta, vermicelli, pastitso and cous cous and fregola. It’s bitter local greens and bread in all its wonder, fish caught with your own hands, and sheep or goats raised to see you through the winter months with meat, milk or cheese, or all of the above. This is simple food that sings with sunshine, of the grill, and of humble hearths. This is a homegrown cuisine that speaks of ingenuity built from straightened circumstance. Sure, there’s opulence in the cooking of ancient Rome, the caliphates and the Byzantine Empire, but that’s not what leaps to mind.

When I think of the best long lunches I think of portside bistros or beachside tavernas; a succession of cold golden beers; the feel of sand or wet pebbles between your toes…

Our similarities to the Mediterranean involve food and the seaside lifestyle. Many Med ingredients also grow so well, and sustainably, here in Australia – grapes, eggplant, capers, olives, zucchini, tomatoes, all manner of citrus and garlic.

And while Australia might be the driest continent in the world most of us live by the sea. So it is with the Mediterranean – I’m sure many families who had the Med on their doorstep felt at home when they moved here. And while the daily fishing haul in the Med might be declining, our waters still have calamari to catch off the piers and octopus to grill. There’s also the array of fish, some like tuna from the Med. We even now have red prawns on menus – or we did – to make a Sicilian weep for a plate of these beauties from home. Sometimes I find myself thinking that parts of Australia are like the Med 40 years ago: unspoilt, still abundant and with an enviably laid-back pace.