A Rumble in My Tummy

Food in Australia has been a very new experience for me. It's not that i've been preparing crazy dishes of emu eggs and kangaroo filets, but I've had to adjust my eating habits to fit not only the trip but also the culture here. And yes, I have eaten some delicious kangaroo. We have a fully equipped kitchen in the apartment so i've been cooking quite a bit. It's funny how some food cravings have dominated my stay so far. I've cooked chicken fajitas a number of times and can't seem to stop my yearning for mexican food. In the apartment I keep a lot of bread, peanut butter (college student essentials), eggs, snack bars, oatmeal, raisins and apples. This can usually get me through the day if i throw in a few apples. Bananas, a food i'm used to always having a high supply of, are currently out of the question. They cost a hefty $16 a kilo here due to a banana shortage! I'll just have to wait until i get home. Near my apartment there is roughly two asian restaurants every 20 feet. I've grown a liking for some good asian food and even a bit of that spice! It's also nice that on all the menus they have pictures so you actually have an idea of what you're ordering. I still won't go near that sushi though, more than one person on this trip has gotten food poisoning already.

A famous Australian dish I ventured out to try the other day, and plan on returning to, is Harry's Meat Pies. I guess this place is famous and I now understand why. It's really just a big food cart down off one of the piers and they're famous for their meat pie with mashed peas, mashed potatoes and gravy. I picked up the "Curry Tiger with beef" which is the most popular kind. A bit spicy but delicious. I ate it sitting on a milk crate on the sidewalk with the other patrons. Delicious! And i've never had a meat pie before.

The other piece of Australian culture i've experienced is the TimTam. These may become my nemesis before the end of this stay. They are in a way the Oreo cookie of Australia but oh-so-good. The program bought us groceries for the first 2 day and some Tim Tams were included. Let's just say the chocolate biscuits were gone quickly and i recently bought a two more packs (different flavors). Don't tell Demitri, i'm sure he wouldn't approve! Take care everyone, and check out some of my pictures on Facebook!