One of the best parts about traveling is the food. One of the worst parts about coming home is knowing you’ll never be able to replicate what you had abroad so it tastes just right. After coming home from studying abroad in Gold Coast, Australia there were a lot of things I missed, and I’m not just talking about the beaches. Get ready to learn about 5 of the foods that I think Australia does better than the United States.
Smoothies and Juices
Blending a juice in your kitchen or getting a smoothie bowl since I’ve been home has not given me the same satisfaction as the vibrant fruit based drinks that were everywhere in Australia. From local places, like The Fruit Shop Burleigh, to chains like, Boost Juice, you can’t compare the deliciousness that is an Australian smoothie. The quality and variety of most fruits is so much better in Australia than in the US. Passion fruit, dragon fruit, mango, coconut. All the tropical fruit fun blended into perfection.
Avocado Toast
Also known as smashed avo, this breakfast food is just better down under. Is it that they use thicker bread or get better avocados? Or is it that it’s so common and not treated as something fancy you eat when you’re feeling healthy? Maybe it’s just because they call it avo. I honestly can’t pinpoint the reason, but Australian avocado toast hits different than the US version.
Gelato
Australia isn’t Europe but one thing they have in common is serving gelato instead of ice cream. Don’t get me wrong, I love ice cream, but knowing if you go to an “ice cream shop” in Australia you're actually going to be getting a rich creamy gelato is pretty great. You can still get that ice cream fix in cartons from the store, but if you want a cone and go to a scoop shop, you’ll be getting gelato. As an added bonus, the gelato you’ll be getting will be more flavorful and creamy than than any gelato you would get in the US. (And I say this knowing Amorino exists).
Meat Pie
Comparing the Aussie's meat pies to the American version is kind of unfair to the US. The United States doesn't even really consider meat pies to be a thing; the closest thing they have to it is chicken pot pie. In comparison, Australia has a large variety of options. I've tried everything from steak and kidney, to butter chicken, and Thai curry. They're also such a common snack or meal to have at any time. You could just go into a corner store and grab a cheap yet delicious meat pie in a variety of flavors and be satisfied. The meat pie culture is definitely something I'll miss, but maybe I'll get super invested in chicken pot pies as an attempt to replace the craving.
Chocolate
This is a given. Chocolate is really better everywhere that isn't the United States. But Australia has more than the classic dairy milk chocolate that every other country has (even though milk chocolate is always delicious). Australia has their own versions of the Cadbury chocolates like freddo frog and caramello koala. When you want a sweet snack having one of these animal shaped treats is much better than having a Hershey's bar. So if I had to the waxy US chocolate or the delicious Australian chocolate, you know where I would go.
Highly recommend anyone who hasn't been to Australia to head over. If not for the beautiful beaches, cool animals, and amazing weather, then for the delicious food. Book your tickets and try this impossible to replicate food for yourself!
Honorable Mentions: Coffee, Kangaroo, Thai food, Sausage Rolls