Studying abroad in Australia this summer was the experience of a lifetime. I met so many great people, made amazing memories, and of course ate plenty of classic Australian delicacies (vegemite anyone?).
As the weeks passed, however, I began to notice that I was craving certain foods that I couldn’t get my hands on no matter how hard I searched. I resorted to starting a list so that I could binge on these treats I missed while abroad. These are the top 5 foods from the U.S. that I missed while in Australia.
5. Guacamole
Even with the large number of avocados available, I couldn’t seem to find pre-made guac in stores or in restaurants. And while Australia isn’t known for particularly high quality Mexican food, it was still a sad month without my favorite dip.
4. Ranch
This really hurt my midwestern heart. I had held off on hitting up McDonald’s (aka Macca’s) until we got to Sydney in the last few days of the trip. When my friend and I couldn’t find any establishments near the Harbor Bridge where it would be acceptable to go in wearing jeans, we decided it was time for some McNuggets. We went up to the counter and ordered, and when the cashier asked what sauces we’d like, we both replied “ranch”, which prompted her to look at us like we had three heads. Unfortunately, we had to settle on barbecue for our dipping needs.
3. Bagels
Perhaps the ultimate breakfast food, bagels were no where to be seen Down Under. There was no shortage of cream cheese, in flavors varying from smoked salmon to berry medley, but what was I meant to be spreading it on? Australia, I’d like answers.
2. Mac n’ Cheese
This comforting goodness was also missing in action, even though there was certainly no shortage of other soul foods from fried chicken to baked beans. Apparently the gooey combination of cheese with joint-shaped pasta just isn’t appealing to Aussies.
1. Ice
Even if it’s technically not a food, I never thought I would miss ice so much. I can understand the logic behind a lack of ice—if my country was the driest inhabited continent in the world, I could understand not wanting to take the energy required turn precious liquid water into crunchy cold goodness—but I digress. At the end of a long, hot day sometimes all you want is solid H2O to cool you down.
From kangaroo sausage to Shapes to the infamous Tim Tam, I certainly found some delicious Australian foods to enjoy (some of which I can still enjoy in the U.S.), but spending four weeks without some of my favorite foods was a feat I won’t be completing again in the near future.