The history of Australia is detailed in its cuisine. Just as immigrants and a bounty of fresh product birthed the American culinary epicenter of San Francisco, Australian chefs and the Australian specialty food industry owe their passion and fusion cuisine to its inhabitants - Asians, tribal natives, Europeans, Italians, Indians and others - and to the accessibility of tropical and exotic ingredients

The flavors of Australia range from combinations of the familiar, such as mint, peas and feta, to a combination of herbs and spices many of us who are not privileged enough to reside Down Under encountered, including lemon myrtle, wild rosella, river mint, bush tomato, pepper berry and wattleseed.

Culinary Wizards
Australia's tropical rainforests provide a fertile bounty of fruits, vegetables and spices. North Queensland is home to the Tablelands, where avocado, abiu, breadfruit, black sapote, custard/sugar apples, duran and beautiful mangosteen grow. These fruits lend their flavors to many of the delicious prepared jams and preserves available to specialty retailers. Each product appears to be perfect specimens revved up on some natural steroid to increase their size.

The oceans surrounding Australia and the rivers in her heart bring forth another enormous bounty - a depth and breadth of seafood including abalone, oysters and a myriad of shellfish only available to Australians.

You don't necessarily have to head Down Under to discover all of its tastes. Hundreds of gourmet specialty food products from Oz make their way to American and European shores each month. The categories of available products include baked goods, beverages, wines, waters, candies, chocolates, cheeses, cheese accompaniments, macadamia nuts, honeys, meat pies, olive oils, oils, olives, pastas, preserves, spices, vinegars and more. Often, many of these specialty, high-end products are organic or kosher.

I would be remiss if while mentioning Australia, I did not discuss the culinary starts of Neil Perry, Gary Jones or Tetsuya. Other culinary celebrities to look for include Donna Hay, whose cookbooks already decorate our shelves. In Australia, her magazine keeps consumers turning the pages. More of Australia's most important food writers and teachers include people such as Joan Campbell, Elizabeth Chong, Margaret Fulton, Diane Holuigue, Charmaine Solomn and Beverley Sutherland Smith.

Still, what it really comes down to is the ingredients. Australia's bounty of great-quality fish combined with its diverse culture helps its culinary stars create their own twist on international fare from swordfish at the local Italian restaurant to a bento box containing blue-fin tuna sashimi at a Japanese sushi bar.

Bush Tucker
The spices of Australia are perhaps some of the most intriguing for those of us who are unaccustomed to their offerings. Bush tucker is the Australian term used to describe the huge variety of herbs, spices, mushrooms, flowers, vegetables, fruits, animals, birds, reptiles and inspects that are native to the country.

Currently, several companies are either already importing or beginning the exportation of Australian spices. They are a treat to use in culinary endeavors.

The following are some of the spices we can look forward to:

Lemon Myrtle is a flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae that is native to the semi-temperate rainforests of eastern Australia. It is often mistakenly called "lemon ironbark," which is actually Eucalyptus staigeriana. The common name reflects the strong, sweet lemon smell of the crushed leaves.

Wattleseeds from around 100 species of Acacia have been used as foods by Australian Aborigines for at least 6,000 years. It has been dried and roasted to create an amazing flavor related to hazelnut, coffee, walnuts and chocolate. It can blend well with sweet dishes and savory.

Bush Tomato is wild harvested from the desert in Central Australia. The tomato is left to sun dry on the bush before it is hand picked by the local aboriginal communities. It has a wonderful subtle flavor of delicate caramelized, sun-dried tomato with a slight bitter taste to it.

Mountain Pepper Berries are harvested from the wild Alpine rainforests of Tasmania. They have an incredible spicy, fruity flavor followed by a hot, peppery taste. Slow cooking enhances the flavor and removes the hotness. They can also be used in a peppermill. The leaves from the tree these berries grow on are also a great spice variety, dried and used in place of conventional black or white pepper.

Sweet & Savory Offerings
Australians definitely love their food. And they are never far from a bounty of snack items that fill their fancy when traveling the land. Our favorite place to stop was in the bakeries and roadside trucks for some traditional Aussie Meat pies. We sampled pies of all varieties -my favorite though was the sirloin-and-mushroom combo from Annabella's Bakery in Cairns (Queensland).

Australian Desert Limes - a native lime that is similar to a key lime but smaller is another Australian delectable. . We sampled Desert Lime Paste and Desert Lime Glace, and found them to be a zesty ingredient that pair perfectly with cheeses and other desserts. Be on the lookout for more products with this smart fruit that aborigines have been using for generations.

What Australians might consider daily fare is gourmet fodder for us foodies. Crispbreads and crackers from Australia are a delight. A handful of producers create these lovely wafer-thin crackers or crisps that are impeccable carriers for cheese and cheese accompaniments. Speaking of accompaniments, Australian cuisine is filled with fabulous sauces, sides and flavor combinations. Cheese accompaniments (which honestly serve so many additional purposes) are a great window into the flavors of the Australian palette - from Maggie Beer's Blood Plum to fruit pastes to Australian Harvest's Cabernet & Pepperberry Paste - the product is familiar to Americans but the flavors are distinctly Australian.

And don't forget the licorice. Soft, delicious licorice from Australia is one of the country's finest exports. Also, watch for grand fruit pectins that make the best use of the country's wealth of beautiful produce.

Australia's Specialty Cheeses
Australia's specialty cheese industry produces more than 27,000 tons and exports about four per cent of that. Australia produced 374,000 tons of cheese last year. Of this, 132,000 tons were exported, most of it in the form of bulk cheddar or processed cheese, and all of it pasteurized. In 2003/2004, France produced 1.7m tons of cheese (10.2% raw-milk cheese) and exported 575,000 tons.

Australian boutique cheese companies include: Bruny Island, Dairyvale, Meredith, Shaw River, Woodside Cheese Wrights, Yarra Valley, Tarago River, Jindi, Timboon, King Island, Top Paddock, Heidi, Mungalli Creek Dairy and Mt Emu Creek. In recent years, most have been acquired, including King Island (now owned by National Foods). While the debate continues in Australia about the benefits of large companies buying up specialty producers (just as it is here), these larger companies have deeper pockets, meaning more of these beautifully crafted products can be expected to reach our shores. More than 14 cheesemakers are already imported, and their products are all worthy of your shelves. King Island Dairy (and its cheesemaker Ueli Berger) has made a name for itself through the years by winning both national and international competitions. Its products with names like Roaring Forties Blue (produced with a Roquefort-style mold) and Bass Strait Blue are available in the U.S. (with the exception of its unbelievably rich, thick yogurt). The producer prides itself on its relatively young production of specialty cheeses (offered since the mid-1980's). Its success has spurred many other cheesemakers to strive for specialty production and artisan works.

Examples of immigrant influences on Australian products and product can also be found amongst the cheesemakers. Named for the aboriginal village near where they were first produced, Mil Lel Superior grana-type cheeses embody the best attributes of traditional Italian heritage melded with modern Australian "flair." Now produced in Dairy Farmers' famous Simpson factory located in a tiny community overlooking the cliffs of Australia's Great Southern Ocean, Mil Lel Superior grana cheeses are handmade, hand turned and lovingly husbanded over their long maturation. From parmesan to romano, the country's Italian immigrant influence manifests itself in their cheeses.

An example of the Australian drive to enter the American marketplace and gain position and prominence here, is "Dairyvale" aged Australian cheddar, which was especially selected for the U.S. market. "Dairyvale" cheddar is aged over one year. The cheese's lovely cream color and its rich texture is derived from the milk of herds that graze freely on the pristine green pastures of the famed Murray River valley in southeastern Australia. So many wonderful things are happening in the Australian boutique cheese scene, it's hard to even begin to pick favorites. We tasted a remarkable Tarago River Cheese called Jensens Red in a specialty market in Melbourne. And then there was the King Island Centenary Blue. And we cannot forget Mungalli Creek's marinated feta. (Yes, there are some incredible feta cheeses from Australia, including 34 Degrees and Lemnos Foods that are available in the U.S.)

The list could go on forever. Just know this - Australian cheese producers are constantly challenging themselves to be the best in the world. And not necessarily by the world's standards either....which makes for some new, innovative and downright delicious entries into the marketplace.

Growing Demand for Foods from Down Under
You can expect demand or at least an understanding and familiarity of Australian product will become stronger around the world. For the first time in decades, Australia has loosened its borders for immigration (very controlled) and is promoting itself to thousands of international tourists.

Celebrities, television shows and cookbooks continue to make their way to our shores and into the homes of our customers. So it's time to become well versed on this country and its products. It's a land of similarities and differences, faces our customers can recognize and new flavor profiles for them to celebrate.

Australian Cuisine Gaining International Popularity: The Epicentre. © 2009. All rights reserved.