Australian food to try in Sydney

Australian cuisine is a melting pot of Indigenous dishes and food from around the world. If you’re studying at the University of New South Wales, a great way to get to know Sydney is by trying its local food. Like many Australians, Sydney locals are known for their love of barbecues, and there are plenty of popular seafood dishes here. Whether you’re planning your first trip to the supermarket, cooking up a meal for you and your roommate, or dining out in Sydney, these are some Sydney dishes to try.

Sydney Rock Oysters

Native to Australia, these rock oysters are touted by chefs and foodies as some of the best in the world. Indigenous Australians were the first to eat the mollusks, and today there are oyster farms all along the East Coast.

This Sydney seafood, with its complex flavor and lasting sweetness, is often served raw on the half shell. You can buy Sydney rock oysters at a number of restaurants and even served with cocktails at local bars. Or you can pick them up shucked or unshucked at the Rock Oyster Depot market stall at Kings Cross organic food market every Saturday from 8am.

Vegemite on Toast

This is classic Australian – with no cooking skills required! Vegemite is a dark, salty spread made of yeast extract with a distinctive flavor. And you can get it in most Australian supermarkets. Referenced in the famous Men at Work song “Down Under,” it's been a popular Australian food since the 1920s.

If asked, many Australians would suggest the taste of Vegemite is far superior to the British alternative, Marmite. A small amount spread thinly over a slice of buttered toast is divine. The taste is strong, so don’t be tempted to spread it too thickly at first. It's often eaten as a quick snack or easy breakfast. You only need to buy a small jar because a little goes a long way – unless you want to take some home with you!

Golden Gaytime Ice Cream

Golden Gaytime ice-cream first hit the Australian shelves in 1959. The original Golden Gaytime ice cream bar is vanilla ice cream coated in toffee flavoring and crunchy honeycomb biscuit crumbs then dipped in chocolate. Today, you can buy the ice cream bar in other flavors, like mint and strawberry.

Flat White Coffee

Although it’s not a food, the flat white coffee is a classic drink that originated in Sydney in the 1980s, invented by Alan Preston at Moors Espresso Bar. Essentially, it’s a latte, but with less milk, more espresso, and a microfilm of milk. While the original Moors Espresso Bar is no longer open, coffee culture in Sydney is thriving, and the flat white is on every menu. Pop into any of the coffee shops in the capital and let one of the trained baristas serve you a flat white in the city it was invented in.