Tofu on the barbie.

Australia is one of the highest meat consuming countries, and the Australian love for barbecues is well known.  So what does this mean for a vegan traveler?  I want to try all the Aussie foods than I can… sometimes it may require a vegan twist.  Of course, all the wonderful and varied fruits are delicious.  I did post about the black sapote early on, but there are so many more to sample.  Recently, I have been developing a real taste for pawpaw (papaya); it doesn’t hurt that I have been eating them freshly picked at the organic farm where I am helping.

Based on my observations so far, it seems easier to find foods labeled as gluten free rather than vegan in restaurants and markets.  I have tried a bunch of gluten free treats that also happened to be vegan (and nut free) in an attempt to cover all allergies.  Most of these treats have been very tasty, including the one that I think is supposed to be like the famous Tim Tam.

Probably the most iconic food of Australian culture is the meat pie.  It is a hand-sized pastry filled with savory ingredients.  It is very portable and often sold as a take-away item from bakeries.  The most traditional filling is meat, but you can also find a variety of fillings, including vegetarian ones.  Sadly, these vegetarian pies are generally not vegan as well, given the ingredients to make the pastry.  When I came across some frozen vegan pies in a natural food store in Townsville (a few weeks ago), I was super excited.  I selected the G’Day Satay pie from Funky Pies to try.  This pie is filled with roasted pumpkin and kumera (sweet potato) in a spicy satay sauce.  It reminded me of samosas and was delicious.

Funky Pies has a bunch of different flavors, all vegan.  They have a café in Bondi, so I look forward to trying some freshly prepared pies when I eventually reach Sydney.  I noticed that they list a couple of available jobs on their website – perhaps I should try my hand at some pie making?