FOOD!

CrackisWhack

Ok, so down in the supermarket, I dont recognise any of the fish names, (ie. Barramundi, flathead etc.) and the beef cuts (ie. rump steak, porthouse etc.) so whats the good fish/meat to get?

mandrake04

Barramundi and Flathead are very nice and don't have that fishy taste of the oily rubbish back home.

Rump is just same as Rump steak back home (cheaper cut).

Porterhouse is like sirloin.

Cooperspale

If you can, get yourself to a market. You will have massive choice there and it's cheaper. So you can experiment and see what you like. Go near the end of trading and you will get a bargain.

The expensive beef cuts are scotch fillet/rib eye and porterhouse/sirloin

http://www.biggun.com.au/pdf/BeefandlambcutschartscookingApr08.pdf
Gives you an idea of the cuts

Fish, barramundi is one of the tastiest fish. It is generally cheaper from Feb through July when the season is in full swing.
Ling is also tasty along with kingfish, flathead and snapper. These fish are not oily, white and a little meaty though not dense like tuna or swordfish. It all depends on your tastes. If you go to a fishmonger they will generally answer any questions about how strong the fish tastes and how to cook etc.

Supermarket is ok, but if you have a chance to get to a market, go.

mandrake04

I like fried John Dory & chip/Salad from the fish markets (which can also be cooked there) also the seafood basket, to be honest with the exception of Canadian Salmon I never bothered with eating fish in Ireland as it is just crap.

Barramundi is one of the nicest fish you can eat, I had it as alternative serve at my wedding and all the Irish people thought it was amazing. Also really love Sushi as well to the surprise/horror of my parents. Also getting out and catching your own fish is another bonus, pulling out an 88cm Kingfish makes fishing for a 2lb rainbow Trout in Ireland almost laughable.

Mellor

The fish are different, due to climate. But the whole range, flakey, dense, oily.

As for steak. The names are a bit different
Rump is round in Ireland
Porterhouse is strip loin. Which is strange as porterhouse is a type of t bone everywhere.
Scotch fillet is rib eye.

jimjam1878

How do people find food in general over here? I love having Irish bits and pieces like tea and chocolate, but then some of my friends could go without! I couldn't. :eek:

Xavi6

The food's great imo, especially the meat.

I don't miss any food from home really and one cup of tea tastes just like any other if it's made the same way.

catbear

I miss euthymol toothpaste, might be able to order though.

Nah, don't miss a thing except change from a tenner when buying beer in Perth!

markymark21

Barramundi is nice. Snapper is popular over here and is quite good. Trevelly is quite good as well... bit like mackerel! I've found the standard of meat in the supermarkets pretty poor, you'd have to go to the markets or butcher to get the good stuff. Bit like home is so far as the best stuff gets exported or sent to the restaurants.

If you live in Melbourne and are near Victoria markets its a great spot for meat/cheese and veg.

jellie

Anyone know of anywhere in Sydney you can get lucozade? I've been craving it for weeks.. Was gonna order some online but it needs a minimum order & I don't wanna buy lots of crap. One of the girls is sure she saw it somewhere but can't remember where

mandrake04

jellie wrote: »

Anyone know of anywhere in Sydney you can get lucozade? I've been craving it for weeks.. Was gonna order some online but it needs a minimum order & I don't wanna buy lots of crap. One of the girls is sure she saw it somewhere but can't remember where

Deffnitely most of the Coles or Woolworth's and also some convenience stores.

jellie

mandrake04 wrote: »

Deffnitely most of the Coles or Woolworth's and also some convenience stores.

Really? How have I not seen it?! Gonna go on a mission for some today so!

Mellor

A lot of chemists stock lucozade too. That's where I get it when I'm dying with a hangover

jellie

Mellor wrote: »

A lot of chemists stock lucozade too. That's where I get it when I'm dying with a hangover

That's usually when im craving it!

Xavi6

Lucozade is made by GlaxoSmithKline in New Zealand, hence it being so widespread in Oz.

hefferboi

Whats the chocolate like in Oz? I like cadburys or a mars bar. Just out of interest.

mandrake04

hefferboi wrote: »

Whats the chocolate like in Oz? I like cadburys or a mars bar. Just out of interest.

Cadburys is not as good as back home, although Top Deck is not bad.

I'm wouldn't be the usual whinger about the Chocolate here but when I have family or friends who bring some Irish stuff over it just feels a bit extra special.

Batgurl

I've noticed that Coles have started doing Galaxy chocolate under the name "Dove" and they have also started stocking Milky Way Magic Stars...yummy!!!

Failing that you can't beat a bar of white chocolate Lindt/Lindor with the melt in the middle stuff.

mandrake04

also Minstrels and my wife loves them.

jellie

Xavi6 wrote: »

Lucozade is made by GlaxoSmithKline in New Zealand, hence it being so widespread in Oz.

I discovered that on the bottles i bought today ( \o/ ) - i hadnt realised, hadnt seen it anywhere

whatever73

mandrake04 wrote: »

Cadburys is not as good as back home, although Top Deck is not bad.

I'm wouldn't be the usual whinger about the Chocolate here but when I have family or friends who bring some Irish stuff over it just feels a bit extra special.

Yeah I've heard they put some preservatives in it so it won't melt with the heat over here, most of it don't taste right, malteesers and m n ms are nice though

markymark21

Batgurl wrote: »

Failing that you can't beat a bar of white chocolate Lindt/Lindor with the melt in the middle stuff.

That stuff is unreal!

Doc

Tim Tams are the best chocolate I've had over here besides the more expensive stuff like Lindt.

There like a really nice version of a Penguin bar. I thought penguins were nice until I tasted tim tams!

If you have them you should try a Tim Tam explosion. You bite two opposite corners off and suck a hot drink like tea through it then put the whole thing in your mouth. Its amazing!

mandrake04

whatever73 wrote: »

Yeah I've heard they put some preservatives in it so it won't melt with the heat over here, most of it don't taste right, malteesers and m n ms are nice though

I think it has more vegetable oil to help stabilise the coca butter, Irish chocolate goes a white colour in a little heat because the coca butter seeps on to the surface and that what they are trying to avoid.

Mellor

mandrake04 wrote: »

I think it has more vegetable oil to help stabilise the coca butter, Irish chocolate goes a white colour in a little heat because the coca butter seeps on to the surface and that what they are trying to avoid.

I think it might be the other way around from looking at the websites;

Irish Cadburys Dairy Milk wrote:

INGREDIENTS;
Milk, Sugar, Cocoa butter, Cocoa mass, Vegetable fat, Emulsifiers (E442, E476), Flavourings.

Oz Cadburys Dairy Milk wrote:

INGREDIENTS

Milk, Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter, Milk Solids, Emulsifiers (Soya Lecithin, 476), Flavours.

So the differences I that stand out are the Irish and UK cadburys has more cocoa butter than solids, and some vegetable fat (prob a very small amount given its 5th on the list). And the aussie one has more cocoa solids and added milk solids.

There you go, from Cadburys themselves, the recipes are different.

jimjam1878

Don't know if anyone still bakes or not but I was really missing brown bread and the flour over here is terrible!!! Think it's to do with the soil and how dry it is! Found flour from home though imported from home by an Irish company in Oz. They're called Taste Ireland if anyone else wants to do some baking!! Has anyone found a good chipper? Now that would be good!

mandrake04

jimjam1878 wrote: »

Don't know if anyone still bakes or not but I was really missing brown bread and the flour over here is terrible!!! Think it's to do with the soil and how dry it is! Found flour from home though imported from home by an Irish company in Oz. They're called Taste Ireland if anyone else wants to do some baking!! Has anyone found a good chipper? Now that would be good!

Do you work for/related to Easty or something? Nearly every post you have mentioned TOI.

Cooperspale

jimjam1878 wrote: »

Don't know if anyone still bakes or not but I was really missing brown bread and the flour over here is terrible!!! Think it's to do with the soil and how dry it is! Found flour from home though imported from home by an Irish company in Oz. They're called Taste Ireland if anyone else wants to do some baking!! Has anyone found a good chipper? Now that would be good!

No issue at all making brown soda bread here. I hate bread mixes, they're almost as bad as the shake n pour pancake muck. Once made here in Melbourne, it dries out a lot quicker than Ireland, so needs to be stored in double cling in a bag or just freeze any excess quickly. All you need is a good recipe. Paying $8 for 2kg of wholemeal flour plus postage would make for a very expensive loaf.

jimjam1878

mandrake04 wrote: »

Do you work for/related to Easty or something? Nearly every post you have mentioned TOI.

Not to sure what you mean Mandrake, not familiar with an Easty! I just had some really good experiences with these girls, and firmly believe in spreading the good word!:)

I think the key is to def freeze whatever you're not going to use as quickly as poss! I just can't stick the normal loafs over here, they're like cardboard!

Mellor

jimjam1878 wrote: »

Not to sure what you mean Mandrake, not familiar with an Easty! I just had some really good experiences with these girls, and firmly believe in spreading the good word!:)

Easty owns Taste Ireland.
He's not a girl

mandrake04

Mellor wrote: »

Easty owns Taste Ireland.
He's not a girl

Ha, I've called him worse.