From meat and 3 veg to 3D food

Posted 12 February, 2020 Jeremy Rochow

South Australia has come a long way since pie floaters and Sunday roasts were staples, evolving into a state which prides itself on exceptional produce and some of the finest chefs in Australia.   Until the 1950s, Australian cuisine was heavily influenced by its English heritage, with our fondness for meat and 3 veg, hearty puddings, tea and beer coming from our Anglo-Celtic forebears. But, influenced by multiculturalism and guided by local personalities like Don Dunstan, Cheong Liew and Maggie Beer, our reputation as a food and wine destination has grown exponentially in recent decades.  

SA’s world-class food

Adelaide chef Simon Bryant has helped shape the state’s food culture and promote it to the world. He honed his craft in several restaurants over a 30-year career, and starred in the ABC’s Cook and the Chef alongside food icon Maggie Beer. He’s also the Festival Director of Tasting Australia presented by RAA Travel – an event which brings visitors to South Australia’s food and wine table, showcasing the best produce from across the state.   Bryant says the world-class food produced by South Australia’s regions has helped put the state on the culinary map. “In other cities, chefs go down to the loading dock and just sign a form when a delivery arrives, but in Adelaide the regions are so close that most chefs worth their coin have a good connection with producers, regions and suppliers,” he says.  

We have accessible food bowls of real merit, with diverse growing conditions at proximity which has a real influence on our food.

 

Our food-producing regions

You don’t have to go far to see what South Australia’s food and wine producing regions have to offer. No matter where you travel in SA, you’ll find world-class food or wine. Hunting for honey? Cruise over to Kangaroo Island. Shuck your own oysters on the Eyre Peninsula, sip some spirits at the 23rd Street Distillery in the Riverland or devour a locally grown wagyu steak at the Limestone Coast’s Mayura Station. Closer to Adelaide, you can tuck into 3D printed food in a giant Rubik’s cube on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Along Clare Valley’s Riesling Trail, there are plenty of 5-star wineries to explore.   This is the sort of produce featured at Tasting Australia presented by RAA Travel, which Bryant feels privileged to be part of. “Tasting Australia can inspire people to go into our regions, by using food and drink to show people the bounty and emotions of our regions,” he says.   “It could be a great cellar door, vineyard, legendary chef, or an amazing producer inspiring you to get to a region. “Our job is to get everything teed up so visitors leave saying (South Australia) is the Garden of Eden.”