Oceanian Food Recipes

What are Oceanian food recipes? In my definition they are originating from Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and all islands in Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. The long coast lines have made seafood a natural part of all these cuisines. Indigenous and colonial influences make up the historical basis for their cuisines. Later additions have many times come from emigrational waves originating in Asia and Europe.

Before Colonisation
This entire region had indigenous populations, the aboriginals of Australia separate themselves since they did not form agrarian societies. They lived from what the land had to give. The populations on New Zealand and on the other Pacific islands are believed to have originated from a migratory wave from Southeast Asia, except the Papuans of New Guinea who came. They show big similarities with sweet potatoes, taro and yam grown in agricultural societies. Fishing, gathering and hunting supplemented the fare. The sweet potato with its South American origin has created theories about connections with another sub-continent. The arrival of European colonisers, In New Zealand and Australia from Great Britain, would change Oceanian food recipes forever.

Australian Food Recipes
Indigenous aboriginal cooking methods and traditions still are in existence, much due to the fact that they never really were integrated in society. The latter fact is also responsible for the fact that not much of that has been absorbed in the main Australian cuisine. Long into the 20th century Australian cooking was quite basic, depending on vegetables and animals that were grown and harvested for export. The hot weather was a big problem when you had to preserve the food, thus over cooked, salted and fatty meat was standard. For the settlers their beef was just as tough as their lives. Sheep farming made lamb or 'mutton' a staple meat. Later trends in Australia have led to creating experimental restaurants with contemporary cooking methods and ingredients, perhaps due to the great influx of inspiration and knowledge of the many immigrants from Italy, Japan, China, India and the Middle East.

New Zealand Food Recipes
In New Zealand you have even more sheep than in Australia. Also salmon and other seafood’s are abundant. Most parts of New Zealand are very fertile, this has resulted in a cuisine including fresh seasonal vegetables. The Oceanian food recipes from here are traditionally the most varied when it comes to ingredients. The English colonial history is very obvious in the afternoon tea tradition and the meat pies. The indigenous Mãori have contributed with ingredients like sweet potatoes, however not much of their cooking traditions remain, kumara and puha boil-ups are two dishes that do and the hangi barbecue-in-a-pit is popular for festive occasions all over New Zealand. The last decades have brought forth more ecclectical cooking styles, mixing European, Asian and more traditional 'Kiwi' and Polynesian traditions in creative mixes. This new cuisine is many times referred to as 'Pacific Rim'.

Beverages
In both Australia you have good land for growing grapes, this has led to that both countries have big wine industries. Beer makes a big part of local culture in both countries, beer brands like Foster's and Steinlager are famous around the world.

Countries
Below are links to different countries. By using them you are taken to pages that discuss each of them more in detail, you will also find food recipes submitted by visitors to this site. As for now I have none, do you have one for me?