Eating My Way Across Tasmania

One of the first things that I picked up from Brent when we met was something that he'd picked up from a girl that he went to high school with. She said that her mom said that the Chinese say that every time you eat a new food you add 144 days to your life.

Brent has made it a habit to try different foods. He says that if someone considers it food somewhere, he'll try it. And then he "logs" his 144 days for the experience. I don't think he actually keeps a tally... it's just a game. I think. I am not quite that adventurous. I like food, but I am more of a "stick to what I know I like" kind of girl. Brent has expanded my horizons a bit... can you say 'durian'?

Brent and I are currently in the Backpacker hostel in Swansea, Tasmania. He is in the kitchen area whipping us up some wallaby sausages while I'm burning through out expensive internet minutes.

When we arrived in Australia, we began noticing right away all the crazy different foods to try, including the "Burger Rings" in the vending machine at the airport. At our first grocery stop, I buy us a "Cherry Ripe" bar. I do like chocolate bars, and I like cherries, so I figure this is a safe first step into the foods of Australia.

We stayed at a great cabin/bungalow in Richmond, and as we wiled away the evening of our first day's riding, contemplating the map and other visitor information, we broke out said "Cherry Ripe" bar. I enthusiastically bit off a big bite, only to discover that the non-advertised MAIN ingredient of a "Cherry Ripe" bar is shredded coconut. BLICK! I hate coconut. Brent graciously ate the whole remainder of the vile candy.

Over breakfast the next morning, we enjoyed a variety of breakfast foods and made ourselves some toast with the biscuits provided. In the basket of jams and other yummies to put on your toast, they had little packets of vegemite. I have heard for years about how horrible vegemite is from various friends, but I've also heard it's very salty. Perhaps I won't hate it as much as others... I do like my salt. I spread a little bit onto the corner of my biscuit and tasted it. It wasn't completely disgusting, and I could appreciate that it would be an acquired taste that I wouldn't bother acquiring, and if you grew up around the stuff, it would probably be enjoyable.

Later that day, as I struggled my way through the 60km from Richmond to Orford, I had the unpleasant experience of smelling several semi-fresh road-killed wallabies, brush-tail oppossums, and other unfortunate critters. Road kill is a distinctive and disgusting smell... something I won't forget and will avoid as much as possible in future. That night, as Brent and I lounged in the pub in Orford, a smell wafted in and we both immediately thought "road kill" until it dawned on us both that what we were smelling was actually vegemite. The two smells do share some similarities, forevermore ending my vegemite-eating career, if there had been any doubt.

Surely, it has to get better than this. I have nowhere to go but up after my Cherry Ripe and Vegemite introductions to Australian food.

So far along the way, we've logged:
- Jaffa ice cream: This is chocolate and orange mixed ice cream which looks sort of like tiger... except it's chocolate instead of licorice for the dark color. It's ok... I do prefer tiger, but for someone who doesn't like the black licorice, I bet this would be a real treat.
- A steak sandwich "with the lot": Brent didn't know what "with the lot" meant, but of course he ordered it. It turned out to be a steak sandwich with a thin steak, plus egg, bacon, cheese, pickled beet and cole slaw. I had definite steak sandwich envy as I watched him scarff this one.
- Salad: When you get a salad with your meal, the salad is often a leaf of lettuce, with cole slaw on top, then garnished with beets, tomatoes and cucumbers (and other stuff).
- Chicken schnitzel with pepper sauce: This was really really tasty, but it is the prime suspect as to what gave me the food poisoning
- Wasabi cheese: I like cheese, and I like wasabi, so I thought what the heck. It is ok... just ok. Sort of like velveeta with a bit of a horseradish kick to it.
- Crisps: We have, of course, had to try the burger rings and chicken chips that are common around here.
- Rice Bubbles: We haven't eaten any, because with the familiar picture of little bits of rice with Snap, Crackle and Pop nearby endorsing them, I know once I had my first taste of Rice Bubbles they would turn out to be plain ol' Rice Krispies. A rose by any other name...
- Bullets: A co-worker asked me to bring some of these back for him. I was prepared to say 'no' until he qualified saying that they are chocolate-covered black licorice. Of course I'll bring back THAT kind of bullets. One of these days I'll try some, too, but that is for another day.

Time for my wallaby sausages. Wish me luck!