This week the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre hosted the annual Fine Food Australia trade show, showcasing the best in new products, equipment, specialty produce and of course spurring on the discussion of trends in the hospitality industry.
One such talk was presented by Mike Patrick of Fancy Hanks BBQ in Melbourne, on his passion for the American BBQ and the rising trend of US foods in Australia. Unlike ‘traditional’ cuisines such as French and Italian which rose to global prominence – as well as dominating the Australian food industry for many years, until increasing multi culturalism expanded our social palate – American BBQ is not about what you can ‘do’ to the food (techniques, sauces etc). It focuses on using local produce – all of it, including the less desirable meat cuts and imperfect vegetables – and slowly coaxing the best flavours out of it.
The Smithsonian traces the European adoption of native American wood-fire cooking back as far as 1540 – over 200 years before Australia was even settled by Westerners. So it’s fascinating that these two countries have developed a BBQ practice that is not necessarily about technical culinary skills (but nonetheless becomes a source of pride when ‘mastered’) but rather about time spent with family and friends. Because it is a slow process, and a communal one. In one way or another, humans have been gathering around fires for thousands of years, so perhaps it is something of a second nature.
Patrick highlights that there is a great opportunity in the ‘Aussie’ barbecue – or the Australianised version of American barbecue – to make further use of local product, strengthen our relationships with farmers and producers, and test out the variety of flavours available through the use of native woods for smoking. This sentiment generally mirrors the increase in native ingredients to Australian adaptations of all kinds of cuisines. There’s no doubt that we are an extremely multicultural society, not to mention one chock full of self proclaimed ‘foodies’ who are always keen to try something new and intriguing.
This rising trend serves to remind us of the important communal role that dining plays (and that everyone loves a good fire!). As the restaurant industry in particular continues to diversify into casual dining vs fine dining, it's imporant to keep that experiential factor in mind. Have you experimented with adapting native ingredients to your venues cuisine? Let us know, we'd love to hear about it!