Anzac Day .... food and national identity

I live in a part of the world where national borders are close, but each country's food culture is really unique. Germany and France for example lie side by side, but their national dishes couldn't be further apart ... (bratwurst and frogs?) Its not quite as extreme as that, but the diversity of national foods in Europe really fascinates me.

I come from a country which is geographically isolated and yet I struggle to think of a dish that can distinctly (and uniquely) be considered a classic Australian dish. Food in Australia is so diverse - originally based on the cuisine of our British forefathers, over the years our diverse multicultural population has heavily influenced the Australian palette and we've borrowed ingredients and techniques from our migrant population to create our own fusion interpretations.

Trying to gain consensus on the question ‘what is Australia’s national dish’ always results in hearty debate:

Its seems that the winners (in no particular order) are :

- meat pie
- pavlova
- seafood on the bbq
- sausage in bread
- lamingtons
- roast lamb
... and vegemite

To me, the one thing that does seem authentically Australian, albeit shared with our cousins from across the Tasman Sea, is Anzac Biscuits.

Anzacs were created during World War 1, when the wives, mothers and girlfriends of the Australian soldiers were concerned about the quality of the food being supplied to the men fighting. A recipe was developed (designed to be nutritionally rich) containing: rolled oats, sugar, plain flour, coconut, butter, golden syrup or treacle, bi-carbonate of soda and boiling water. These ingredients were chosen because they would last the long journey by sea to the soldiers without spoiling - notable in the recipe was the absence of eggs which were in short supply during the war. To ensure that the biscuits remained crisp, they were paced in used tins, such as Billy Tea tins.

According to the Anzac Day.org website, at first the biscuits were called 'Soldiers' Biscuits', but after the landing on Gallipoli, they were renamed ANZAC Biscuits. There is still debate over whether Anzac biscuits as we know them today first originated in New Zealand or Australia but it matters not. They are important to both nations.

So this year, on 25 April after a 4 am start for the Dawn Service, I dug out my handwritten Anzac Biscuit recipe, put on some patriotic music (Powderfinger), donned an apron and created a batch of my favourite national dish.

My Anzac recipe comes from my cousin Tara. Its one thing to buy 'fancy pants cookbooks' containing recipes for beautiful looking dishes ... but for the old favourites I resort to the handwritten, handed down through the generations recipes. When I discover anything homemade that tastes amazing I've got in to a habit of asking the host to write down the recipe. I keep these handwritten gems in a special a notebook. I like the fact that the recipe is written in the hand of the person from whom it was borrowed.

So on Anzac Day, it wasn't just the making of the Anzacs that was 'feel good', it was drawing on a recipe from my cousin. I have to confess, my Anzacs never quiet turn out as good as Tara's, but I like the whole ceremony of making them. I get to create a sweet, patriotic treat and while I read my cousin's handwriting I think of the days I've spent talking all things food (sharing recipes) with her.

So - get writing your favourite recipes out when your friends next comment and start a file of your own.