Australia pushes its gastronomy
Print Edition
AUSTRALIA is known for its unique wildlife such as kangaroos and platypuses but also for its food and wine.
To enhance the latter for tourists, the country recently launched a campaign, “Restaurant Australia,” to tell the world about the ecstasies of eating and drinking in the country.
As part of the campaign, Tourism Australia recently invited 80 gourmets, including 10 from China, to the country for a dining experience. Steven Liu, ambassador chef of Le Cordon Bleu and former culinary judge of “Chinese Master Chef,” shared what he tasted in Australia.
The Sydney Fish Market was Liu’s first stop. The market combines wholesale and retail seafood sales with dining, attracting tourists and gourmets from all over the world.
“Every morning around 5:30am, except weekends, there is a seafood auction in the market,” said Liu. “They sell the freshest seafood that is just caught, which is quite interesting.”
Tourists can book a tour package to get a peak behind the scenes to watch the auction. They can also attend the Sydney Seafood School to learn how to deal with fish, prawns, lobsters and crabs.
Liu also loved the Adelaide Central Market, which he praised as “just like heaven.” As the largest food market in the Southern Hemisphere, it sells fruits and vegetables, fowl and seafood, cheeses, baked goods, nuts, candies and olive oils.
“Many booths allow people to taste the goods for free,” said Liu. “So it is loved by both locals and tourists.”
Just like the seafood market in Sydney, the market also offers a tour package called Adelaide Central Market Tour, with Chinese-language service available.
Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop is another must-go for foodies. Maggie Beer is a well-known chef and writer in Australia, and the farm shop she created provides fresh, in-season food and sauces. Many of the products sold in the shop are not available anywhere else.
“I think for tourists and food lovers, there’s nothing better than sitting beside a lake and under the sun, tasting the snacks produced by Maggie Beer,” said Liu.
Meanwhile, wine lovers can find their favorites in the Barossa Valley, about 1.5 hours driving from Adelaide. As one of the best wine-production spots in Australia, Barossa Valley is considered the cradle of many time-honored brands, including Jacobs’ Creek, Penfolds and Wolf Blass. It is home to some of the country’s great Shiraz wines. When visiting the chateaus, the fine weather and mellow wine inspired Liu to cook there.
Tourism Australia said that, according to its survey of Chinese tourists, people who never been to Australia consider its food and wine No. 6 out of the world’s travel destinations. But for those who have been there, it’s No. 1.
“We hope that through the campaign Restaurant Australia, Chinese tourists can realize that just like China, Australia has very rich food and dining cultures,” said Tim Jones, general manager for Asia at Tourism Australia. “And also, even Chinese tourists, who are very demanding in dining, will not be disappointed in Australia.”
Western Australia wants to lure more Chinese tourists
While Australia has become one of the most popular overseas travel destinations for Chinese tourists, western Australia is still quite a new land for them.
During the first 10 months of 2014, about 480,000 Chinese travelers went to Australia, but only about 35,000 of them went to the west. The number, however, was up about 13 percent from the previous year.
Tourism Western Australia wants to change the situation. Recently it came to Shanghai to promote the area’s tourism resources to the Chinese people.
Johnny Nee, director of the institute’s international marketing for North Asia, said that western Australia features everything needed for a great leisure trip, including adventure, beautiful scenery, comfortable accommodations and fantastic booze and food.
“The Chinese market is a relatively new market to us, compared to Queensland or New South Wales,” said Nee. “But we hope that in 2020, there will be more than 100,000 Chinese tourists to western Australia every year.”
Nee said there are no low-quality travel packages targeting western Australia, so the prices are relatively high, but he said the packages ensure good experiences for tourists.
Charley Shen, country manager for China of the institute, said the northwestern and southwestern areas of Perth are the most attractive places in western Australia.
“The Pinnacles is praised as the only place on earth boasting the land form of the lunar surface, where people can enjoy a grotesque stone forest in a desert,” said Shen. “The place is very popular among Chinese tourists.”
The Margaret River area of southwestern Perth is another treasure. It features wineries with great views of rivers and forests.
“With the development of the economy, an increasing number of Chinese people have learned to appreciate wine as well as their place of origin,” said Shen. “And the Margaret River certainly is an ideal destination for them.”
Meanwhile, tourists can also walk along a coastal area while enjoying diving and interacting with wildlife.
“As for food, the lobster produced in western Australia is a must-try,” said Shen. “Usually lobsters are baked with cheese, but there people just barbecue the lobsters to keep their original flavor to the extreme.”
There are now three direct flights from Guangzhou to Perth per week. They are the only direct flights between China and western Australia.
“We hope that for the next year, there will be more direct flights to attract tourists,” said Nee.
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