Australia and New Zealand may be famed for exquisite seafood, perfect lamb and the ability to cook absolutely anything on a barbeque, but their snack game is also second to none. From Tim Tams to fairy bread, Australian snacks put the comfort in comfort food, while over in Aotearoa, the likes of pineapple lumps and hokey pokey ice cream ensure that the Kiwi sweet tooth is well satisfied.
If you’re planning a trip to either Australia, New Zealand or both, be sure to leave extra room in your suitcase for these quintessential snacks.
Australian snacks
Arnotts Shapes
The ultimate group snack and the perfect savoury delight to tuck into on a long coach journey, it doesn’t get much more ‘Strayan than Shapes. Thicker than a chip (or crisp) but still the perfect bite size amount, Shapes come in a variety of flavours including BBQ, pizza, cheese and bacon and chicken crimpy, and also each come in different shapes (funny that!). You won’t be able to just stop at one (or five or six) but who cares, you’re on vacation!
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Tim Tams
Tim Tams are just about as Aussie as it gets. Every country has their own version of a Tim Tam, but only in Australia can you do the Tim Tam Slam. Grab your Tim Tam, bite the ends off, place one end into a cup of milk and suck. The milk melts the inside of the biscuit and turns the Tim Tam into a chocolate straw! Then, once the Tim Tam is soft enough, gobble it all up. This king of Australian snacks is guaranteed to get you feeling like a child again, and you’ll love every second.
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Vegemite
Have you even been to Australia if you haven’t tried vegemite. This Aussie snack may have a very distinct smell, but push through to the tasting and you won’t be disappointed. The trick however, is to ensure you abide by the 50/50 rule. Eat your vegemite on toast with a 50/50 ratio of spread to butter, and you won’t regret it.
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Fairy Bread
Sometimes the simple creations are the best. Fairy bread may sound (and look, and taste) like something you’d find at a 6 year-old girl’s tea party, but don’t knock it before you’ve tried it. To create your own, simply butter some bread (white bread is best) then liberally sprinkle hundreds and thousands all over the top, et voila.
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Meat Pies
One of the best Australian snacks, meat pies can in fact be found all across Australia and New Zealand and should be sampled at all costs. Usually filled with minced meat, gravy, mashed potatoes and often also onions and mushrooms, they’re best enjoyed with a healthy splodge of tomato ketchup on the side.
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Snags
Move aside hot dog buns or fancy brioche buns, for Aussies a simple slice of bread wrapped around their snag (sausage) is one of the ultimate Australian snacks. It may not look quite as pretty as your classic hot dog, but the sausage to bread ratio is actually just right. Chuck a few fried onions in there and you may just never look back.
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Lamingtons
A mini cake that combines chocolate, coconut, cream and jam into one bite-sized square, lamingtons pack a series flavour punch. They can be found in any supermarket, convenience store or café in Australia and go perfectly with just about anything.
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Cherry Ripe
While a Cherry Ripe may not be for everyone, it is one of Australia’s oldest and best-selling chocolate bars, so rightfully deserves to be included on any Australian snacks list. Manufactured by Cadbury Australia, the Cherry Ripe consists of cherries and coconut coated in a thick layer of dark chocolate.
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New Zealand snacks
L&P drink
The perfect accompaniment to a New Zealand snack, L&P is New Zealand’s hugely popular local soft drink. 110 years old and still going strong, L&P (lemon and paeroa) offers up a zingy, gingery, citrus flavour that is guaranteed to quench any thirst, and is the perfect accompaniment to a packet of Bluebird Salt & Vinegar Chips.
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Hokey Pokey ice cream
Hokey Pokey is one of THE essential flavours of New Zealand. This tasty honeycomb creation can be found in a number of sweet treats and deserts, but truly comes into its own as an ice cream, where vanilla ice cream is combined with solid lumps of honeycomb toffee. You can grab yourself a scoop of the good stuff anywhere in NZ, or if you’re more of a chocolate connoisseur, try Squiggles Hokey Pokey. It’s kind of like a Cadbury’s Crunchie bar, but with more of a cookie centre.
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Pineapple Lumps
Pineapple lumps are something of an acquired taste, but they are still a quintessential New Zealand snack. Consisting of a thin layer of chocolate covering a squidgy, pale yellow artificial tasting pineapple center, they’re not exactly everyone’s go to chocolate snack, but they do hold a special place in the heart of New Zealanders.
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Whittaker’s peanut slab
Whittaker’s chocolate is, in a word, heavenly. A true Kiwi icon and a source of national pride, the flag ship creation of the brand is their Peanut Slab. Wrapped in gold and more than a little reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate factory, this bar of goodness offers up the most chocolatey chocolate, the nuttiest of peanuts and the most satisfying snap when you take a bite. Whittaker’s chocolate comes in many flavours and all are wonderful, but the peanut slab is the crème de la crème.
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Have we missed any essential Australian snacks or New Zealand snacks off this list? Let us know your favourites in the comments below.