Aussie vs Syrian food & cuisine

Textures matter – smooth dips are paired with crunchy breads or fresh salads. Stews are often served with fluffy rice or cracked wheat pilafs. Seasoning is very pronounced, especially with deep and warm spice blends.

Quinoa has gained traction as health-conscious grain alongside other trendy ancient grains like farro or freekeh.

What’s interesting is that grains are a basis for that multicultural fusion, like rice bowls topped with Korean-spiced proteins, or sourdough bread, which Aussies are pretty obsessed with.

Grains are supporting and they are there when you need them, but they’re not going to steal the spotlight from the barbie or the flat white.

Cracked wheat bulgur, partially boiled and then dried again, adds a unique texture and nutty flavor to pilafs, salads, soups, stews, and kibbeh (spiced meat and bulgur dish). Bulgur has a very ancient origin, dating back around 4,000 years to the Mediterranean region, and is closely associated with Levantine cuisine.

Another popular wheat variation is freekeh, a durum wheat grain that is harvested still green, roasted, and rubbed to have a distinctive nutty taste and chewy texture. It features soups, pilafs, sides, kibbeh, or salad.

Rice is important, but a complementary staple, served as a light, fluffy texture side with a nutty flavor, or combined with beans, vegetables, or ground meat. The ongoing conflict has severely impacted agriculture and food security, resulting in lower rice availability.

Multicultural influence shows up here too – Asian bok choy is mainstream, avocados are super popular, and Mediterranean zucchini and eggplants show up grilled or in pasta dishes. The café culture has elevated vegetables with things like roasted vegetable salads, sweet potato everything, and Instagram-worthy veggie bowls.

There’s a growing awareness of native plants like saltbush, samphire, warrigal greens (native spinach), bush tomatoes, native yams, and desert lime, but they’re honestly more in the ‘chef’s special’ category than everyday cooking.

Classic fruits are central: mangoes, stone fruits, and berries, bananas are year-round staples; oranges and lemons are kitchen essentials. Native fruits are having their trendy moment too, with finger limes, Davidson plums, and kakadu plums popping up in high-end restaurants, though they’re still more of a novelty.

Pickles – turnips, cucumbers, cauliflower, and especially makdous (oil-preserved stuffed eggplants) – are staples of mezze, giving salty, sour, garlicky contrasts to meat and grain dishes.

Fruits add another distinctive layer: cherries, apricots, quince, and pomegranate are folded into meat dishes and kebabs. Pomegranate molasses is essential for dressings and marinades. Qamar al-din, an apricot leather drink, is a Ramadan tradition, and dried figs, dates, raisins, and apricots enrich pilafs and stews. Murabba, whole fruits preserved in syrup, is offered with coffee as a gesture of hospitality.

Poultry is the most consumed meat, chicken is everywhere, from the Thai-spiced chicken parmi to simple grilled pieces alongside salads. Beef has a more special role: classic meat pies, premium steaks from Australia’s cattle industry.

Lamb is loved: roasts with rosemary and garlic, or chops on the barbie. Pork shows up as bacon in café brunches and as those essential snags that are basically mandatory at any outdoor gathering.

Kangaroo meat is authentically Australian, and it’s actually quite good – lean and gamey, one of the healthiest red meats (low-fat, high-protein). You’ll find it in supermarkets and definitely in trendy restaurants, often prepared with native peppers or bush spices. Ironically, most kangaroo meat is exported.

Crocodile is even more niche – mainly found in the northern parts and served as an experience. It’s surprisingly mild, tasting like a cross between chicken and fish.

Grilled meats are widespread, kebabs and shawarma lead the way. Syrians also love their ground and minced meat dishes. Kibbeh is the national dish – a mix of meat and bulgur blended into a paste with spices and pine nuts. It can be fried, grilled, or even eaten raw. Aleppo in particular has mastered it, with more than 17 varieties, including the city’s famous kibbeh halabiyeh.

Salmon is everywhere thanks to Tasmania’s aquaculture industry.  Snapper, flathead, and whiting are the reliable local catches.

Bugs are absolutely a thing. Moreton Bay bugs and Balmain bugs are lobster-like crustaceans,  Australia’s answer to langostines or small lobsters. They’ve got that sweet, delicate meat and are a real treat.

Beyond bugs, Australia’s got this incredible range of crustaceans – mud crabs from Queensland, rock lobsters (what the rest of the world calls spiny lobsters), and tiny school prawns that are perfect for fritters or just eating by the handful.

Butter is sacred in the baking of lamingtons, Anzac biscuits, classic Australian cakes, and slices.

Cream gets its moment in pavlovas and in various pasta sauces.

Yogurt has become huge thanks to the health-conscious culture.

Syrians have also developed clever ways to preserve milk. One of the best examples is jameed (also called kashk), where yogurt is fermented, strained, salted, and dried into hard, salty ‘stones.’ Traditionally made from sheep’s milk, it can later be rehydrated and used in stews and sauces.

Cheese isn’t as central, but there are still beloved local varieties. Jibbneh mashallale, a string cheese stored in brine, is one example.

You’ll find everything from elaborate brunch-style pancakes with berries and mascarpone to açai bowls, carrot cakes, banana bread, and various slices have become staples.

Seasonal fruit drives dessert culture – summer stone fruit tarts, berry pavlovas, and mango everything during the warmer months. Ice cream is almost a year-round obsession, with local brands like Golden Gaytime and Magnum becoming part of the cultural fabric, plus artisanal gelato shops in every trendy suburb.

Nuts are hugely popular — pistachios, walnuts, almonds, and especially pine nuts. In fact, pine nuts were once so prized that Levantine pine forests were cultivated just for them. Harvesting is slow and labor-intensive, which explains their high price today. In Syrian cooking, they’re more than decoration: pine nuts are sprinkled over rice dishes, kibbeh, and stews.

Syrian desserts are sweet, rich, and layered. They usually feature nuts, pastry, syrup, and cheese.  A hallmark of Syrian sweets is the tradition of pastry and syrup. Thin dough, phyllo, or semolina is filled with pistachios, walnuts, or almonds, baked, and then soaked in sugar syrup.

Milk and semolina puddings are another important branch of Syrian sweets. Fruits are also dessert ingredients, both fresh and preserved. Whole fruits preserved in syrup are a sign of hospitality, served with coffee for guests. Dried figs, dates, and apricots find their way into confections and drinks.