Food Availability and Selection Essay Example

ones in their home countries.

There were some familiar animals; wild swans, ducks, geese and pigeons that were similar to their European cousins, as well as fish and eels that were not unlike the European varieties, although other game was foreign and challenging to their regular tastes. Some of the settlers were even drawn to hunting and eating the native animals, such as wombats and echidnas. But, generally, the early settlers set their hands to producing European crops and raising European herd animals for food.

They introduced European game animals such as rabbits and deer for sport and hunting, and some of these nimals have since become pests for modern day farmers. Flour was a staple item of the early settler's diet. It was made into other staple foods such as bread or damper, and had many other uses too. The available meat for the early settlers was usually beef, pork or mutton. It was usually salted or dried to preserve it, as there was no refrigeration.

Tea was the staple drink and was considered a necessity. Salt was also highly prized for flavour and for preserving meat. The settlers also brought rum with them, and it became such a valuable commodity that it was, for some time, a prized currency for trade. 3) 3)How did immigration change the eating patterns of the Australian population? Immigration has greatly diversified the Australian diet as a whole, and the influence of multiculturalism on today’s food choices has been great. From the 1830’s onwards, the role of migrants in changing our food varieties has been rapidly increasing.

In the 1830’s, German migrants began to come to Australia, settling

particularly in and around the Barossa Valley. They established vineyards in this area for winemaking. The 1850’s brought about the Australian Gold Rush, as well as bringing various different types of migrants.

These included: +Chinese, whose alternative style of cooking involving stir-frying introduced a reduction in the amount of oil used in cooking. +Scandinavians, who settled in Victoria and were the key to establishing an industry for the production of dairy products.

The Scandinavian foods such as cheesecake and smorgasbords were also a new experience for the British settlers. +Greeks, who introduced a number of new cooking ingredients like vine leaves, fetta cheese and filo pastry. +Americans, who brought implements and technology to further develop the Australian way of life, rather than bringing a distinct type of food or cooking.

By the 1880’s, communities of Italian migrants were being established around Australia. These migrants grew various breeds of fruits and vegetables, as well as establishing a thriving cheese market.

In the 1920’s, a second significant boom of American immigrants was evident, and they set up large-scale production factories such as Kellogg’s, Heinz and Kraft. By the 1940’s, these Americans had also introduced Coca-Cola, hamburgers, tinned sweetcorn, dried vegetables and some frozen foods. The Americans had also brought in fast-food chains including McDonald’s, KFC,

Pizza Hut, etc. by the 1960’s, and by the 1970’s a large number of Asian immigrants from countries such as Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea had come to Australia.

These immigrants introduced noodles as an alternative staple food to boiled rice. (4) It is evident today how these migrants, who have brought unique, varied types of food and dining styles to

Australia, have vastly altered our food and culture, and this adds to the cultural diversity that our country possesses. 4)What part has technology played in Australia’s changing cuisine?

The changing technologies in our society have greatly affected the availabilities of different foods. The introduction of various new innovations and machines has led to: -A wider range of food varieties and choices and the ability to produce new foods, eg: tomatoes can now be easily turned into tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato relish etc. -Various new methods of food transportation and the ability to store and refrigerate foods for much longer periods of time, resulting in a wider distribution of foods to more remote places. This also allows people to have access to exclusively seasonal foods all year round.

New methods of processing and packaging, making foods more visually appealing, thereby increasing the likelihood of sales. -

The ability to mass-produce, resulting in more of the product, and therefore decreasing the prices of it. -New, more effective forms of advertising that entice us to buy certain products and thereby influence the way we eat. -The ability to concentrate and condense products, assisting with longer preservation times and better storage and transportation. -Easier access to recipes and information on alternative cooking styles, by means such as the Internet. Fast foods becoming cheaper and easier to obtain, therefore our diets are becoming semi-dependant on these less-nutritious foods.

All of these technological advancements have changed our cuisines quite dramatically. 5)Distinguish between the different types of economies (use examples).