Australia: Bush Tucker

the appetizer:

Though once dominated by British culinary tastes, Australian cuisine is now influenced by a variety of Mediterranean and Asian foods introduced by immigrant cultures. Many people living outside of Australia think of native Bush Tucker when they contemplate Australian food, but Southeast Asian, Greek, Lebanese and Italian influences are now more common.

One of the great delights about publishing on the World Wide Web is meeting folks of similar interests from all corners of the...well, the world. Back in 1997, a fan of our site in Australia offered to provide us research and be our "Aussie stringer." We could tell from her writing that she would be perfect and thus Jacqualine Hollingworth began her first assignment. Jaqualine's article on bush tucker, An Aussie Reports on Her Native Bush Tucker, is especially refreshing as it incorporates such personal and unique experiences, from present day back to her childhood.

—Kate Heyhoe, Global Gourmet Editor

About Jacqualine Hollingworth

My name is Jacqualine Hollingworth and apart from other qualifications, I have a PhD in History, on the Great War. This is my second great interest apart from cooking, recipes, menus, dining out and the sheer adventure of tasting something in a restaurant and replicating it at home.

It goes without saying that I am devoted to my husband, a lawyer specializing in wills and trusts, and our two children. James turns 18 today, April 4, and Cecily will turn 20 on Tuesday, April 8. Good planning there, as I was completing major degrees at the time and they were both born at Easter and I missed no University lectures.

At present I am the Head of Library and Information Resources at St. Kevin's, a Christian Brothers College in Toorak, Victoria. We are about 5k's from Melbourne and our school sits above the Yarra River. The College caters for Years 3-12 students and I teach senior and junior secondary history as well as running the libraries on campus. So I get rather busy at school as I take sport as well.

I love reading eGG and have it on-line at home and at school. I collect recipes and cookbooks as a hobby, and my collection tips over 500 books at present. We have to have them insured as about 50 are 1st editions and some are quite rare. I am forbidden to buy any more—so to get around this I buy new books and get the Year 12 History boys to sign the title page with grateful thanks for my assistance in their studies. Have got away with 12 so far... Eventually, when the mortgage is paid off I would love to open a deli or become a food writer.