Lauren Samuelsson, ‘We don’t have a cuisine, but we do have a food culture’ The history of what Aussies eat

Many people assume that before the advent of multiculturalism Australia had little in the way of food culture. But while things certainly weren’t as diverse, in their own way they were interesting, unique and constantly evolving. In the ‘working man’s paradise’ people prided themselves on being able to eat meat three times a day, while our recent penchant for TV cooking competitions is arguably just an outgrowth of trying to win ‘best scone’ at the local agricultural show. The heart of Australia’s evolving food culture from the 1930s was the Australian Women’s Weekly, which per capita was the most read such publication in the world. By 1944 it was already teaching Australians how to make ‘Mock Chicken Chow Mein’, in which the chicken was rabbit and soy sauce could be substituted for Worcestershire. Joining us to discuss Australia’s fascinating culinary history is food historian Dr Lauren Samuelsson.

Dr Lauren Samuelsson is a food historian who did her PhD thesis researching the way that the Australian Women's Weekly influenced Australian food culture from the 1930s through to the 1980s. She has had articles published in History Australia, Australian Historical Studies, and The Conversation. She received the Ken Inglis Postgraduate Prize (2018) and received a high commendation in the 2020 Jill Roe Prize.