Day 15 - Taste sensations

Tassie is such a tasty place, especially for person who enjoys good food as much as me. I could never have imagined before coming here all the amazing taste sensations I would have experienced in just a couple of weeks. From rich, dark cherries for a delightful desert, to picking little crab apples for jelly and greengage plums that I now have a soft spot for, even though I’d never heard of them before moving to Tassie. I’ve had fried whitebait, which was like a having patties of a thousand eyes looking up at you while you eat and the Bandycoot (my boyfriend) has been able to indulge his passion for sea scallop pies. The seafood here is incredibly fresh and tasty, much like New Zealand. And the delectable field mushrooms I've already mentioned in a previous post..mmm!

I’ve not been a big meat eater for many years now and when presented with mutton bird for dinner, I was hesitant. I’d been warned that it smells bad: true. I’d also been told they’re very oily. Um, talk about swimming in an inch of yellow mutton bird oil in the baking pan. Even after all that I was convinced to give it a try, as it is a supposed delicacy. One little bite was enough to know it was not for me, with a strong gamey flavour and unusual texture, similar to pate. I discovered that Tasmania is the only place left in Australia where the mutton birds (Shearwaters) are still hunted, though mostly by local indigenous populations as it is part of their historic traditions.

I’ve enjoyed so many delicious meals with the Bandycoot’s family, with much of the ingredients coming from his Nan’s bountiful garden, which she often shares the bounty with us. Mash made with her fantastic potatoes is so delicious I can almost feel myself developing a warm winter layer.

People had told me the food was amazingly fresh in Tassie when I said I was moving here. I’d switched to a whole foods diet last year for health reasons, so I wasn’t sure what I would find here for me. Our first visit to the local markets revealed an abundance of fresh, spray-free foods which had me salivating. I hope that we can develop our own abundant vegie garden at the Old Dairy to enjoy in the future. Yum!!