Top 71 Victorian Foods

Chicken parmigiana is a poultry dish consisting of breadcrumbs-coated chicken breasts that are topped with tomato sauce and cheese, then baked until the cheese melts and the chicken is properly cooked. Although it has an Italian-sounding name, chicken parmigiana is actually an American dish, derived from an Italian dish called melanzana alla parmigiana, or eggplant parmigiana. No one knows who invented chicken parmigiana, but it is very popular in American cities with a large number of Italian immigrants such as New York and New Jersey. Regardless of the origin, the dish is usually served on top of rice or pasta, while some prefer it as a part of submarine sandwiches. Chicken parmigiana is also very popular in Australia, where it is a staple in numerous pubs, often served with salads and chips on the side.Expand

Dim sims are deep-fried or steamed dumplings filled with pork or other meat, cabbage, and flavorings. Although inspired by the traditional Chinese cuisine both in ingredients and the name of the dish, the Australian version differs from Chinese dumplings in size and thickness of the dumplings (they are larger and thicker than the traditional Chinese versions). The dish was invented in Melbourne around 1945 by a Chinese chef named William Wing Young, who created the dumplings for his restaurant, called Wing Lee. Dim sims, affectionately called dimmies, are typically dipped in soy sauce before consumption, and can often be found in fish and chips shops, corner stores, and some Chinese restaurants in Australia.Expand

Cruffin is a cross between a croissant and a muffin – it's a muffin that's made from laminated croissant dough and filled with different flavors and ingredients such as pastry cream, peanut butter, cream and strawberries, chocolate, salted caramel, and many others. This treat is a recent invention – it is believed that the first one was created in 2013 by Kate Reid of Lune Croissanterie in Melbourne, Australia. It was subsequently popularized and trademarked by Mr. Holmes Bakehouse of San Francisco. Expand

Hot jam donut is an Australian specialty hailing from Melbourne, which is why it's also affectionately known as the Melbourner. Unlike most other donuts, these ones are always served hot, usually from the window of a street food van at the Queen Vic Market. The donuts are made with yeasted dough that's proved twice and filled with red jam before it goes in the fryer. They're designed to be eaten fresh and hot, and once cooked, crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside, the donuts are coated in sugar and served in white paper bags.Expand

Chiko roll is the Australian version of a Chinese spring roll or an egg roll. This snack consists of a dough made from eggs and flour which is filled with seasonings, carrots, cabbage, barley, mutton, celery, and rice. The dough is thick and almost chewy, and chiko rolls are commonly deep-fried in hot oil. They can be found in most fish and chips shops. These trademarked snacks were invented by Frank McEnroe in the 1950s. The name chiko roll refers to the original name, chicken roll, even though the snack never contained any chicken meat. Interestingly, chiko rolls are usually associated with beachside kiosks and surf culture.Expand

Vegemite is a notoriously yeasty spread that can be found in nine out of ten pantries in Australia. It all began in 1922 when the Fred Walker Company (known today as Kraft Food Company) employed a chemist to invent a new spread from one particular ingredient that is rich in Vitamin B. He called it Vegemite, a spread made from leftover brewers' yeast extract, spices, and vegetable additives. Its texture is thick, gluey and dense, similar to peanut butter, while its color is dark red to brown, almost jet black. The taste is an acquired one, as Vegemite is extremely salty. Vegemite is typically spread over buttered toasted bread in a fine, thin layer that you can see through. There's also the British counterpart to the Australian Vegemite, and it's called Marmite - its color is more of a dark brown and the consistency is more syrupy than Vegemite.Expand

Meredith Blue is an Australian blue cheese hailing from Meredith, Victoria. The cheese is made from pasteurized sheep’s milk and it’s left to age for 6 to 8 weeks. Underneath its natural, crusty rind, the texture is creamy and soft in spring and semi-firm in late winter, with deep blue veining running throughout the paste. The aromas are goaty and fresh, while the flavors are sweet, mild, and mushroomy. It’s recommended to use Meredith Blue in sauces, desserts, or salads. Serve it with toasted walnut bread or local honey and pair it with sweet and red wines or a bottle of ale.Expand

Holy Goat Pandora is an Australian cheese hailing from Sutton Grange, Victoria. The cheese is made from goat’s milk and it’s left to age for 2 to 3 weeks. This aged fresh cheese has a moldy rind, and underneath it the texture is chalky, soft, and creamy. The aromas are goaty, while the flavors are refreshing, mild, and goaty. It’s recommended to cut off the lid, then spoon out the center in large dollops. Holy Goat Pandora pairs well with everything, but suggestions include a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or rosé.Expand

Created in Australia by a Scottish businessman named Crag Carrick, donug is a big chicken nugget shaped into a circle, so that it looks similar to a doughnut. It is covered in cornflakes and panko crumbs, then deep-fried. Donugs come with three optional sauces – hot chili sauce, cheesy Dijon bechamel, or golden Japanese curry enriched with mozzarella. Carrick wants to make this unusual food hybrid available worldwide, and judging by recent viral posts on social media, he seems quite likely to succeed.Expand

Bull boar sausage is a spiced, fresh sausage composed of roughly equal proportions of lean beef and pork, originating from the historic goldfields of central Victoria, with its structural production heavily concentrated around the regional municipalities of Daylesford and Hepburn Springs. The formulation of this specific sausage is historically connected to the mid-nineteenth-century Australian gold rush of the 1850s, when large numbers of Italian-speaking Swiss immigrants from the Ticino canton, alongside northern Italian settlers, migrated to the Jim Crow Diggings to work the mines. While these miners initially prepared the item as standard domestic salsicce, the English-speaking mining community renamed the product "bull boar" as a direct, literal descriptor of its dual-animal composition to differentiate it from pure pork sausages. The preparation of bull boar sausage relies on grinding a mix of fifty percent lean beef and fifty percent pork fat and lean meat to a coarse texture, which is then thoroughly seasoned with coarse salt, minced garlic that has been steeped for several hours in robust red wine, and a specific blend of dry sweet spices including ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. This aromatic meat mixture is stuffed into natural beef intestine casings and tied into links, avoiding the use of preservatives, chemical binders, or synthetic fillers. Bull boar sausage is cooked by submersing the raw links into a pot of cold water, slowly bringing the liquid to a gentle simmer for ten to twelve minutes until the interior proteins coagulate, and finishing them briefly on a dry skillet or grill. It is eaten throughout regional Victorian butcheries, domestic dining rooms, and local food festivals, served either sliced whole alongside boiled white potatoes or squeezed out of its casing to serve as a heavily spiced, aromatic meat base for slow-cooked pasta ragùs. For food and beverage pairings, the pronounced flavors of clove, cinnamon, and garlic require substantial beverages that can clear the dense palate coating without clashing with the sweet spice notes, meaning it is eaten alongside crusty sourdough bread and paired with structured, high-acid regional Victorian red wines such as Shiraz or dark, malty ales.Expand

Morris of Rutherglen is one of Australia’s longest-established wine producers, with a history dating back to 1859 when George Francis Morris founded the winery in the Rutherglen region of Victoria. The area’s warm climate and fertile soils proved ideal for producing deeply concentrated wines, particularly fortified styles such as Muscat and Topaque, which became the house signature.

Over generations, the winery remained in family hands, preserving traditional production methods while adapting to challenges such as phylloxera and changing market demands. A defining element of its identity is the extensive use of aged oak barrels, where wines mature slowly and develop complex layers of dried fruit, caramel, spice, and roasted nut aromas.

Morris of Rutherglen is especially recognized for its classification system of fortified wines, ranging from youthful expressions to rare, long-aged releases that reflect decades of maturation. In recent years, the brand has expanded into Australian single malt whisky, utilizing seasoned wine casks to enhance depth and character.

Now part of Casella Family Brands, the winery continues to balance heritage and innovation while maintaining a strong connection to the Rutherglen terroir. With over 160 years of continuous production, it remains a benchmark for fortified wine styles in Australia and a key reference point for the region’s winemaking tradition.Expand

Starward Whisky, founded in 2007 by David Vitale, is an Australian distillery located in Melbourne. The distillery is renowned for its innovative approach to whisky production, utilizing locally sourced ingredients and maturing its spirits in Australian red wine barrels.

This unique maturation process imparts distinctive flavors to their whiskies, reflecting the rich wine heritage of the region.Expand

Campbells Wines is a historic, family-owned winery based in Rutherglen, Victoria, with a winemaking heritage dating back to 1870. Founded by John Campbell, it has remained in the same family for five generations, combining long-standing tradition with modern winemaking practices.

The winery is particularly renowned for its fortified wines - especially Muscat and Topaque - which are considered benchmarks of the Rutherglen style, alongside robust reds such as Shiraz and Durif. Its philosophy is rooted in expressing regional character through careful vineyard management and traditional cellar techniques, including the use of large, old oak casks for extended aging.

Campbells is also a member of Australia’s First Families of Wine, reflecting its significance within the country’s wine heritage. The portfolio spans both classic, age-worthy wines and more contemporary styles, maintaining a strong focus on quality, balance, and authenticity.Expand

Arktika Vodka is an Australian brand inspired by the Arctic, known for its cold-filtered and triple-distilled production process. It is made in Victoria, using carefully selected Australian wheat, resulting in a clean, balanced, and smooth flavor profile.

Arktika offers several variants, including Original, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Raspberry, and Lemon-Lime, perfect for mixing in cocktails. Arktika Vodka is part of the Edgemill GroupExpand

Naught Gin is a premium gin producer located in Eltham, Victoria, known for its meticulously crafted, small-batch gins. With a commitment to quality and a passion for unique, sophisticated flavors, Naught Gin combines traditional distilling methods with innovative botanical blends.

Their gins are celebrated for their smooth, complex profiles, which capture the essence of Australian craftsmanship and creativity.Expand

Baxter Vodka is a premium Australian spirit crafted in Melbourne, renowned for its exceptional smoothness and clean taste. Established in 2017 by Melbourne mates Jake and Dom, the vodka is produced using a unique blend of Queensland sugarcane and New South Wales wheat grain, combined with Victorian spring water.

This meticulous selection of ingredients results in a versatile vodka that embodies the vibrant beauty and beloved flavors of Australian culture. The production process focuses on quality and purity, ensuring that Baxter Vodka is free from artificial additives, making it both vegan-friendly and gluten-free.

This commitment to natural ingredients has contributed to its recognition in the spirits industry.Expand

Berrys Creek Gourmet Cheese is a specialty cheesemaker located in Fish Creek, Victoria, Australia. The company focuses on producing a range of blue cheeses, along with other cow and buffalo milk cheeses.

Berry's Creek Gourmet Cheese has received multiple awards for their products, particularly in the blue cheese category at various national and international cheese competitions. Barry Charlton is the cheesemaker behind Berrys Creek, bringing extensive experience and expertise to the cheese production process.Expand