Tasty Treats
Aussie Tucker (2) Damper (In your lunchtime hamper) Known across Australia as the typical “swagman’s meal”, a very early form of damper was cooked by the Aboriginal people who ground seeds into flour, added water, and cooked the mixture in coals. (Source: www.inmamaskitchen.com)
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Damper was a very convenient food for travellers or people in isolated areas, as it is made from a small group of ingredients that kept well and were readily available. Originally damper was made with plain flour or flour mixed with a rising agent such as baking powder. Later, self-raising flours were used in many versions of this simple bush food. (Source: http://users.chariot.net.au)
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There are endless variations of the traditional damper recipe, however, most sources contain recipes similar to the one below. Perhaps your class could decide on a range of variations in quantities, and have a class “bake-off” to decide on the best recipe.
Self-raising flour (2 – 3 cups); A pinch of salt; A pinch of sugar; 1 cup of water or milk (or half of each); between 1 teaspoon and 3 tablespoons of butter. X
Make a small fire in a safe area, supervised by adults. Wait until the fire dies down and the coals are only barely glowing.
Y
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, then add water/milk and butter gradually so that the mixture is soft but not sticky. Knead into a firm dough.
Z
Flatten the dough and place the damper carefully over the coals.
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Use some tongs or sticks to turn the damper over in about 5 minutes.
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Wait another 5 minutes then test. When the crust is brown and the damper makes a hollow noise when tapped, it is ready. Cool a bit, then serve with butter, golden syrup or another great Aussie topping!
© ReadyEdPubl i cat i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Billy Tea (Ready to swing it? One, Two, Three!)
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Early settlers in Australia drank tea often, as it was one of the first regular consumables to be imported. The billy – a metal can with a wire handle, is the well-known portable bushman’s form of the kettle. Traditionally, the billy is filled with water and hung over a campfire. A handful of tea leaves is thrown in, and sometimes some eucalyptus leaves as well for that real bush flavour. When the water boils, the billy is swung around in a circle with a straight arm – a task that requires a careful and smooth action to get the leaves to settle at the bottom of the billy, whilst avoiding the risk of splattering boiling water on everyone in the near vicinity.
o c . che e r Anzac Biscuits o t r s super
A safer way of achieving the same result is to tap the side of the billy a few times, and pour carefully. The traditional way to enjoy billy tea is straight, with no milk and sugar, as the roaming swagmen did not always have access to such luxuries. (Source: www.twinings.com and www.tea.org.au)
ANZAC biscuits were made during World War I, and sent to Australian and New Zealand soldiers overseas. The biscuits were made to travel well, as food being shipped over to the soldiers often took two months or more to reach their destination. The recipe contained rolled oats, sugar, plain flour, coconut, golden syrup, bicarbonate of soda, and water. The ingredient that bound the biscuits was the golden syrup, as eggs were hard to come by during the war. The ANZAC biscuits were placed in airtight containers such as Billy Tea tins to ensure that they stayed fresh and crispy. These famous, tasty biscuits are often made now, especially on ANZAC Day, or to .com/oz-u/food-recipes/ raise funds for war veterans. (Source: alldownunder alldownunder.com/oz-u/food-recipes/ index.html)
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