BS: A question about Australian taste?

Subject: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Dave Swan
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 01:39 PM

Do you folks REALLY have Lifesaver candies in flavors called Musk and Thirst? National Public Radio here in the US ran a story this morning asserting that these flavors exist and are marketed in Australia.

If this is for real, will someone please whip down to the corner store for a pack of strange flavors? I'll send you the money. This I gotta see/taste.

Cheers,

D

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 01:43 PM

Is 'Australian taste' an Oxymoron?

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: allanwill
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 02:01 PM

Absolutely correct!

Musk are pink and I'm sitting here trying to think of a way to decribe the taste but I can't - they're just "musky".

Thirst are green and very "tangy".

Blow it out your lead fingers, Leadfinger (just kidding).

Allan

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 02:35 PM

Australian taste is pretty good. Some of their wines are excellent.

(M and M candies in the States are putting out new colors as well)

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: mack/misophist
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 04:02 PM

But M&M candies aren't American, they're English. Maurice Mars hated his father (Mars Bars) so much he left the country. Then he discovered a candy he knew he could make a mint on in America. So he came back.

Try Kaiserstuhl wine and anything from the Barossa Valley.

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 04:26 PM

Hmmmm. Never heard of mint M&M's.

I hated Ronald Reagan, but I have to say I'm glad he introduced America to a great product from here in Northern California, Jelly Belly jelly beans. Some really strange flavors like popcorn and peanut butter and buttered toast, but most of the flavors are delicious.

-Joe Offer-

All this talk is making me hungry for Halloween.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:07 PM

? M&M's are made in both US and Canadian factories (just as Marmite is made in both the States and Canada by General Foods) as well as overseas.
Mars bars in the States and Canada are made to different recipes. There are two types so that makes four recipes; add the British equals ?? Dunno about M&M, I pass out little boxes at Halloween, but only eat the leftover Snickers myself (the dogs get an MM or two as treats with their dinners 'till they are gone).
Are Australians plagued with these products? (Put this in to avoid being accused of thread perambulating).
Joe, I admit Jelly Belly beans disappear if placed in front of me (In Canada only found in upscale grocers). People here won't let their kids accept unpackaged treats, not that I would give them any anyway. Their taste isn't discriminating enough (I claim).

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:42 PM

They like Vegemite instead of Marmite, and they make some funny stuff they send here, which is labelled as lager. But that's probably just to get rid of it, so they can drink the decent stuff themselves. And they've some pretty good wine with intriguing names.

Best not make too many disparaging remarks about Australian taste, or you might attract the attentions of Sir Les Patterson, Australian cultural attache to the Court of St. James in London and Chairman of the Australian Chapter of the International Cheese Board. That would not be a good idea.

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Gareth
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:18 PM

Nooooo - anything bar Sir Les Patterson !!!!!1

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:21 PM

ANYTHING????

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: catspaw49
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 07:00 PM

Screw a bunch of those Jelly Belly jelly beans Joe....Some of the damn things tasted like solid perfume while other were reminiscent of a pig barn.

So now we are going to have Lifesavers in Musk and Thirst in Oz huh? Lots of possibilities for other countries as well. Nepal could have "Yak Shit" and "Oxygen" flavors. Maybe a few of the third world African nations could have "Starvation" flavor...tastes like a ham and cheese sandwich or something.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Bluesmike
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 07:37 PM

Idunno- I reckon the shielas taste alright- they can be a bit tough and stringy but you can disguise anything with a bit of tamato sauce.
We in Australia have a rich gastranomic heritage of which we are justly proud. There is something called a Chiko Roll - ya haven't lived until you have eaten one- not long to live after you eat one come to think of it. It is a deeb fried batter 'sausage' with ummm "stuff" inside. A dogs eye with dead horse- (Pie and sauce) can be great at the football in winter or for breakfast with a cold beer to wash it down- the hair of the dog ya know. In South Australia they eat something called a floater which I won't describe as I know some of you are about to have lunch.
Michael

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Bluesmike
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 07:43 PM

Years ago someone offered me a chemical concoction produced by Hersheys called a Twizzler. The smell of corn syrup and red food dye almost knocked me over- Subsequently I became addicted to the things through care packages sent by my ex mother in law.
You just can't buy them in Australia Sigh.... I would like to propose a cultural exchange- say a box of musk and thirst livesavers for a giant economy sized bag of Twizzlers
Michael

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: catspaw49
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 07:49 PM

You got it Mike!

We'll PM the details both ways.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Troll
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 08:26 PM

GUEST< PLEASE do not feed chocolate to your dogs. It is VERY bad for them and can kill them if they get too much.
Yes, I know they like it but it really isn't good for them. Throw out the M&M's and buy them some doggy treats.

troll

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From:
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 09:37 PM

The real taste definer is our hamburgers. Not your Big Mac or similar rubbish but real hamburgers.Lean hamburger mince, fried, with a slice of cheese on it to start with.Then fried onions go on followed by a fried egg. Slices of fresh tomato and beetroot with chopped lettuce to follow. Hit it with a squirt of tomato sauce and drop the bun lid on it.
Now that's good tucker. You can also whack a pineapple slice in.

JG / FME

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Helen
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 12:19 AM

Well, El-Swanno,

I think it's a pretty cute trick starting a thread about Oz-food when we were all asleep - so that you could all discuss us, dissect our taste in food, and serve us up for breakfast without having to worry about any of us responding, retorting or otherwise disagreeing. (grin)

I am not sure about Kaiserstuhl wines - they used to make some of those not-wines like Summer Wine and Passion Wine I think. But almost any real Oz wines are definitely worth trying.

As for musk and "Thirst" lifesavers: the classic Oz lolly/sweet has always been something called a Musk Stick which is hard to describe, and definitely not made the same as they used to be when I was a kid, so it was a natural progression to make Lifesavers in that flavour. Thirst flavour are my favourite because they are fizzy, like Fruit Tingles, which you probably don't know about either.

An ex-pat friend of ours regularly gets a huge carton of Oz-lollies and chocolates sent over there because he says that the sweets in America just don't have the same - er- trying to be diplomatic here, um -er - quality?? as ours.

There are a few mail order places which supply Oz food in the U.S.



      heartwindow has some links to check out.

http://www.heartwindow.com/abroad/foodhints/

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Helen
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 12:37 AM

I can't believe it. Some of those mail order places are selling Black & Gold brand Musk Sticks, i.e. the generic, no-name brand. That's a travesty! How could anyone judge what a real Musk Stick tastes like by eating one of those? But then again, they don't make 'em like they used to anyway, so it would be hard to find one that tastes the way it should.

The first mail order place I looked at sells Musk Lifesavers, but I didn't find any Thirst flavoured ones.

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 07:29 AM

15-20 years ago I was working on a fund-raising stall selling all kinds of treasures & lollies (candies!). All the Australians went ooooh, I haven't seen them for years & bought the musk sticks (proper soft musk, Alison), & we made money. But I did have fun trying to explain them to some visiting Americans - who eventually decided to buy one & cautiously nibbled on it. It was the wrong childhood memory for them.

My brother-in-law is working in Nigeria (for an American oil company) & when they come home each year for their holidays, they fill Business class with 10kg jars of Vegemite - Pam is addicted. I'm sure the customs folks think she is selling it, but it is only her annual supply!

My brother's addiction when he was younger was sauce (ketchup) sandwiches. Dunno if he still indulges, but a colleague of a similar age (mid 40's) still drowns his chips (fries - see, I am bi-lingual)with sauce.

On another tack - Australian chefs are all over the UK according to recent reports. They are famous for their innovative use of Australian & Asian/Pacific ingredients, & migrant cuisines. And the wind drinkers say our wines are good, too.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 07:34 AM

eek!! I just read my post - I did run spellcheck over it but ...

first it was Helen who lamented the real musk stick - apologies.

then we are famous for our WINES!! - maybe the Chicko roll eaters are famous for their wind, but not the wine drinkers. Tho. as I'm a water drinker, I can't really be sure about those wine drinkers

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Ted from Australia
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 07:43 AM

Try a musk stick dipped in melted dark chocolate. My Son In Law is addicted.
Ted from Australia

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 08:07 AM

"Wind drinkers" - now that sounds like a Sir Les Patterson expression, and I hate to think what it might mean.

That's the trouble with spell checkers. All those "Pubic Entertainment Licences"; and the time a Mudcatter got unjustly accused of anti-semitism when he pushed the J button instead of the N button when he was writing New Jersey in a post; and Landseer's famous painting "The Shag at Bay"...The spellcheckers don't notice that kind if stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Bluesmike
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 08:51 AM

Chuck me another Kangaroo bruce and don't spare the tomato sauce

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 07:15 AM

Ted - the muskstick dipped in chocolate sauce reminds me of my sister's descriptions of some of the less-familiar aspects of life in California before they headed to Nigeria. And life in Nigeria is less-familiar, too.

Deep fried chocolate croissants was the one that stuck in my mind, and there were others, but I am getting old & forgetful - well, definitely getting old & I have always been forgetful. I'm half way thru a very belated e-mail to Pam so I will send her this thread.

Sandra

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: GUEST,Flung Spew.
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 07:47 AM

The contents plasterd over Sir Les Patterson`s tie haven`t yet been discovered by McDonalds, boy, what a best-seller, go get it Mac`s. Flung Spew.

Subject: RE: BS: A question about Australian taste?
From: GUEST,Sir Les Patterson.
Date: 29 Oct 02 - 07:52 AM

Is that some Pommie Bastard trying to take the mick, listen you chinese w-----r, this Tie will never leave OZ. Sir Les Patterson