Late night meals, iconic jams and local produce, you can’t call yourself an Adelaidean unless you’ve eaten these 5 foods.
Adelaideans are a loyal bunch, win their heart and they’ll stick with you – whether it’s towards their friends, sporting teams, or their food.
Whilst Adelaide is more famous for the brilliant wines that hail from its Barossa and McLaren Vale regions, they’re equally passionate about their foods. Try these Adelaide foods that have reached legendary status.
1. Beerenberg Farm
Chances are, you’ve had their products before. This family owned farm with headquarters in Hahndorf is one of the best known brands in the Asia Pacific hotel industry. They’re famous for their premium (but incredibly cute) miniature jars first made to fulfil an order for Qantas business and first class. Not limited to jams, they also make mustards, sauces, dressings, dessert toppings, you name it – they have over 50 products. Like wine, they’re all about provenance and pride themselves in using local produce.
2. Fruchocs
Fruchocs has been around since its creation in 1948 from a family company that’s been around for 150 years. As the name implies, it’s fruit coated in delicious chocolate! You don’t grow up in Adelaide without developing a love for this, mention Fruchocs to any Adelaidean you know and watch their eyes light up.
3. Kitchener Bun
I apologise in advance for introducing this sweet guilty pleasure to you. Imagine a doughnut with no hole, split, then filled with raspberry/strawberry jam and cream – top that off with a dusting of sugar on top. It’s similar to a Berliner and was known as one until World War I happened, then it was renamed in honour of British field marshal, Horatio Lord Kitchener. You don’t have to venture too far from the city for this one, try the 24/7 bakery at North Adelaide.
4. Pie Floater
A late night favourite for Adelaideans, served on the streets of Adelaide since the 1860s and has been named a heritage icon in 2003. It’s hard to describe the magnificence of what a pie floater is. You start with a nice thick pea soup, then you put a traditional Australian meat pie (sometimes submerged) in the middle of it topped with tomato sauce. If you’re feeling extra brave you can add mint sauce or malt vinegar. It may not sound delicious now but try refusing one after a big night out drinking at Adelaide’s iconic Hindley Street.
5. AB
No one’s really quite sure what AB stands for. The most popular ones have been ‘Abortion’, but other variants are ‘After Birth’, ‘Abomination’, ‘Absolutely Beautiful’ or ‘Atomic Bomb’. This dish has achieved legendary status so the origin story is a bit dubious. There’s even 2 yiros shops claiming to have created the “Original AB” – and they’re about 3 stores apart, The Blue & White Café and North Adelaide Burger Bar (also known as Red & White), both on O’Connell St. The story goes that one fateful night a group of drunk university students wandered into an O’Connell Street yiros, unable to choose between a yiros or chips. Instead they ended up with chips topped with yiros meat, they must not have been able to decide on sauces either, as they ended up slathering the dish with tomato, barbecue, and garlic sauce. There’s fierce loyalties as to which one makes the better AB, I like Blue & White because I love that real garlic kick.
