Organic and natural Australia

I think it is possible for a country of 27 million to really impose rules so organic and natural becomes a way of life, and not just a certification for premium prices of “safe” food. On my recent trip to three Aussie cities – Sydney, Hobart and Melbourne – I could not help but notice the “front of pack” labels with the big NO preservatives, no coloring and no additives. Imported products, I guess, will have to be subjected to such requirements to be able to join mainstream supermarkets and groceries in this continent.

We had the chance to meet our trade representatives in Sydney’s popular Taguan Café (proudly Filipino), Emman Ang and Pia Perfecto-Ramos, who asked us what products can be brought in to Australia besides coffee, of course. As we speak, we are already looking at sending not a few bags of Philippine coffee to this booming coffee community down under. There is a café almost at every corner, but they are independent cafes, not chains, and all have a different offer, vibe, but same price ranges and hours (they close at 3 or 4 p.m.).

It was good to know that there are about 470,000 Filipinos working in high-paying jobs like nursing and other science-based occupations. These OFWs thrive well in Australia because of the government’s policies on work-life balance and benefits like free education, and even free transport (as we experienced in Melbourne) like trams within a city zone. Though it is lamentable for our health care industry in the country to lose such good talent, we hope that the successful ones can soon give back by helping our country in different ways. Or let the first world health care system be our model for our developing country. Someday, somehow, who knows, but we may just get there.

For now, we turn practical and do what we can to service not just our OFWs but mainstream markets with good Philippine coffee, and even non-food items like weaves, fashion accessories and maybe artisan and cultural products.

But going back to organic and natural, the places to go would be the markets in each city. The selection in Melbourne of two huge markets will show you what produce is proudly Australian – watermelons, papayas, fresh eggs of every size, vegetables, tomatoes. They also proudly sell their famous dairy products like cheese and butter, alongside all kinds of dairy milk and non-dairy milk alternatives like macadamia, almond and oat “milks.”

It would be good to time your visit and catch the days when the markets are open. The South Melbourne Market is open Wednesdays but closed Thursdays. The Queen Victoria Market is closed Wednesdays but open Thursdays. And the popular Salamanca market in Hobart, Tasmania is only open Saturdays. With such a schedule, you would have to plan the trip so you can hit all the fresh markets in a short visit and enjoy what Australia offers even in winter. We were lucky to catch the milder cold days with temperatures just between 3-12 degrees Celsius, or what we call sweater weather. Weeks from now, it will be freezing cold. Traveling to the southern hemisphere is a good idea when it is hot and humid in Manila. And for those who live there, it is a good time to come home to Manila during Christmas when it’s cooler here and much hotter there. Perfect schedule for families wanting to visit – winter in the south is summer in Manila.

Besides organic and natural being the norm, we also met up with Slow Food friends in Sydney who took us to a farm-to-table restaurant – even the wines came from their own vineyard. Pasta Emilia was a treat for the senses as the owner Anna annotated each dish, drink and even desserts. They make their own pasta from local wheat and grains, and harvest all the vegetables they use, except a Cantabrian anchovy that went well with their whipped butter and fresh arugula greens.

Breakfast is also a good idea as cafés open early and those we visited all had breakfast meals made from local organic ingredients. Avocado toast is a popular breakfast fare along with farm-fresh cage-free eggs, sauces mostly all housemade. If you visit, we suggest you start early for breakfast to enjoy the local ingredients used by cafés. There is a bustling café community, each one serious about the origins of every bean and the ways you can enjoy coffee. I would order a flight – three different drinks using the same coffee, and give myself a gustatory experience. Otherwise, I stick to the batch brew – a drip filter coffee featuring an origin or their house blend. The batch brew is for people who like black coffee like myself, as I like to taste the coffee and not the milk.

For lunch, you would have a field day at the markets tasting oysters (in winter they are very safe to eat) from Tasmania, the Pacific and the southern waters; fresh lobsters and crayfish, and mussels in white wine. You will have a fill of cheeses, nuts and fruits as we enjoyed a three-cheese toastie, made even more indulgent with shaved black Australian truffles. But if you crave for rice, there always is a Spanish paella place serving rice dishes, and there is always Chinatown. In all the cities, we made sure to visit a Chinese restaurant for hot pot or the famous Tasmanian king crab we returned to Sydney for. If this has to be the food highlight of your stay, have it done two ways: salt and pepper for the body and efu noodles for the crab fat. You may even forget your name after indulging in this Sydney special.

If you are looking to taste real food as Nature intended them to be, and taste temperate fruits and vegetables, seafood in winter and more, take the next plane to a city down under.

Since we only have a two-hour time difference, you also will not get any jet lag.