Qc. & Au. Food
Updated: Jan 30, 2022
Here is an introduction about the cultural aspects that feed my inspiration for Snowy Foodie.
The Québec province, where I am from, and the Snowy Valleys region of New South Wales, where I now live, are the featured locations on this blog. This whole project idea started in my first year as an expat, and creating a family recipe book was at first a project to remedy homesickness. The idea kept evolving as I was entering the slow food world (without even knowing this was considered a movement). For years, I've worked hard from home, experimenting and learning like a sponge about food photography, styling, growing and cooking. In 2020, following a bushfire evacuation and a pandemic lockdown, I felt more confident to share my work, and to keep progressing it. Some of the articles and recipes might sometimes be more addressed to Aussies and other subjects to Canadians, but that’s not a bad thing! Some posts could also catch the attention to other people like me (expatriated for love in another country). The observations and comments on this blog are based on my personal experiences and focused on the diet and terroir of the regions of these featured places. The Québec province and the Snowy Valleys region are both located in or by the mountains, inland, with lakes and creeks in a climate with four distinct seasons.
Actually knowing what Canadian and Australian cuisine is, that's a good start. The answer to that on each part is quite complex. I will elaborate on many details as this blog continues over time as it is a lot to cover. Both cultures feature traditional dishes that have evolved from their colonial past, and now everything has exploded with international influences. This modern cuisine blends traditional and contemporary food, only now introducing more native ingredients and indigenous practice. One thing is for sure, Canada and Australia have this very sensitive subject in common, considering their histories. It has taken a lot of time to recognize the knowledge of the indigenous cultures. Currently, both boreal and bushfood are celebrated in gourmet and touristic gastronomy, but still not so much in the conventional home kitchen. I really want to support and learn from communities who offer cultural experiences when the pandemic is over, which is something I was just beginning to do on my last trip to Québec. Meanwhile, I am exploring some native ingredients for home cooking. Québec’s maple syrup and sweet corn or Australian’s macadamias and bushspices are a good start. Beyond these most popular, there are many wild ingredients to discover and all the nutritional, taste and heritage values in indigenous food are worth the introspection.
By learning the basics of traditional food, substituting ingredients and adapting in different ways, I feel closer to my French Canadian roots and finding great new challenges in my Australian country life. This project is a long self-taught study and how great it is to be discovering new things everyday! From the boreal to the austral hemisphere, the seasons are upside down, and so is the time of day. I’m floating in-between two worlds, and Snowy Foodie helps me to enjoy this unusual situation. Like any art discipline, learning to master the basics before twisting things is a must, and that is why many of my first recipes and posts will introduce some traditional food and typical ingredients from both countries. The relaxed Aussie attitude showed me that there is no need to fuss with everything. The open-mind of a Québécois kept me curious and honest. There are many things I miss from home and there are many things I appreciate better in this new home. I’ll do my best to represent the best of both places and hope you'll enjoy my recipes, stories and photography.
#snowyfoodiesintroductionstories #traditionalfood #localfood #sugarshackfood