Food Safari

Moroccan food is one of the most cleverly balanced cuisines on earth – spices are used to enhance the flavour of dishes & there is nothing like the warm waft of beautiful spices that seduce you when you open the lid of a tajine. The essence of Moroccan food is a communal style of eating, with many dishes shared by the family. The meal time is very social & eaten at a leisurely pace with much laughter & talking.When entering a Moroccan home, you would be offered food & usually tea within a heartbeat. Hospitality is a very important part of Moroccan culture & making guests welcome is also part of the Islamic teaching.

Malaysian food is heavily influenced by the food of other countries including Chinese, & Indian as well as the native Malay or Peranakan style of cooking. These influences extend from the use of the wok as the main cooking pan, to a combination of a number of spices in many of the dishes. Malaysian food uses an amazing blend of flavours aimed at making your 'tastebuds jump up & down' & the thing that raises it to an art form is the combination of textures, tastes & colour. & nothing is more colourful than the cleverly layered riceflour & coconut sweets called Kueh.

Food Safari plunges into the fiery passionate world of Portuguese food where all the best food has a close relationship with fire, starting with the now famous Portuguese charcoal chicken. Food author and explorer Maeve O'Meara prizes a recipe for the famous marinated flattened chicken with peri peri sauce from her friend Luis Fernandes whose family brought the recipe from Angola to the world.

Vietnamese dishes are fresh, have a depth of flavour & seem to have amazing health properties at the same time. Have you ever eaten a bowl of pho with all the accompaniments when you’re feeling less than 100 %? One chef friend calls pho the Vietnamese equivalent of Jewish chicken soup – it's good for the body & the soul. Or have you had a few mouthfuls of green papaya salad when your palate is feeling jaded? Instant zing! More than any other cuisine, Vietnamese food centres on herbs & uses an amazing array along with salad greens in many dishes. These are eaten for their healing properties as well as for their taste.

The vibrant, intensely colourful world of Indian food in Australia found an ever increasing fan base when Australians began to travel through India during the 1960s & 70s. Each region of India has its own style of cooking & distinct flavours – North is known for Tandoori & Korma dishes, South is famous for hot & spicy foods, the East specialises in chilli curries, the West uses coconut & seafood & the Central part of India is a blend of all.

In Greek culture, food is so much more than sustenance – it’s everything – culture, comfort, family, life. “If you grow up Greek, you grow up with your mother chasing you around the house with a spoon”, jokes Greek Australian chef Peter Conistis. From one of the ancient civilisations on earth comes simply prepared food that uses the best of what’s in season & adds just a little magic to help it sing off the plate. From some of the best lamb dishes on earth to fresh seafood, vegetables, beans & pulses & of course good olive oil, Greek food is simple, colourful & incredibly good for you.When Greeks taste something delicious, they have a lovely phrase “Yia Sta Heria Stas” which translates as “I kiss your hands”, celebrating the skill of the cook.

Chinese cuisine is familiar to Australians & a recent survey found that two thirds of Australian households own a wok & use it regularly, but not everyone knows how to use it properly. With authentic ingredients now being more widely available it is possible to cook recipes that once were only available in restaurants. The spread of traditional Chinese food began with Cantonese style cooking from the south of China & includes instantly recognisable dishes such as stir-fries, sweet & sour & chop suey. In recent years Northern style & spicier food from Szechuan & Shanghai have followed.

Ever since Italians migrated to Australia and introduced us to spaghetti bolognese and pizza, Australians have embraced this wonderful, satisfying cuisine. Spaghetti Bolognese is now so popular that it could almost be classed as an adopted national dish. Italians were among the first to show us how to appreciate good coffee, use olive oil and understand the joy of fresh pasta. Antipasto is another Italian introduction. The literal translation is 'before the meal'. Small morsels are offered to guests as they arrive and these might include zucchini fritters, carciofi (artichokes), olives, stuffed peppers, tuna carpaccio. Remember not too much so that your guests don't get full before the main meal.

Thai food has been a huge hit in Australia with Thai restaurants in many suburbs and parts of our cities serving a range of curry puffs, soups, curries and stir fries. At its best, the flavours of sweet, sour, salty and tangy are balanced and when used cleverly, you feel your taste buds dance. Eating Thai style is to be served all the dishes at the same time in the centre of the table – no entrée/maincourse/dessert here. Rice is an integral part of every meal, along with soup, a couple of curries and side dishes. Thai people eat with a spoon and fork and use the fork to push the food onto the spoon; the fork is never used to actually eat with.

Food Safari goes in search of the fresh green flavors of Lebanese food and host Maeve O'Meara finds the biggest mound of fresh parsley being chopped for use in falafel, the delicious fried snacks made from chick peas that go so well with creamy hommous and smokey eggplant dip baba ghanouj. Maeve journeys into one of her favorite big Middle Eastern emporiums with master chef Greg Malouf.

Mexican cuisine is one of the most ancient and developed on earth but is little known outside its borders and too many restaurants are more “Tex” than “Mex” according to the small number of Mexican expatriates in Australia Authentic Mexican food is vibrant, delicious and fun and varies according to which region its from. It is also colourful, spicy and uses an amazing array of chillies, both fresh and dried. Many ingredients are available everywhere – tomatoes, limes, coriander, red onion, avocado, corn…and its easy to cook. Some people think Mexican food is too spicy – but true Mexican food has a depth of flavour with its combination of savoury and earthy flavours, and use of fresh herbs.

This week Food Safari enters the delicious colorful world of one of the cuisines we know least about in Australia - Turkish food. While kebabs and Turkish delight are well known, some of the amazing array of vegetable dishes, dips, and marinated meats are yet to be discovered. Maeve O'Meara journeys into an emporium filled with ingredients for Turkish cooking with her friend, chef Serif Kaya.

The final episode of Food Safari ends with the fire and passion of Spanish cooking - you can smell the heady scents of saffron, paprika and garlic as host Maeve O'Meara investigates the key ingredients needed to create a Spanish pantry and visits chefs and home-cooks to gather some really easy recipes. Learn about the art of Spanish tapas.