TASTE NATURE’S BOUNTY IN TASSIE
While in Sydney, mavis teo hops on a short flight to the southernmost island Down Under for a culinary adventure
Art and food against a backdrop of wildly beautiful wilderness are the main draws to Tasmania in recent years, accounting for a 21 percent increase in international tourist arrivals from 2017 to 2018. As Australia’s last inhabited island state frontier to Antarctica, the landscape developed a reputation for being isolated and desolate when it was a penal colony in the 19th century. Placed in harsh conditions where survival was key, the settlers and ex-convicts worked hard at finding and growing food.
Today, Tasmania has one of the highest agricultural standards in the world. The island, however, has other things going for it too, such as microclimates that allow a huge variety of things to grow – from apricots and cherries to wasabi (notorious for being hard to grow), as well as clean, cold water where salmon and other fatty fish thrive. The quality of its produce has inspired chefs both local and from other states to set up shop, contributing to a vibrant and edgy dining scene. As the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding. I put this to the test as soon as I land in Hobart, the capital city.
ISLAND OF PLENTY
At scandi-chic Franklin, one of Hobart’s top tables, the culinary team led by Analiese Gregory dives for abalone, sea urchin and seaweed, and also forages for fungi and saltbush. These make their way into the dishes. The octopus and saltbush dumplings are a crunchy and succulent blend of umami and natural saltiness from the native herb.
Then there’s Fico, in the heart of Hobart, which one should not miss. The bistro reminds me of a busy Italian trattoria but it is 10 times more hip. Cheery service from the staff warms up the sparse, industrial interiors as they work their way around the tables, dishing out a blend of Europe and Tasmania. My favourite here is the homemade ravioli stuffed with local goat cheese for its heavenly blend of creamy comfort and robust flavours.
For tipples (and a room with a view in the hotel it is in), I check into The Story Bar in MACQ01, where you will find around 30 Tasmanian gins on the menu. To learn about Tasmania’s history, hotel
guests can request for a storytelling tour by master storyteller Justin Johnstone who will fill you in on the colourful characters (both reputable and disreputable) who lived in Tasmania during its founding days and whom the 114 rooms are named after. MACQ01 sits along the wharf, offering panoramas of the crystalline waterfront, and is just a five-minute walk to the Constitution Dock where my Tasmanian Seafood Seduction tour with Pennicott Wilderness Journeys starts at 9am the next day.
EASY EXCESS
Although the tour is advertised as a half-day event, I suggest that you do not pencil in anything else afterwards, especially restaurant bookings. Our day of non-stop eating and drinking starts with a local cheese platter with strawberries and free flow of Jansz sparkling wine (or other Tasmanian wines, craft beers and ciders, if you prefer).
We cruise down River Derwent and through
D’entrecasteaux
Channel that runs between Bruny Island and the southeastern Tasmanian mainland to Tassal Salmon Farm, where Pennicott gets its salmon. We glide past towering sea cliffs and sandy beaches, spotting dolphins, seals and seabirds along the way.
At Get Shucked oyster farm on Bruny Island, the crew pull up two baskets of oysters from the water. These should have come with a warning. We realise too late that there are more oysters than we should fill our stomachs with, as more seafood awaits us. A guide dives into the frigid waters for abalone and sea urchin, which we eat raw. The former we have sashimi-style, pan-fried with garlic and chilli or butter, or steamed in sake.
Although bursting by now, we keep going. The best is yet to come. Two large rock lobsters which are dispatched off humanely are served raw or blanched. By the time I roll out of the boat and onto the dock, it is 4pm. I take a while to get my bearings as I am heady from the drinks and sleepy from slurping down 30 oysters.