Why are fish and chips popular in Australia?
Fish and chips are popular in Australia because of the country's long coastline, beach culture and British heritage. Battered fish with hot chips, eaten on the beach, is a classic Australian summer meal.
Fish and chips came to Australia with British and Irish settlers, and later Greek migrants opened many of the country's fish and chip shops in the twentieth century. Greek-Australian families ran milk bars and takeaways in towns across the country.
Common fish include flake, which is gummy shark, as well as barramundi, flathead, whiting and snapper. Many shops also sell potato scallops, battered savs and dim sims.
Eating on the beach
Fish and chips are traditionally wrapped in paper and eaten outdoors, often at the beach or by a harbour, where seagulls try to steal chips.
Friday night fish and chips is a family tradition in many households, partly reflecting the old Christian custom of eating fish instead of meat on Fridays.
Some seaside shops become famous, drawing queues on summer evenings, and fish and chips are often eaten with lemon wedges, tartare sauce and chicken salt, a popular Australian seasoning sprinkled on chips.
Did You Know?
Australia's coastline is more than 30,000 kilometres long, not counting islands.