Fried Fish from Australian Takeaways

As an Australian I get to taste food from different countries as introduced by the many migrants in this country. Being also from the asian country of the Philippines I can tell that Australia has a more diverse range of international foods on offer. International food in Australia even persists in such places as the many takeaways that dot the streets of Australia.

Australian Fish and Chips Foods

One of my favourite foods are the fried foods being sold in Australia by takeaways namely the fish and chip varieties: an assortment of differently shaped fried fishes, french fries or chips, fried calamaris, fried scallops, fish sticks, an assortment of differently shaped fried mashed potatoes, onion rings, fried shrimps and so on.

I get it they have an image of not being a particularly healthy food. They are deep fried in oil so they absorb a lot of fat. Although they are not considered as real meat because they are fish meat nonetheless many people think they have low nutritional value. Potatoes too are not known for being nutritious as against vegetables.

They are however stacked in protein and carbohydrates which are ideal food for people who need a lot of energy. They are also very filling. Sometimes when I am not very hungry I would order fish and chips. I would eat the chips for 1 of my meals and eat the fried fish later with rice for my other meal. This way I save money.

Getting Creative with Foods from the Takeaways

Sometimes when I am about to go to work and have no lunch prepared I would just pack rice and buy fried fish cubes from the takeaways I pass along the way to work. I would usually douse my rice with plenty of asian condiments like a sweet and sour sauce. I learned this quick meal preparation from the many online videos and articles about preparing easy to do meals.

I learned from many of these online videos like one from a famous British cook how he fries the meat first and then make sauces separately. Using just a sweet and sour sauce for example I can add my own ingredients such as soy or lemon to make my own unique dish. I can top it off with freshly cut tomatoes, a piece of cabbage and other vegetable to make my meal more nutritious.

As a person of asian descent I can definitely say that these fried fish food from takeaways can definitely be mixed with rice. They may not be the same kind of fishes being served in asian countries for meals with rice but they have their own unique taste. In my experience they are blander in taste as compared to the fishes I eat in Asia namely the Philippines.

Philippine Fish Takeaways

McDonalds in the Philippines briefly served Fish and Chips meals either with chips or rice. The fish is however small and the sauces in my taste do not complement the rice combination. The fast food chips or french fries are also not crunchy enough nor were they as delicious as compared to the french fries of many Australian takeaways.

The fish being sold in the streets of the Philippines in Manila at least are not deep fried and battered but grilled. Some of these fishes are milkfish, tilapia, mackerel scad and catfish. In fact they are popular food fishes in the Philippines. In fact having tasted all these fishes from Australia and the Philippines I would say that they are very similar except for the batter which the Australians use.

Combining Food Products and Services

If I were to have a business selling fishes as takeaway food I would definitely combine the two to give more variety to my offerings. Of course all the fishes would probably need to be deboned especially the milkfish. But deboning milkfish for example is an acquired skill and once learned an expert can debone a milkfish within minutes.

Catfish and tilapia are used for fish and chips and there is no reason why I cannot combine the two business types from Australia and the Philippines. In fact I even met one fish and chip vendor in Australia is also a fishmonger. I see no reason why fishmongers or even meat vendors cannot do this. These vendors can sell both fresh and cooked meat at the same store.

Fish and Chips and More Fried Fish and Vegetables?

There are now too many fast foods and takeaways that sell chicken and pork based products while there are many people who want to eat less of these meat products and more fish which is considered the healthier alternative. There is a market for this especially in countries like in Asia where fish is a daily food staple.

Many western people have an aversion to the smell of fish being cooked or heated. Online solutions I found online includes rinsing fish in water repeatedly, rubbing salt into it and immersing it for a time in milk. From my experience deep fried battered fish and grilled fish do only smell mildly and should not be an issue.

Australian fish and chips shops also sell battered calamaris and shrimps as well as fish logs which can be combined with rice for a meal. You again can combine these with condiments from your local store like ketchup and topped up by fresh vegetables for a complete meal. I know many people in the world who eat similar foods in many parts of the world.

If only Australian fish and chip shops and similar vendors widen their product range then they should have more income opportunities while not changing much their existing product range and alienating their customers. For example a fish and chip shop I know offer salads as well but as a separate meal.

I could have bought a meal with battered fish, rice and a small quantity of salad or just plain vegetables instead. They already have the battered fish, the vegetables and all that is missing is the rice. I know that they mainly have to cater to prevailing local tastes but rice use is becoming a staple too in Australia and this presents an opportunity for alternative dishes.

Then again why not compete with Japanese Restaurants and also offer deep fried shrimps and vegetables. I believe the Japanese call this dish Tempura. Deep fried fish and vegetables could break the monotony of having to order fish and chips all the time from these takeaways. They are also good with beer.

Conclusion

Australia being a former colony of the United Kingdom (UK) has a long cultural attachment to fish and chips which is still popular in many countries formerly colonised by the UK. Times have changed however and globalisation is the new norm. Those who can successfully integrate products to work across a lot of cultures stands to profit from their endeavour.