International Culinary Culture: Analyzing the Food Culture of Australia through Victoria Market

This report analyzes the food culture of Australia through the lens of Victoria Market. It explores the impact of globalisation, food truck culture, and the importance of heritage, identity, and politics. The report highlights the unique culinary experiences of the market and its significance as a part of national heritage.

Running Head: INTERNATIONAL CULINARY CULTURE
International culinary culture
Student’s Name
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Author’s Note

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Executive summary
The food culture in Australia promotes the importance of Victoria market as a heritage market of
Melbourne. The food culture promotes touristy, economic benefit and living experience also.
This market is equally popular for local shopping as well as also for the international tourism.
Specific details of the marketer available in the site visit section of this report. Other sections of
this report also show the impact of globalisation on this market. Importance of this market and
the food products are evident in the association of food as a component of intangible heritage.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Food as a generator of experiences..................................................................................................4
Evolution of food culture in current context....................................................................................7
Globalisation and food truck culture............................................................................................7
Theoretical framework.....................................................................................................................8
Research evidence...........................................................................................................................9
Heritage........................................................................................................................................9
Identity.......................................................................................................................................10
Politics........................................................................................................................................10
Conclusion and Recommendation.................................................................................................11
Reference List................................................................................................................................12

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Introduction
This report is an analytical detail of the food culture prevailing in Australia. The food culture of
the country is analysed here on the basis of the site visit details of Victoria market. The initial per
the report deals with the specifications regarding the site visit where the specialities of the Queen
Victoria market have been described. Most importantly, the specific aspects of the market that
helps in highlighting the Heritage of the food culture in Australia have also been discussed in this
section. The next section of the report highlights the importance of food culture. The two topics
of globalisation and increasing trend of Fast Food trucks as a new incorporation in the Australian
food culture, has been specified in this path with special emphasis on the Queen Victoria market
Australia. The following part of the report analyses theories related to the food culture in order to
highlight the importance of the Queen Victoria market as a part of national heritage. Lastly, the
research section incorporates influence of three important aspects, namely Heritage, politics as
well as identity. The context of site visit is relevant in this section also.
Food as a generator of experiences
The culinary heritage of Queen Victoria market in Melbourne is beyond question. This Heritage
Marketplace has existing for more than 140 years developed on a site which was earlier
recognised as a cemetery. The entire market is composed of some small independent markets
like the Western market, lower market and others. However, during 1975 these individual
markets where brought together as separate stalls under the same roof (Sumartojo et al. 2017).
After that period the reputation of this market began to expand and the Victoria market became
an integral part of the food culture of the country. The organised and scientific design of the
stalls makes it one of the most popular wet markets of Pan Pacific region. Strategies like
development of worm farm for scientific waste disposal shows that the engineering of the hall

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was done in a proper way in the year 2015. The location of the Queen Victoria market is very
close to the Peel Street Undertaker. The market place receives the maximum crowd from 10 a.m.
to 1:00 p.m. However on weekends there is more traffic in the market, specifically because it
remains closed on Wednesdays. During the hot summer days of December, the market remains
open the Night from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on selected days (Andrewartha 2017). There are 700
active individual stalls in the market. The quality of foods sold in the Victoria market is very
high and the reputation spreads across Melbourne to other states also. The customer product
section includes the chief products like organic food, bread, food, liquor, and meat poultry and so
on. One of the biggest specialities of the market, which has been a trend since the initial days of
this market, is that the stall owners provide test products to the customers before they can make
their purchase decisions. However, the fruit and vegetable section of this market is also equally
popular among the customers. The popularity of this market is evident in the fact that on an
average 10 million people visit the Victoria market every year (Aljohani and Thompson 2018).
However, maximum percentage of the customers comprise of the regular shopping people.
There are special events and locations hosted in the market also. The examples include the food
tour which is also considered to be one of the major International attractions in Melbourne.
International tourists also prioritise the small store of Pickett's Deli Who sells perhaps the best
waffles in the whole market. There are other small food stalls selling few cuisines, each of which
are very popular. Example includes the likes of crispy pork roll and pineapple chutney with
Coleslaw sauce. The scientific organisation of the market where a cluster of individual stalls are
concentrated under single roof people to enter the desired stall is another reason for the attraction
of the tourists. For evidence, the person who does shopping all day long in the market generally
visits the breakfast and lunch hall at the beginning of the day. This can be considered to be the

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beginning part of the market which provides a way for the array of consumer goods market.
Immediately before the start of the wet market, there is the line of coffee shops. The report
would be incomplete without specification of the dairy hall. People from distant areas visit this
part of the market to purchase supplies for their domestic purpose as well as on a wholesale
basis. They carry away supplies for one week or even one month. The unique dairy products sold
in the Victoria market are particularly popular. Specific popular products include ginger and
garlic flavoured butter, risotto cheese as well as flavour curds (Simons and Maitri 2006). The
Corner Lader store of the dairy hall is very popular among the customers for their quality of
cheese as well as antipasto.
The meat and fish section of this market is also popular. The variety of seafood available in this
market is unique and the sea food available in any of the stalls under the fish and meat hall are
equally good quality. On specific days of the month, the customers get sea foods like sea urchin
also. The specificnames of the stall of Victoria quality meats needs to be specified here because
of the finest quality of the pork and beef sold by them.This stores offer special discount to the
customers also on various occasions throughout the year. However, in this context it deserves
mention that the quality of product available in the stalls remains same throughout the year. The
name of organic meat stores like Hagen's organic Meats are also famous.
The presence of small snack bars in middle of the vegetable stall, fish and meat stalls and so on
shows the fine designing of the Marketplace. The acidity of the market has kept in mind the fact
that the visitors who come from outside will get tired and need place for resting and dining. That
is why, the snack hall has sufficient place for resting and enjoying the food (Price 1950). The
assortment of processed as well as pre-cooked food in the snack stores include the kind of
cuisines like Chinese, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Indian and so on.

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The last attraction is the fruit market which includes many family-run stalls has lots of loyal
customers. The stalls include huge collection of domestic Australian fruits as well as exported
fruits from Middle East as well as Asia.
Evolution of food culture in current context
Globalisation and food truck culture
Globalisation is the basic reason behind decentralization of people in the urban areas. People are
not connected to farming lands and that is why they are not able to get fresh food anymore. This
is the reason why they need to rely on organic as well as processed and packaged food products.
The progress of biotechnology as an impact of globalisation has helped people to enjoy Fresh
Food by means of reservation. Another important evolution of food culture as a part of
globalisation is the availability of International cuisines in local areas of Australia also. Besides,
the organisational and governmental norms regarding information, food safety and food quality
are also other important factors. In the past, International cuisines were available in star rated
restaurants only. However, the distribution of various Geographic groups in various parts of
Australia has evolved with the food culture of the country. This is reflected in the high popularity
of Fast Food served from the food trucks that we can see parked in various parts of the Victoria
market (Buyya and Bubendorfer 2010). As an impact of globalisation we see International
cuisines available in local restaurants also. There are also professional chefs who are expert in
preparing Continental dishes. Most of the food trucks are examples of entrepreneurial business or
small family Run business. The culture of the market has been alternative because of the
emergence of these food trucks who keep the customers extracted by the vibrant atmosphere
created by constant sales calling, rich Aroma of the food prepared in the leaf kitchen of the food
truck and other activities going on live music or live contest. The customers coming to the

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Victoria market can easily notice the popularity of the food trucks. However the emergence of
the food trucks has not reduced the popularity of the traditional food stalls of the snack hall or
the breakfast and dinner hall. Yet, the speciality of the food trucks lie in the fact that we are able
to offer Oriental local cuisines of various Asian countries along with different cuisines of Europe
also. Example of one pizza making Italian food truck can be provided here which has its owners
coming from Italy and running this food business generation after generation in the same area. It
was revealed in the site visit that early in the 1950s they did not have the permission to enter the
premises of the Victoria market place and used to have their permanent counter outside the
market Gates. However, after 1975, their stall along with 17 to 20 other stalls received the
permission to set up stores inside the market and the food truck was recently developed in the
year 2008. Similarly, there are food trucks run by Chinese family, Tibetan family, and Nepalese
families also. The Confluence of cultures that is developed in the food court before every food
truck is the biggest gain of Australian food culture. This is why, researchers like Dixon, Scully
and Parkinson (2006), conclude that food as well as culinary experiences can be a big part of
recognising the Heritage and Oriental tradition of any e culture. Lastly the attractive discount
offers as well as the food festivals hosted by combined ownership of various food stall and food
truck owners also needs mention here. During those times, the market assumes the different
appearance with posters, banners as well as lighting and decoration.
Theoretical framework
Some of the important theory related to food and culinary culture of different countries. This is
the main component of the theory of intangible Heritage, where food is considered as one of the
aspects of Heritage. Generally, Heritage is linked with expressive attraction of a popular as well
as traditional destination. However, researchers like Sumartojo et al. (2017), associates food and

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culinary culture of a country with the conceptualisation of Heritage also. Heritage, in this context
is also related to specific environment regarding the social cultural peculiarities that has a strong
impact on the culinary culture of the place also. In this context, the specific notion of terroir can
we highlight hair which is a specific notion of consumers associated with food taste that leads to
recognition of definite food as heritage product.
This theory has two aspects. Firstly it is the influence of the biological component on the
environment that makes the local area cuisines of a place unique. That is why; it can be argued
that all the same food is available in any other part of the world that taste and quality will not be
equal. For evidence the taste of Chinese white mushroom which is available in the Victorian
market will never be of the same taste and quality as these are cultured under hybrid atmosphere
in Australia only. Nevertheless, the speciality of the Victorian market lies in the fact that the
customers can also get hold of the authentic Chinese mushroom, which are imported. In this
context, the trade facility of free trade zones that Australia shares with other Asian countries has
helped in easy export and import of food items (Sumartojo et al. 2017).
Lastly, the slow food movement theory can also be highlighted. This is an initiative that is
launched in the Victoria market also. It is targeted towards changing the consumer perception
regarding fast food by making them aware of the authentic Australian cuisines. There are
government stalls as well as other private schools also which offer organic food prepared from
ingredients that come directly from the farmers and other food processors.
Research evidence
Heritage

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The Victoria market can be considered as a heritage spot for specific reasons.This market have
been operating for more than 150 years. In the earlier days, it was determined as a whole sale
market owned by the Melbourne chief. Nevertheless, interventions and vocational revamping has
established it as a successful retail market. The role played by the market in regulating the local
economy is also great. It is an essential component of social history of the city. Recently, the
municipal authority of the Victoria state has undertaken an initiative for renewal of the market
for its preservation as a physical heritage. Efforts include the artificial preservation of the day
reproduction hall, the meat and fish hall and few others stalls as it had been since 100 years.
Identity
The market is supposed to be redesigned in the year 2020 by R-Co brand. After deploying the
traditional look, it is expected that individual stalls will be undergoing branding and
repositioning so that they can emerge as small entrepreneurial brands in the Victorian market.
This new proposal for restructuring of the market has been initiated out of the sensation for
giving it a new style as well as destination branding identity. However, in doing so, it is expected
that the market will lose its traditional identity and the authentic Appeal of the Victoria market
will also be lost. This is why; several stall owners have launched a petition campaign against this
proposition of the Municipal government.
Politics
Political influence on the market is also important. There is presence of trade union in the
market; however no political bias of the Union has interfered with the operations of the market.
Nevertheless, recently the labour party Union of the market has developed a political campaign

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for preservation of the trading shades along with the arena for underground figures and the car
parking area.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The Victoria market of Melbourne is a Confluence of food, experience, culture as well as local
heritage. It is a destination where the local as well as International customers enjoy shopping as
well as the vibrant culture of the market. It is unorganised wet market that promotes local as well
as for International cuisines. The quality of products in the Victoria market is also equally good.
The range and price of products is also under control. Attractions in the market include local
cultural events as well as food festivals. There are also exhibition for promoting the local food
culture and local food items like unique fruits, vegetables and so on. These activities attract
tourists from other parts of Australia as well as abroad. The impact of globalisation is evident in
the Victoria market also, and this is executed by the emergence of food trucks. The implications
of the theory of intangible Heritage show that the market and the market products have a great
role in preservation of the authenticity of the Australian local cultures. Lastly it can be specified
that the market has gone through evolution many times and it has still been able to remind centre
of local food culture and attraction of domestic as well as International customers.

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Reference List
Aljohani, K. and Thompson, R.G., 2018. The impacts of relocating a logistics facility on last
food miles–The case of Melbourne’s fruit & vegetable wholesale market. Case studies on
transport policy, 6(2), pp.279-288.
Andrewartha, J., 2017. Rally declares:'Hands off Queen Victoria Market'. Green Left Weekly,
(1136), p.4.
Buyya, R. and Bubendorfer, K. eds., 2010. Market-oriented grid and utility computing. John
Wiley & Sons.
Dixon, H., Scully, M. and Parkinson, K., 2006. Pester power: snackfoods displayed at
supermarket checkouts in Melbourne, Australia. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 17(2),
pp.124-127.
McDonald, S.M. and Price, G.G., 2009. Addressing declining metropolitan park use: A case
study of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Managing Leisure, 14(1), pp.28-37.
PRICE, P.C.M., 1950. Melbourne. Georgian House Pty Ltd.
Simons, A. and Maitri, M., 2006. The food remains from Casselden Place, Melbourne,
Australia. International Journal of Historical Archaeology, 10(4), pp.349-365.
Sumartojo, S., Mihelcic, J., Walton_Healey, N., Vallentine, B. and Pink, S., 2017. Queen
Victoria Market: Intangible Values.

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Appendices
Appendix 1: The Fish and Meat Market

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Appendix 2: The Entrance to the Liquor Hall

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Appendix 3: The Entrance

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Appendix 4: The Sea Foods Market

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Appendix 5: Inside the Snack Hall

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Appendix 6: Confectioners

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Appendix 7: Barbeque Stall