I Tried To Guess What These Australian Foods Are And Failed Miserably

"Frog in a pond? I would hope this isn't actually frog, but it's Australia, so who even really knows what goes on down there."

Hi! Our names are Isha and Isabella and we're located in two different BuzzFeed offices — Australia and Canada.

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As a way to get to know each other better, we decided to talk about Australian and Canadian cultural differences. We quickly realised that there are a lot of weird Aussie food names — especially if you're a foreigner who has no idea what they look or taste like.

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So, for a bit of fun, Isha decided to give Isabella a list of different Australian food names to try and guess what they are. Here's what happened!

1. Zooper Dooper

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@msjuliarunci / Via instagram.com

Isabella: Okay — starting off with a goofy name right off the bat. Are all Australian food names like this? Because I may be screwed if that's the case. This is giving me, like, fancy lollipop vibes. One of those giant ones you get at amusement parks probably. *Changes the lyrics to Abba's "Super Trooper" immediately.*

Isha: Ooh, you're kind of close! Zooper Doopers are a type of ice block that come in flavours like cola, fairy floss, bubblegum, raspberry and so on. They are, hands down, the best thing to eat during a hot Australian summer. And to answer your question — the majority of Aussie food names are definitely kinda goofy sounding, haha! 

2. Fairy Bread

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Isha Bassi / BuzzFeed

Isabella: Oh my god, this one I know (I think!). Is this bread with sprinkles on it? Australians are soooo whimsical, what the heck. I guess my question is, when would you eat this? Is this a special occasion treat or a normal breakfast? Because if this is a normal breakfast, I'm booking a ticket Down Under. 

Isha: YES! You got it. I guess fairy bread has sort of become a ~renowned~ Aussie food thanks to all the memes about it. In terms of when you can eat it, honestly — any time you damn well please. But you'll most commonly see them served at children's birthday parties.

3. Spider

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@ginger_megs79 / Via instagram.com

Isabella: I've heard a lot about spiders in Australia, but nothing food related. My gut says this is some sort of fried dough. Maybe a donut in the shape of a spider? I feel like this isn't a creative guess, but I'm hoping this is a Occam's Razor situation where the simplest explanation is the best one. 

Isha: We definitely do have a lot of spiders in Australia (the animal, that is), but it's also the name of a type of drink here. In the States, this would be called a root beer float I believe, but it's basically vanilla ice cream and soft drink. Although, you get honorary points for your line of thinking.

4. Chiko Roll

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@crecet / Via instagram.com

Isabella: This sounds like a delicious sushi roll that I'd order in a heartbeat. With extra spicy mayo, obviously. 

Isha: Huge fan of sushi over here, but Chiko Rolls are actually more similar to spring rolls. They're deep fried and feature a cabbage, barley, meat-esque filling encased in crispy pastry. I've never tried them with extra spicy mayo, but I'm stealing that idea because it sounds bomb.

5. Musk Stick

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Wade Rockett (CC BY-ND 2.0) / Via Flickr: waderockett

Isabella: I'm ultimately a bit suspicious of anything food related with "musk" in the title. This could potentially be...meaty. Some sort of beef jerky, final answer. 

Isha: Hahahahahahahahahah. Look, you're not right, but I can understand why you went down that route. Musk sticks are these pink lollies that are made from semi-soft fondant in the shape of sticks. They taste kind of floral, kind of like ~musk perfume~ — which is where I think they got their name from. Although I don't love the taste of them, they are suuuuuper nostalgic — these would always be in a lolly bag after attending a kid's birthday party.

6. Golden Gaytime

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Isha Bassi / BuzzFeed

Isabella: Besides this being my drag name, I also think I know this one! Is Golden Gaytime some sort of ice cream or popsicle? This one is definitely a frozen treat. *Crosses fingers.*

Isha: UM, why has someone not used this as a drag name? It would iconic. But yes, you're right! Golden Gaytimes are one of the most popular Australian ice creams — and for good reason. On the inside, you've got toffee and vanilla ice cream, which is dipped in a chocolate layer and then coated in biscuit pieces. I wish I could hand one to you through the screen because they're so delicious.

7. Wizz Fizz

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@the.candycave / Via instagram.com

Isabella: This is giving very much Harry Potter energy. I'm going to guess these are kinda like Pop Rocks candy that fizz once they hit your mouth?

Isha: Okay, very, very close, but instead of it being candy, Wizz Fizz is just plain old sherbet. There must have been a magical ingredient in it though because as kids, we were ADDICTED to this. I remember it came with a little spade for you to scoop the sherbet into — or if you were a mongrel, you just dunked the packet straight into your mouth. 

8. Chokito

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@trashfoodguide / Via instagram.com

Isabella: This could either be a chocolate bar, or like a shawarma wrap and nothing in between. 

Isha: Hell yes, it's a chocolate bar! This one is an Aussie fave thanks to its chewy caramel centre and crunchy, crisped rice. 

9. Boost

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@bluishleaf / Via instagram.com

Isabella: This has to be an energy drink. 

Isha: I mean, this does give you energy, but it's not an "energy drink". It's a chain of juice and smoothie bars called Boost Juice. Although, with us being Australians, we've shortened it to Boost. If you're ever in Australia, I would highly recommend getting my favourite order — the Passion Mango or Mango Tango. 

10. Honey Joys

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@nellymacandcheese / Via instagram.com

Isabella: A honey joy is one of those granola bars that you begrudgingly eat when your mom packs it for you in your school lunch. 

Isha: I know the exact sort you're talking up, but honey joys are waaaaay better than that. Made from Cornflakes (yes, the cereal!), sugar, honey and butter, they're these sweet, little morsels that went down an absolute treat at school bake sales. Although, I'm more partial to chocolate crackles. 

11. Pluto Pup

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@brophys_nq / Via instagram.com

Isabella: If I use my critical thinking, pup=dog and dog=hotdog. So, this is perhaps some sort of gourmet hotdog?

Isha: You're right about everything except these being gourmet. Pluto pups are essentially battered sausages on sticks that have been deep fried. They're more commonly known as corn dogs, but you know us Australians — we like to have our own names for things. Oh, one more fun fact: These are also called Dippy Dog or Dagwood Dog, depending on which Australian state you're from. 

12. Frog in a Pond

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@rusticbakehouse / Via instagram.com

Isabella: I actually have NO idea. I would hope this isn't actually frog, but it's Australia, so who even really knows what goes on down there.

Isha: Soooooooo, this does feature a frog — but it's a chocolate one, otherwise known as a Freddo Frog. The "pond" is just jelly, but the fancy and creative folks would always layer up different flavours to create a rainbow effect. Cute, isn't it? They were a firm favourite at school bake sales, but tbh, I'm kind of craving one as an adult. 

13. Violet Crumble

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@ilovecandycorner / Via instagram.com

Isabella: Whatever this is, it sounds delicious. I'm thinking some sort of baked good made from blueberries.

Isha: Nup, this is another Aussie chocolate bar! It's got a crunchy honeycomb centre that's been covered in chocolate — similar to a Crunchie, but better.

14. Freckles

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The Licorice Store / Via thelicoriceshop.com.au

Isabella: Is this what ya'll call sprinkles? 

Isha: Nah, sprinkles are called hundreds and thousands in Australia. You had the right idea though — freckles are chocolate buttons that have been covered in hundreds and thousands. They sound kinda plain Jane, but they're addictive once you get started. 

15. Toobs

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@gourmetbrewerdoc / Via instagram.com

Isabella: In Canada, you can buy yogurt for kids (and me) that you can squeeze out of tubes. They're called — wait for it — Tubes. So, I think Toobs might be the same — just funky Australian spelling.

Isha: That sounds logical, but food names aren't always so straightforward in Australia (as this post has probably shown, haha!). Instead, they're these tangy, tomato-flavoured chips that are tube-shaped, I guess, but they decided to go for the funky Australian spelling. I will say that Toobs are veeerrry moreish, which is a bad thing because they can be incredibly hard to find in grocery stores.

16. Bikkies

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@ausfoodshop / Via instagram.com

Isabella: I think this is what a sandwich is called...maybe. 

Isha: A sandwich would be called a sando! Meanwhile, bikkie is short for biscuits — like the type you have with a cup of tea. Don't you just love the Australian dialect?

17. Snags

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@lemunkytoto / Via instagram.com

Isabella: Um, this is uh, *spins the wheel* — a cocktail!! 

Isha: Omg, I couldn't imagine this being a cocktail! Snags is short for sausages — and the best way to eat them is by grilling the sausages on a BBQ, placing them diagonally (this is important!) in a single piece of white bread and then topping it with sauce and onions. That's what we call a sausage sambo in Australia!

18. Jaffle

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Isha Bassi / BuzzFeed

Isabella:  This has to be, like, a crazy-ass waffle you would get at a fair?

Isha: Oooh, not quite! This, my friend, is a closed toasted sandwich. In Australia, we like to fill them with either tinned bake beans, or more commonly, tinned spaghetti and cheese. It's a huge mess eating them, but don't knock it until you try it! Jaffles are gloriously cheesy, saucy and majorly comforting too!

19. Sunnyboy

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Reddit: u/a_frog_on_stilts / Via reddit.com

Isabella: I bet this is orange juice! Do you go to brunch and say, "Hi, yes, can I get a jaffle and a Sunnyboy?" I love that... 

Isha: You're halfway there since these do come in an orange flavour! Like Zooper Doopers, Sunnyboys are ice blocks — except these ones were unique for having a tetrahedral shape. During summer, you would buy a pack of these, chuck them in the freezer and then, once they were frozen, cut them open to slurp up that sugary goodness (which was guaranteed to drip all over your hands and make them hella sticky). The worst thing is that these have been semi-discontinued — they still exist, but only in a couple grocery stores.

20. Roast Chook

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Yingko / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Isabella: All signs point to roast chicken, but I bet you're going to be like "No Isabella! It's our national fruit" or something like that. 

Isha: LOL! If only it was, but your gut instinct was correct — roast chook is short for roast chicken. Australians bloody love to cut syllables off words.

21. Wagon Wheel

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@snackje / Via instagram.com

Isabella: Oh baby, baby. Ending on a high note! We have these! Hallelujah! If they're the same as our version, it's a delicious little chocolate and marshmallow snack. Yum! 

Isha: You're spot-on! I love that we somehow managed to end on something that's common to both Australia and Canada. How's that for making friends and finding similarities in different countries?!

What did you think of these Australian food names and have you heard of any other weird or wacky ones? Let us know in the comments!