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Sourcing food in Australia


glimmer

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So far I have discover Aldi is awesome for organic things like tomato paste and butter (ok no butter allowed but for general primal eating). They also have big bags of almonds, walnuts etc quite cheaply and I always seem to score fruit and vege bargains there.

Aldi does a range of grass fed beef

Coles and Safeway are both stocking coconut oil now, and Safeway has started stocking Kale and baby kale.

If you have a Bushy Park fruit and veg near you they have good organic eggs

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Big fan of the salmon I had with my salad today, it's called Superior Gold Hot Smoked Salmon Creole (150g) it's nice and spicy and includes the nutritious salmon skin. I got it at Coles, but this site says Woolies has it too, and IGA: https://australianmade.com.au/licensees/tassal-operations-pty-ltd/superior-gold-hot-smoked-salmon-creole-150g

I love the Melrose nut butters, usually obtained from health food stores, but my local Coles usually has the almond butter and the almond/cashew/brazil butter (I find that one a bit bland) and it's on the same shelf as the Melrose Coconut Oil :) Look in the hippy or gluten free section in the supermarket.

My local Coles is much better than my local Safeway (which must be a D grade one, it has almost no fresh veggies O.o) and I can get a huge range of nuts there from the veggie department, raw and roasted and very few are made with coatings. I get the big bags of almonds, macadamias and watch for when they're on special :)

Coles also has the fresh John West fish range, lots of them have additives, so read the labels, but they do have pure salmon steaks that are high quality and also keep well in their container (gassed).

My local asian grocer has amazing kale and harder to find asian greens as well as some astonishingly good quality fruit. Sometimes they get really teeny tiny apples, almost the size of cherry tomatoes. The asian grocer also has massive bags of pure spice for just a few dollars. The only spice I would avoid in an asian grocer is ground cinnamon, in case it's really cassia. The quills are easy to tell the difference.

Thai Gourmet make Red, Green & Yellow curry pastes that just have natural ingredients in them, no sugar, etc. Not sure about the other kinds of paste, read the label in any case: http://www.thaigourmetfoods.com/products.html

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Henceforth known as Porky, I have a bacon replacement, Bertocchi's Porchetta (Roast Pork) http://www.bertocchi.com.au/ProductDetails.aspx?proid=68 It's not quite bacon tasting, but it fries up nice and crispy (I used a little duck fat, Porky has a nice layer of fat of it's own). I actually found some butchers string in my Porky, so check it before you cut it up.

It made a lovely breakfast with oven roasted carrots.

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Thanks for the tips ladies. I was so excited the day I discovered coconut oil at Woolworths and Coles. A lot more convenient than having to source from a speciality store.

Has anyone come across ghee yet? I think I saw some at Leo's supermarket, but need to check.

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I got it at Coles, while mooning over the expensive Xmas bacon lol look where the Xmas hams are, not sure if they'll be a normally stocked item. I'll let the butcher know I like it. I would buy it in addition to bacon, it's way less salty and would be more usable in mild dishes where bacon isn't quite right. FYI one of my cats thinks Porky is the bees knees, the other one just licks off the duck fat lol

I got ghee at Coles, look in the Indian section (not the fridge part). Might come in a can, jar or a plastic bucket. I got this one, Maharajah's Choice, but mine came in a large plastic bucket, bigger size, like an extra large honey bucket. http://www.maharajahschoice.com/product_ghee.php

I've also regularly seen this one around the traps, I recognise the can as my grandfather used it http://www.singaporegrocerystore.com/pure-ghee/662-qbb-pure-australian-ghee-500g.html this is a really big can, most of the ones I've seen are shorter.

Some places do keep ghee in the fridge with the butter, they're weird.

Go Vita also has organic ghee in a jar, but I found it after I got my bucket lol that's gonna last me awhile.

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I can ghee in my local Safeway/ Woolies. It is on the top shelf above the butter, (with the duck fat, lard and copra). It is Allowrie brand.

Are the Thai Gourmet curry pastes just in the supermarket? I fancy a fish curry.

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I get mine at Coles, it's not far from the ghee and coconut milk in my aisle. I have seen these everywhere though. I also found a Valcom paste that was Whole30 okay (Massaman), but I'd always check the ingredients, some of them change recipes often (I've seen some Valcom ones years ago with piles of sugar).

I've never made a fish one, what fish do you use?

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This is great! I use the maharajahs choice ghee but am looking for a bigger pot/organic version - thanks for the tips. I have yet to find a bacon sub, can you tell me what the seasonings are in the Porky???? I am no good with garlic.....

I buy my coconut flour and kale in Leo's, TCC coconut milk/cream in safeway (cheapest and best), woolworths select pitted olives - no sugar or oil, nuts and salmon and tomato tins from aldi.... didnt know coles sells grassfed beef, I was kinda assuming all aussie beef is grass fed....

spices and shredded coconut from asian grocers..... had to through out some coconut flakes from Go Vita as they tasted awful... then read they contained sulphites... Nuilife ones are okay but these werent!

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For big tubs of ghee, try and find an indian spice market or supermarket. Some fijian supermarkets will have indian things too.

Crap, I threw out the package for the Bertocchi Porky, but it's not garlicky at all. Very plain flavour, but it's delicious cooked in duck fat (mine's Luv a Duck). My pork belly was just salt and fennel seeds. I was supposed to grind them but I missed the step in the recipe lol

Most Aussie beef is grass fed, but Coles also sell King Island beef, it's not "finished". It's also often packaged in small portions and often on sale. My partner loves their steak and beef strips.

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I HAAIGHLY (you say that in a posh voice) recommend Mae Ploy for your curry paste. It's thai, it's free of nasties, its cheap, its everywhere.

Another question...has anyone tried the whole 'ordering half/quarter of a cow direct from the farmer' business? It's seems like a good way to get an enormous amount of organic/grass fed/local/yay good feelings for small farmers style meat for not too much money.

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I've never seen Mae Ploy, does it come in a jar? I get Thai Gourmet.

I grew up with a couple of jewish families who used to get a kosher half cow delivered (no local kosher butchers back then). They had huuuge freezers. Make sure you know what cuts you're getting. I'm a bit fussy with cuts, so I don't think I'd use a whole half or quarter. But I like the idea of getting small farm stuff.

I'm a huge fan of Lilydale free range chicken (which is close to home for me).

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