Oceania & Food

Throughout the years, Oceania has remained true to its mission of supplying quality, wholesome and nutritious foods at the lowest possible prices, emphasizing organically grown foods. Organically grown means that food is grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Products carried at Oceana contain no artificial additives or chemical preservatives.

Oceania is the section of the world located in the Pacific oceans. It includes a number of different countries, as well as small volcanic islands that have no names. Some of the countries that reside in Oceania are Australia, Indonesia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, and New Zealand.

Because there are so many different islands, each with a different culture inhabiting it, there is no one cuisine that is shared by them all. There are some common ingredients and spices that some of the islands share between them, but the dishes are extremely varied in flavor as well as texture.

Food in Australia

Because Australia was colonized by people from England most of their cuisine is based in that of Great Britain. There are plenty of meat pies, steaks -steak is a staple in the Australian diet and grilled chicken, often accompanied by vegetables. Some exotic meats like kangaroo, crocodile, or buffalo might also appear in an Australian menu. Seafood like mud crabs or yabbies (shrimp) are also well-liked. Australia major cities are on the coast, so they always have the freshest seafood. With such a huge range of fresh produce, Australia can boast of one of the finest cuisines in the world.

Eating outdoors is popular and most Australian houses would have barbecues. Aussies also share the British tradition of afternoon tea which consists mainly of sandwiches and cookies with tea or juice to drink.

In Australia there are a lot of immigrants -in the 50s they were from Italy and Greece, in the 70s it was Vietnam and Asia- so Australians appreciate a whole range of foods and are not averse to stealing from them all. In the 60's finding a packet of dried pasta in the supermarket was a thrill. Nowadays you can find arborio rice or Malay, Indian or Thai curry pastes in any small town supermarket. Italians brought their love of coffee with them, and in the past 15 years this has grown to be one of Australia’s biggest love affairs, black, strong coffee always with the cream floating on the top.

Food in New Zealand

Though there is a love for fish and chips inherited from British settlers, New Zealand cuisine -varied, young and fresh- it is relatively new in the world of food and this relative youth brings a willingness to experiment with dishes. Newly picked ingredients from its fertile farms and sea make it fresh. New Zealanders feel relaxed at meal times and meals progress slowly; that’s the way they like it.

Who does not know about New Zealand lamb? But there is also pork, venison, salmon, oysters, paua (abalone), mussels and some varieties of New Zealand clams, kumara (sweet potato) and kiwis. Kiwi cuisine would be New Zealand’s.

Many of the islands in Oceana that are close to Asia use rice and noodles, just as the Asian culture does. The starches are a staple in the diet, served with almost every meal. One dish that is popular is called nasi goreng. Nasi goreng is created when fried rice is mixed with other items. Sometimes the leftovers from the night before are thrown into the dish and it is served for breakfast. Chicken is also cooked frequently on the islands. Some islands spice the chicken up and grill it, while others make a type of chicken soup out of it. Many of the island chickens are allowed to run wild and are skinnier and have more muscles because of it.

Australian Marriage Traditions

Oceania basically refers to New Zealand and Australia, two of the liveliest countries full of excitements and attractions. Both Australia and New Zealand are British Commonwealth members. Many of the Oceania traditions of marriage are borrowed from Great Britain. With the stately traditions of Great Britain the wedding traditions of Oceania are colored with local colors and different flavors.

The Oceania traditions of marriage differ according to different lands. Australian marriage traditions are different from marriage traditions of New Zealand.

New Zealand has many luxirious marriage traditions. The marriage is held in the church replete with a bride wearing a white gown and bridesmaid dressed in nice dresses. The groom in New Zealand wears dark coat, white shirt and dark pants. The groom is assisted by his best man and the groomsmen. If the groom sees his bride before she walks down the aisle on the wedding day, it is believed to be bad luck in New Zealand. New Zealand marriage customs have incorporated many Maori customs. Being the native people of New Zealand, Maori have some great traditions and customs.

Australian Marriage Traditions

Australian wedding is splendid. The color of the dress in Australian wedding is white traditionally. White is the symbol of future joy and hope. In Australia, traditionally a keepsake Bible is gifted to the groom and bride. These marriage Bibles are treated as treasures and as family heirlooms, and travel from generation to generation.

As Australia is a British Commonwealth member, Australian marriages have many customs of Great Britain marriage traditions. Irish and Scottish weddings are also performed in Australia. The aboriginal customs of Australia make Australian marriages colorful and different. At the end of marriage ceremony in Australia, rings are exchanged. As in the world, the circular ring symbolizes the un-ending bond of love.

Music is an integral part of Australian wedding. Wide range of music is played in Australian weddings including bagpipes, American music and tradition English music. Aboriginal didgeridoo is also played in Australian wedding.

Maori Marriage Traditions

In Maori wedding traditions, the groom and the bride are welcomed with ceremony, known as Powhiri. This welcome often is inclusive of the traditional warrior challenge. After the marriage is conducted, the couple is blessed by a Maori Tribal leader. Maori flavored Oceania marriage traditions have “infinity loops”, which are placed around the necks of the groom and the bride, a symbol of their never-ending love.

Whatever are the marriage rituals and traditions the marriage ceremony is the time of celebration and joy. Oceania has its unique marriage traditions and celebration of the auspicious bond. Explore the different marriage traditions of Oceania and enrich your knowledge of marriage traditions around the world.

Pacific Islands or Oceania, the more than 25,000 islands and islets of 25 nations and territories spread over the western and central Pacific Ocean. Although the Pacific Islands are scattered across millions of square kilometers, their total land area is just 1,261,456 sq km (487,051 sq mi)—slightly larger than South Africa. The islands of New Guinea, New Zealand, and Hawaii constitute 93 % of the land area, while the remaining thousands of islands have a total land area of 89,339 sq km (34,494 sq mi). New Guinea, shared by the Indonesian province of Papua (formerly Irian Jaya) and the nation of Papua New Guinea, is the second largest island in the world, after Greenland. New Zealand’s South Island and North Island, Oceania’s next largest islands, are the world’s 12th and 14th largest islands, respectively.

Often referred to as the South Pacific, Oceania is one of the most diverse and fascinating areas on the planet encompassing Australia, New Zealand and the vast collection of volcanic island nations and coral atolls. This region between Asia and the Americas includes island nations as far flung as Tonga, French Polynesia and Fiji. Private islands for sale in Oceania are some of the most beautiful and remote places on Earth. Nothing resembles Eden more than a South Pacific island paradise. The Pacific’s volcanic history has created some amazing atolls completely removed from civilization, famous for their romantic island mentality.

The nations of Oceania have varying degrees of independence from their colonial powers and some have limited freehold properties available to foreigners, all subject to government approval and hefty paperwork. Fiji offers a few private islands and has seen a lot of resort development in recent times. French Polynesia, particularly Bora Bora's coral lagoon, offers freehold investment opportunities to foreigners, with some stipulations.