The 10-seater Cessna Conquest drones above the clouds, heading from Adelaide to the Riverland region. We are on a �Tasting Australia� tour with international food and wine professionals and media to �taste the magic� of South Australia�s best produce and spread the word. Festival Director Ian Parmenter and his indefatigable team have organised an incredible menu of events for this culinary festival with far-reaching flavours. The Hyatt Regency in Adelaide is the happening place during this prestigious biennial event.

RIVERLAND
Renmark, where we land within 40 minutes, is a small town located along the mighty Murray River. The region is both dramatically scenic and abundantly fertile. Farming, food, river water and viticulture are subjects close to the heart of the producers we meet on board PS Industry, a 92-year-old paddle steam-cruiser. �Riverland is a very special place, a district of olives, almonds and great fruit,� says a grower. It is soon apparent that the fruit and nut growers are also innovators. Retailer Angas Park serves us sultanas infused with strawberry and raspberry flavours, Handhaven and O�Donohoe�s Chocolates offer handcrafted chocolates with port and other novel centres and Simarloo�s muscatel clusters, bunches of dried grapes, look great on the cheese platters.

Sitting around the paddle steamer, we watch a serene picture � gum trees, birdlife and sandy banks � unfold while sampling crystallised kumquats, smoked almonds and various fruit juices. �We export 80 per cent of our vegetable juices,� notes David Critchley of Kangara Citrus and Angas Park, both exploring Asian markets. �We see Singapore as an excellent opportunity for our limes, navel oranges and red grapefruit,� note Judy and David Ingerson of Ingy�s, a friendly couple who take in backpackers during busy months. Noelle and Ian Tolley of Tolleys Nurseries specialise in glace kumquats, ideal for Lunar New Year snack trays. �The sweet-sharp tang of kumquats brings out the full flavour of stocks and meat sauces. You could also drizzle the glace on hot roast lamb, pork or chicken with a dash of soya sauce,� she suggests.

Riverland � one of South Australia�s premier ecotourism destinations � is a popular place to rent a self-piloting houseboat, stock up on local foods and wines, and cruise leisurely down the river. At the quaint Loxton Historical Village, we watch the traditional baker at work, women in costumes churning butter and sample the famous �Pie Floater,� a pea soup with a pie topped by tomato sauce. The award-winning Mallee Fowl Restaurant in Berri is for fascinating Australian native foods in an old shearing shed crammed with memorabilia. The fare includes billy tea with damper, the pioneer�s bread baked in the ashes of a dying fire, perfectly smoked kangaroo and emu, and superb cheesecake of quandong (a peachy bush tucker fruit) and macadamia by owner Caryl Michael.

Riverland is known for good, affordable wines and has several cellar doors including Australia�s largest winery Berri Estates. At the Banrock Station Wine and Wetland Centre, we stroll along the boardwalk over spectacular wetlands and taste the White Shiraz 2003. The rosy wine with lively fruity characters goes well with damper dipped in extra virgin olive oil and dukkah, a crunchy dip of nuts and seeds. �Protecting the wetlands ensures that we get better water for better wines,� notes a spokesman. Lunch at the Banrock Station Visitor Centre offers us a wonderful snapshot of the region�s wines and cuisine. The wines with the two starters include Tandou Wines� 2002 Broken Earth Verdelho, Banrock Station�s 2003 The Reserve Chardonnay and Angrove�s 2003 Nine Vines Grenache Shiraz Rose. The starter by Banrock Station is a beautiful silver perch and leek filo parcel served with Asian greens and a curried apple-and-pepperleaf dressing. Barmera Country Club�s starter is salmon tango, an attractive offering of Atlantic salmon and sea scallops with spring onions and ginger served with caramelised blood-orange syrup. The Club, which has well-appointed rooms on the golf course, is a couple of hours� drive from Adelaide.

The main dish is a superb kangaroo fillet infused with blood orange and red wine jus and served with sweet potato mash, roasted baby beets and anchovy cream. Presented by Liz Bull Catering, the kangaroo meat is tasty and perfectly tenderised. The three wines are Thompson�s 2001 Woolpunda Brown Block Cabernet Tempranillo, Salena Estate Wines� 1999 Bookpurnong Hill Shiraz and Kingston�s 2000 Empiric Petit Verdot, a full-bodied wine with a rich but soft palate matured in French oak barrels. To round off the meal are Woodside brie and cheddar, candied Kumquats, caramelised figs and poppyseed lavosh. Well-designed Banrock Station overlooks a grand landscape and is a perfect location to sit back and savour the goodness of the Riverland. www.riverland.info

CLARE VALLEY
Clare Valley, the next locale of our culinary adventure, is carpeted in colours when we drive past lush green rolling hills, brilliant tracts of yellow canola fields and vast tracts of mauve wildflowers called Salvation Jane. �The yellow plant produces canola oil while the mauve is Salvation Jane, a weed that once came to the rescue during a drought but is now considered an annoyance,� we are told. The beautiful landscape and the stunning settings of the wineries fine-tune our senses for the region�s sensational Reislings.

But first, there is nothing like a hearty breakfast in true Clare Valley tradition to prime us into action. Our hosts at Tatehams Restaurant in Auburn are Mike, Isabelle and Heiko Jeandupeux and Chef Patrick Ryan with support from Andrea Mitchell. Tatehams presents excellent contemporary cuisine with their wines. In true country style, we sit at long tables within the timber-floored interior and tuck into venison sausages and superb layered omelettes. Chef Patrick divulges the recipe: bake thin pancakes of egg and cream sprinkled with herbs and chopped ham in separate pans. Stack the layers and briefly allow the omelettes to bind in a hot oven. Amanti coffee and Burra�s Thorogoods Gold Dust cider precede a taste of award-winning Clare Valley wines.

Clare Valley contributes just two per cent to South Australia�s lofty production of 70 per cent of the country�s wines � but quality is the hallmark in this region of innovative wine-makers. Dave Palmer of Skillogalee Vineyards talks about the trend for screw tops for Reislings and Gurwurts. �We are convinced they will age very well in screw tops. While we have the whites in screw tops, we would like to see the reds as well. We want to stand back and see what happens... The educated wine public is ready to accept screw tops and we are selling well to the UK.� Pike Wines is among the bold boutique wine-makers who are throwing away the book to make wines that complement rather than overpower food.

In Mintaro village, the historic Magpie & Stump Hotel lawn makes a pretty setting to taste the region�s olive oil produce. The hand-picked olives from Toni and Dennis Brown�s Tothill Olive Grove have a pleasing fruitiness. Country hospitality comes with history in the charming pub-hotel where the owners fired up an 1854 baker�s wood oven for breads, pizzas and the Sunday roast lunch.

The Skilly Hills Function Centre, amidst undulating hills, rows of vines capped by luminous silver-grey clouds, makes a magical setting for a picnic lunch. Charming Diana Palmer of Skillogalee Wines and Restaurant has rallied friends to present a superb meal � Coffin Bay oysters with Thai flavours, Spencer Gulf King prawns, Saltbush Spring lamb pies with Blue Chip Shiraz jelly and Chardonnay mint jelly, galantine of Greenslades grain-fed chicken and mushrooms, possum terrine with pickled walnuts and more. Diana Palmer is executive chef of the popular Skillogalee restaurant located in a 1850s settler�s cottage with picturesque creepers. Email: [email protected].

BAROSSA
The Barossa wine region, an hour�s drive from Adelaide, is a fusion of flavours, colours and landscapes. The region with a British-German heritage is home to well-known labels, like Orlando Wyndham, Seppelt, Penfolds and Lehmann, and boutique producers. Our wine tasting experience peaks at the Jacob�s Creek Visitor Centre, a year-old landmark in environmental architecture boasting a tasting room, restaurant and panoramic views of gum trees, vines and hills. Dynamic director-winemaker Philip Laffer introduces us to the art of wine blending while marketing and international director Stephen Couche hosts an elaborate dinner. Head chef Robert Yates�s starter of South Australian garfish fillets is paired with the 2003 Jacob�s Creek Reserve Reisling, a young, fresh wine with the potential to develop with careful maturation in the screw cap sealed bottle. The rack of Salt Bush hogget, (lamb that has got two teeth), comes with 1998 Jacob�s Creek Limited Release Shiraz Cabernet, a most enjoyable classic blend with smoky coffee oak nuances.

After an overnight stay at the Accor Novotel, we visit the Barossa Farmers Market in Angaston. The year-old market, in the old Vitners Sheds, not only protects small family businesses but is a great place to shop for organic produce on Saturday mornings. We meet the last of the carrot growers (Lowke�s) and owners of the first Barossa cheesery (Ballycroft). Saskia Beer�s aromatic chicken and tarragon sausages attract many to her stall. Melisa Grigg of Lyndoch Bakery sells German baked goods and spends her earnings on homemade sausages and eggs. John Williams of Cornucopia Olive Oil talks about the Italian producers who helped the �white boy� with tips such as, �prune soon after the first full moon, after the rain stops�. He only sells at the Market, happy that he is his own boss �and olive oil is GST free�! The Market is the idea of resident Angela Clifford who has channelled her passion for the Barossa into a delightful landmark. [email protected]

For legendary foodie Maggie Beer, �a food experience is about great friends, great atmosphere and great taste�. One of Australia�s most respected food professionals, she lives up to her beliefs at a showcase luncheon in her beautiful rural home in Tanunda. The lunch is a Barossa group effort and one feels a rich sense of community while wandering through the grounds tasting wines and the great dishes: chef Sandor Palmai�s memorable vine-grilled tarragon rabbit, Gill Radford�s camp-oven kid, Aileen Proudfoot and Joanne Cattermole�s suckling pig and barramundi, Michael Voumard�s duck, Victoria Blumenstein�s lamb, and more. Maggie Beer�s superb milk-fed lamb is pot-roasted with olive oil, bay and verjuice, the green juice of unripe grapes, a well-loved ingredient in her kitchen. Maggie owns Beer�s Farm Shop on Keith Street, Tanunda, which stocks an incredible range of foods for tastings, sales and export. Email: [email protected]. During lunch, conversation revolves around the topics of the day. Noted Australian chef and cookbook author Gabriel Gate observes that food has an increasingly important role in tourism.

�People who go to a country that does not have good food do not want to stay too long, unless they go to a monastery!� Talking about wines Daniel Eggleton of Schild Estate Wines is cautiously optimistic about next year. �The 2004 looks very promising but until the wine is in the tank you can�t tell. Shiraz is our consistent performer but this year the Reisling looks like it�s going to take off.�

We have �Tasted the Magic� of South Australia, experienced the passion of food, wine and beer professionals, listened to spirited discussions, learned the secrets of skilled chefs and marvelled at the foresight of a country that conjures a culinary show like no other to reap high rewards and celebrate great produce.

TASTING AUSTRALIA: A GREAT MENU
Tasting Australia is a unique event on the world�s gastronomic calendar. Held in Adelaide every two years, the 10-day festival of Australian food and drinks is generously supported by the government and several sponsors, including Jacob�s Creek, Hahn Premium Beer, Qantas and Lifestyle Channel.

South Australia�s dynamic policy has resulted in food and wine exports that amounted to some A$3 billion in 2001-2002. The aim is to increase the value of the food industry to A$15 billion by 2010.

Festival Director Ian Parmenter, the moving spirit behind the event, is hoping for more involvement with the Asian region, particularly through trade and conferences on food, teaching and history. Parmenter, a television producer/director and star of television show Consuming Passions, says: �If we all had more meals together, there would be less conflict in the world.�

Tasting Australia, held from October 3 -12, offered several public and private events. Food specialists participated in interesting discussions at the three-day Hahn Premier Beer, Food and Wine Writers� Festival, held within a complex of tents near the river. The diverse influences shaping tomorrow�s diet were discussed at Le Cordon Bleu Forum. The three-day Chefs� Showcase included demonstrations by Nick Nairn, Neil Perry, Shannon Bennett and American Mark Miller of the famous Coyote Cafi restaurant in Santa Fe.

The Adelaide Central Market presented Tasting the Market, featuring cooking demonstrations by leading chefs, including Carol Selvarajah and Kylie Kwong. The Jam Factory was the venue for the Australian Grand Dairy Awards Champion Cheese Experience where prize-winning cheeses were featured.

Tasting Australia dinners were hosted by Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant highlighting local produce with great artistry. Rare wines of Australia were auctioned at the Oddbins Great Wine Estates of Australia Auction.

At Hyatt Regency Adelaide, Singapore�s Gottfried Schuetzenberger, Gabriel Gate and other notables held master classes at culinary studios and executive chef Kamal Verma presented a delightful mushroom breakfast, Mushroom Phantasmagoria, that captivated the imagination with mushroom trivia and history.

Italian coffee company Illy Caffi sponsored coffee at various locations. A distinguished figure in the coffee industry, Chairman Dr Ernesto Illy was full of beans, spreading the gospel of coffee. Illy coffee, made from 100 percent superior Arabica coffee beans, demonstrated its high quality.

A grand awards dinner was hosted at the Hyatt Regency by the Lifestyle Channel to announce the winners � the Barossa team � of the Australian Regional Culinary Competition. Teams of creative chefs, from different regions of Australia, had vied for the national awards at the leading hospitality institution, Regency International Centre for Hospitality, Leisure and Food Studies. Le Cordon Bleu was a sponsor.

The entire city celebrated the Feast for the Senses, a wine, food and beer picnic by the river, attended by over 30,000 people. About 100 exhibitors set up stalls along the grassy banks. A Celebrity Kitchen featured cooking with Hahn beer demonstrations by celebrity TV chefs such as Gabriel Gate, Peter Howard, Elizabeth Chong and Ian Parmenter.

The finale was the Jacob�s Creek World Food Media Awards presentation evening at the Festival Centre. The Best Food Book award was won by Australian David Thompson for Thai Food. The Best Recipe Book (hard cover) award went to Food of India published by Australia�s Murdoch Books and Simply Italian, also from Murdoch, won Best Recipe Book (soft cover). Singapore�s noted photographer Edmond Ho picked up a bronze award for Best Food Photography. The celebration bash that followed revealed the secret ingredients of Tasting Australia�s success � a potent mix of joie de vivre and a spirit of camaraderie between like-minded souls.

Fresh Spencer Gulf King Prawns
Olive Harry�s seafood sauce
Ingredients
� cup of mayonnaise
� cup of tomato soup
� cup of cream
� tablespoon curry powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
Combine all ingredients together and serve with fresh King Prawns.