mulben

desi ismainly stockfood as its inferior to kabuli
Spanish one was superb thou- I think it was called -equadeuce (my spelling memory not helping but thats the phonetic name )
it was eaten straight of the plant-tasted a little bit like cashew

Steve2009

Are you kidding me? Aussies put beetroot on everything!

I think it might be more of the fresh variety here though. No reason to pickle it when it's readily available fresh.

Jen1977ni

I guess when you've been brought up in a country where pickled beetroot is enjoyed in salads, it's what you like, flavour wise. Different strokes for different folks eh!

Daydreamer123

Making your own polenta cakes doesn't take long and its much nicer than the packaged stuff, the texture is nicer and its almost foolproof. It is a bit tricky to track down in the supermarket, I think last time I found it it was in the aisle with the pasta, which is also the aisle with all the other international foods.

I am sure you wont struggle to find beetroot, the pickled kind is used in every burger I have had since moving here, so it must be easy to get.

Can't help with soft drinks and ice lollies - but if you are after something diet Skinny Cow ice-cream is yummy, even my chocaholic husband likes them and he usually wants some sort of double chocolate with cookies and brownies type of ice-cream.

And chickpeas, like everyone says, any supermarket. I do struggle with some other types of canned beans but chickpeas are easy to get

Red_V_Roger

Your right with a large growing area. Though I wouldn't quite agree with all over. Was trying to put the idea of Darling Downs chickpeas processed on an industrial scale going back to the UK to the OP.

mulben

For soft drinks
http://www.sodastream.com.au/sodastreamsystem

Saxbys and Kirks (coca cola ) put out Diet drinks
http://www.sugarfreezone.com.au/beverages_page01.html
your just replacing sugar with salt thou

mulben

They are grown for export at Carnarvon WA,this is the only area I know of that is contracted solely for export.
Anchor Foods SA and WA buy locally grown.
Wimmera in Victoria is a major growing area
From central NSW to the Darling Downs it is a normal rotation with cotton and wheat.
Seems pretty wide spread growing areas.

Jen1977ni

I remember sodastream as a kid, and they are not fond memories, I'm sure they taste much better these days, but I'm not willing to find out lol I'd love to hear the 'honk' again though, that they made when you pushed the button lol *goes to youtube to see if there's a video* (Crikey the sooner I start teaching again the better, my life really has become WAY TOO EXCITING LOL)

kporte

Ah sarcasm! You can get Heinz jars of baby beets in Coles!

verystormy

Beetroot. Are you guys actually in Oz? They are obsessed with it. I remember my first shop in a Sydney supermarket and standing there looking perplexed at why they needed half a dozen shelves just for differnt brands of beetroot. Personaly i think the isolation has gotten to them and have developed some kind of strange beetroot cult

Vash the Stampede

And people say there's no choice in Australian supermarkets!

Pollyana

Food of the devil, the most disgusting stuff ever grown. Aussies love it on everything and get quite huffy if you say you don't want the vile muck.

ozhappy981

Obviously not sure what things are like in Toowoomba, but our local Woolies here in Perth has plenty of sugar free fizzy drinks in bottles. They often have the "sugar" version on one shelf and then the "diet" version above or below. I quite like the Schweppes Diet Ginger Ale .

Wander up and down the drinks ailes and check it out.

kporte

Jen, for the love of god, leave the laptop alone and go to the shops and have a look!

Jen1977ni

Ahhhhhh shut ur gub! I'm going now, remember I've got the mumps so have been feeling under the weather, cheeky sod!