100 things you must eat in SA

LOOSEN your belt and feast your eyes on this bucket list of the state's best food experiences.

SA's Top 100 Food Experiences: Part 7.

Reviews: Simon Wilkinson, Dianne Mattsson, Tony Love, Kylie Fleming, Katie Spain, Renato Castello, Michelangelo Rucci, Tory Shepherd, David Jean

Fior di latte

Fior di Latte at La Vera.

The traditional fresh white cheeses from this outer suburban Newton producer’s Bottega (cellar-door-like shop) have been calling local Italian families who miss the specialty, handcrafted fresh cheeses of their homeland. The fior di latte is the latest in a series, smooth, gloopy, soft-consistency white mozzarella cheese that are sensational on bruschetta, pizza and in your homemade lasagne.

While you’re there: Try the bocconcini and the signature mild Adel Blue cheese.

La Vera
Shop 3, 12-14 Hamilton Tce, Newton
8337 8222
www.facebook.com/laveracheese 

Monet and Figaro cheeses

Monet and Figaro cheeses by Woodside Cheese.

Adelaide food legend Kris Lloyd constantly challenges our palates with her Adelaide Hills-made cheeses. The Figaro is a full flavoured, robust goat curd wrapped in vine leaves that impart a unique herbaceous tone, while the Monet is superlative fresh goat’s cheese infused with aromatic herbs and then topped with pretty flowers. Both are regular award-winners and are a must-have on any proud SA table.

While you’re there: Try the Edith, a French styled goat curd rolled in ash, or for those who prefer cow’s milk, the Charleston brie style.

Woodside Cheese
Heritage Park, 22 Henry St, Woodside
8389 7877
www.woodsidecheese.com.au 

Garlic mettwurst

Linke mettwurst

An essential part of the Barossa’s culinary landscape, these cured sausages from the Silesian tradition are still made in a wood fired smokehouse behind the family’s Nuriootpa store, where they then hang like rustic artworks. A chunk of smoky, spicy meat with an Apex bakery bread stick and local dill pickle or pickled onion might sound like a cliche but it’s a not to be missed experience with a “schluck” of ripping shiraz out there among the region’s vines.

While you’re there: Try the lachschinken and the smoked chicken.

Linke’s Central Meat Store
27 Murray St, Nuriootpa
8562 1143 

Farmhouse pate

Farmhouse pate from Barossa Fine Foods.

From a store groaning with exceptional smallgoods, including half a dozen and more pates, this is a coarsely textured style that sits midway towards a terrine, all the better with its classic French cuisine flavour inspiration of green pepper, brandy and garlic, lined with speck (ham) and garnished with bay leaves and juniper berries. It’s often the first to sell out in store, but if it does there are plenty of alternatives.

While you’re there: Try the finer-textured black pepper pork or chicken and almond pate.

Barossa Fine Foods
Shop 60, Central Market, Adelaide
8231 2575
www.barossafinefoods.com.au 

Jamon

Jamon at San Jose Smallgoods.

Among a fabulous collection of Portuguese, Spanish and Italian-inspired locally produced smallgoods, two styles of jamon rule, the black pig a top-shelf version but not always available. Depend however on the Jamon Tippo Serrano, 100 per cent SA female pork jamon aged on the bone until sweet, beautifully soft and fresh and not too gamey, not too spicy. One of the best prosciutto-style meats in the state.

While you’re there: Try the Spanish salami and the rosemary-infused flat pancetta.

San Jose Smallgoods
Stall 75, Central Market, Adelaide
8231 5245
www.sanjosesmallgoods.com.au 

Prosciutto

Nino Smallgoods prosciutto

There will be plenty of passionate debate about which prosciutto is best, but there’s no question Nino’s butchery in the Italian-proud northeast suburbs impresses those in the know with a delicately flavoured, not too salty, beautifully balanced (fat and flesh) leg of pork that more than anything is moist, soft and simply delicious. Sliced super thin with cut chunks of rockmelon equals pure joy.

While you’re there: Try any of the salamis and the veal for saltimbocca.

Nino’s Butchers and Smallgoods
657/659 Lower North East Rd, Paradise
8337 2166 

Chicken kranski

Sausages from Skara Smallgoods.

From a Croatian tradition rather than the more ubiquitous Italian or Greek producers in Adelaide, the spicing in this Hills-made, family friendly cooked sausage is pleasingly mild, and can come occasionally with finely chopped vegies inside it as well — the butcher says it’s his way of getting his kids to eat the vegies. Great for slicing and eating on the run or a small reheat at home can make for a great traditional Eastern Euro meal with boiled potatoes. Also brilliant in soups.

While you are there: Try the best hot dog viennas in town or the traditional csabai salami.

Skara Smallgoods
40-42 Mount Barker Rd, Mount Barker
8391 4557
www.skarasmallgoods.com.au 

Gulf prawns

Prawns at Jimmy Elias & Son.

From our own Southern Ocean gulfs, these prawns are prized for the more delicate and sweeter flesh than crustaceans from warmer waters. Jimmy Elias sells some of the best down at the Port, the prawns cooked on site after being delivered by local fishermen as well as from his own boats, which ply the Spencer and St Vincent gulfs.

While you are there: Try the blue swimmer crabs and oysters.

Jimmy Elias & Son
12 Scan Court, Royal Park
8240 2246
www.jimmyeliasandson.com.au 

Hot smoked salmon

Smoked salmon at Harris Smokehouse.

The Harris family has been smoking fish in the UK and Adelaide Hills for 50 years, and their store and smokehouse production rooms next to the Hahndorf Inn are a must visit, where you can often see great SA seafood and fish getting their traditional treatment. The cured and hot oak-smoked salmon is moist, flaky and deftly flavoured, a genuine treat on crusty bread with your best homemade tartare, or in smart crunchy salads.

While you’re there: Try smoked kingfish wings and the classic cold smoked salmon.

Harris Smokehouse
37 Main Road , Hahndorf
8388 7000
www.harrissmokehouse.com.au 

Kalamata olives

Olives from The Olive Shop.

The king of olives, grown on the Fleurieu Peninsula and everyday evidence that we have embraced a Mediterranean view of diet and gastronomic pleasures. These black beauties come in small vacuum packs to 10kg tubs for heavy users, the olives themselves firm, consistent, well flavoured and best of all not too salty. Go the traditional, but also with chilli, garlic and herbed additions.

While you’re there: Try the olivemite, otherwise known as tapenade, and one of 30 local brands of olive oil.

The Olive Shop
142 Main Road, McLaren Vale
8323 9231
www.briansoliveshop.com.au