Masters spearmint milk, conti roll and long mac topped up among list of top food and drink unique to WA

To some, Australian cuisine is defined by the likes of Vegemite, Arnott’s Shapes, Tim Tams, and a weekend Bunnings snag — foods and flavours that with very few exceptions you can only find here.

Likewise, Western Australia also has its own unique culinary identity, with a range of tastes popularised only in the west.

From green spearmint milk to a fried egg in your late-night kebab, WA has plenty of iconic foods and drinks you won’t find anywhere else — and might leave some outsiders scratching their heads.

“Iconic WA products are not necessary about making profit but making a true connection to the region,” Curtin University food marketing expert Min Teah said.

“It has to stand the passage of time — that makes it truly iconic.

“For example Master’s spearmint milk, it’s West Australia born and it’s also only distributed in Western Australia. It’s unique.

“Then you also have Kirk’s Kole Beer. It wasn’t Kirks before. When it first started, it was by a company called Gest. So it was a small homegrown brand that was sold and through mergers and acquisition.

“These drinks have so much familiarity for Western Australians growing up with it, it’s part of so many people’s lives, its nostalgic.

“People embrace and cherish local creations and then suddenly it just becomes a true icon because you will find it everywhere in WA but nowhere else around the world, it’s truly ours.”

The Sunday Times has compiled a list of some of our State’s iconic food and drink gems that prove WA does things a little different.

1. Masters Spearmint Milk

It’s green, it’s minty, and if you didn’t grow up a Sandgroper, it probably leaves you a little baffled as a flavour combination.

First launched by Masters in 1964, this iconic flavoured milk has spent more than five decades as an undisputed local legend and school lunch special.

“Masters Spearmint Milk is one of those iconic Western Australian products that generations of locals have grown up with,” Masters Milk senior brand manager Zabean Bhanji said.

“For decades, it has been a canteen staple, an after-sport treat and a much-loved favourite, cementing its place in the State’s culture.

“While the rest of Australia might not quite understand the appeal of green milk, Western Australians certainly do.

“Made with milk sourced from local dairy farming families, Masters Spearmint Milk proudly celebrates the people, flavours and traditions that make the State so special, and remains one of our top five Masters Milk flavours.”

2. Kirks Kole Beer

Despite the word “beer” sitting proudly on the label, this carbonated drink contains zero alcohol.

What it does deliver is a bold, sweet, cola-style kick backed by malted barley powder, giving it a distinct taste that sets it apart from your everyday cola or traditional root beer.

It is stocked almost exclusively in WA, so good luck tracking down a can elsewhere in Australia.

3. Polony

Over east you will hear it called devon, fritz, or luncheon — but in Western Australia, it has always been, and will always be, polony.

This bright pink, smooth-textured lunch meat has been in lunchboxes for generations, best served between two slices of fresh white bread with a generous squeeze of tomato sauce.

“Polony is believed to be derived from the word ‘Bologna Sausage’ — a processed meat originating in the Italian city of Bologna,” Mondo Doro Smallgoods general manager Adrian Rapanaro said.

“These types of processed lunch meats were introduced to Australia over 100 years ago by European immigrants.

“Many Australian States have changed the name over time eg: devon, fritz, however WA has always stuck with the derived term polony.

“Mondo Doro has produced polony since 1995 using finely minced pork and spices to give it its distinctive flavour.”

4. Yogo Dirt Dessert

In what can only be described as the comeback of the century, this legendary 1990s and 2000s chilled dairy treat made a triumphant return to WA supermarket shelves thanks to people power.

Featuring a chocolate cookie-crumb base, shredded marshmallow, and a rich layer of chocolate Yogo on top, the treat vanished in 2012 when its marshmallow supplier folded.

But after a 12-year campaign by dedicated West Australian — including a Facebook group that attracted more than 2,400 members, one being Premier Roger Cook— Brownes brought the magic back.

5. The Conti Roll

Born in the 1950s by Italian immigrants, the continental, or conti, roll has evolved into Perth’s ultimate lunch champion.

Built on a long, crusty roll, it stacks high with Italian cured meats like mortadella and salami, provolone cheese, and marinated antipasti like roasted capsicum, eggplant, and olives.

“Loved across generations, the conti roll is a proud celebration of Italian tradition, family and good food,” The Panini Bar owner Linda Turnbull said.

“Inspired by the Italian delis and migrant families who brought their recipes, flavours and passion to Western Australia, the conti roll has evolved into something uniquely West Australian.

“The Panini Bar Gourmet Market is a proud continuation of that story. Our conti roll brings together the traditions of the Italian deli with our own local touch, creating a Panino that celebrates both where it came from and where it belongs.”

Delissimo director Tanya Cinanni echoed the local love for the heavyweight sandwich.

“Delissimo takes the classic Italian continental roll and packs it high and mighty absolutely bursting with the traditional Italian flavours our city loves,” she said.

“We’re talking premium salami, mortadella, ham, cheese, and antipasti, all united together in a massive, freshly baked crusty roll. It’s a multi-generational Perth obsession, and Delissimo is right at the heart of it - where Italian heritage meets pure WA culture.

“It’s more than just a legendary local lunch, it’s a delicious piece of history reflecting how early migration reshaped Perth’s food scene into a shared, timeless delicious tradition made for the whole community to enjoy.”

6. Chicken Treat

First opening in Midland in 1976, Chicken Treat built a fast-food empire centred on slow-roasted rotisserie chicken and thick-cut chips dusted in chicken salt.

While company moves saw sibling chain Red Rooster expand nationally, Chicken Treat remained a fiercely guarded WA exclusive, also famous for its cult-favourite chicken roll.

“For half a century, Chicken Treat has been a staple of Western Australian life,” Chicken Treat chief executive officer Jamie Stewart said.

“From post-beach lunches to weekend family dinners, generations of West Australians have grown up with us since 1976.”

7. Long Mac Topped Up

Order a long mac topped up in Sydney or Melbourne, and you’ll get a double shot of espresso with a mere stain of milk.

Order it in Perth, and you’re getting a strong, double-shot beverage filled right to the brim with silky, textured milk.

It’s a localised coffee ritual that baristas over east, or anywhere outside WA for that matter, simply struggle to comprehend.

“A long mac topped up is a true local coffee ritual, synonymous with the way West Aussies take their morning coffee,” Daily Practice cafe owner Eloise Kon Yu said.

“The way WA loves their coffee - strong, bold and finished with just the right amount of milk. It is an order you will rarely find outside of WA.

“It’s become a big part of WA coffee culture and language, even the majority of our staff and regulars are reaching for a Long Mac topped up.”

8. Kebabs ‘With The Lot’ (Including the Egg!)

If you order a kebab “with the lot” on the east coast, you can expect meat, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and maybe some tabouli.

But cross the border into WA, and “the lot” carries a non-negotiable, glorious addition: a freshly fried egg cooked right on the hotplate.

9. Fresh Marron

These massive freshwater crayfish are native exclusively to the rivers and streams of Western Australia’s South West.

Thanks to the vast desert expanses acting as a natural wall between WA and the rest of the continent over millions of years, marron evolved strictly in local waterways.

Unlike the eastern states’ yabbies or redclaws, these prized crustaceans are a true, endemic delicacy of the Margaret River region and surrounding areas.