A foodie’s dream on show

TRADES and autumn produce will be the stars of Sovereign Hill’s Heritage Harvest Weekend, part of Ballarat Heritage Festival.

Visitors can learn how to pickle, distil, ferment, cure, salt, and dry preserve with a host of events and masterclasses.

It is a foodie’s paradise, with samples of the region’s best food available to try and renowned chefs Busuttil Nishimura, Tony Tan and Tim Bone dishing up delicious treats, and sharing their secrets.

The weekend is designed to celebrate goldrush life, culture and rare trades, with experts sharing the tricks of craftspeople from the 1850s.

Tan, one of Australia’s most respected teachers, will be sharing the ancient art of dumpling making.

His interactive demonstration will share how to fold, the magic of condiments and the wide nature of dumplings’ influence on the global food scene.

“Dumplings are a very exciting area because a lot of people love eating dumplings,” said Tan.

“I’m debunking the myth that they’re a little bit too hard to make.”

In his masterclass, Tan will show participants how to make a Sichuan spicy pork dumpling and a zucchini and dill dumpling with fermented tofu.

“A lot of people who are vegetarian need protein and fermented tofu is fantastic,” he said. “It’s a fascinating topic to discuss.”

The art of folding will then be on display as Tan will demonstrate how to create a range of shapes.

Ballarat has a strong connection to dumplings, with Chinese food having historic roots in the Ballarat region.

“We have a fantastic history of Chinese people who came in the 1800s, which means for me it’s showing part of our heritage in Ballarat,” said Tan.

“We’ve got so much to celebrate, and we’ve got to tell the whole world what’s happening.”

Tans masterclass will take place at 11.45am on Saturday, 27 May. To find out more or book a session visit hhw.sovereignhill.com.au.

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