Vanilla slice facts for kids
A vanilla slice is a type of pastry. It consists of a thick custard, which is traditionally flavoured with vanilla or chocolate, and which is sandwiched between flaky puff pastry or filo pastry and iced with either vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, raspberry or passion fruit icing. It is commonly sold in bakeries in Australia and is sometimes referred to as a 'Snot Block' due to the consistency of the custard.
The Australian vanilla slice has been described as a uniquely Australian food, but comparisons have been drawn to the 'mille-feuille' which may have originated in France.
An annual competition for the best vanilla slice baker is the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph. Judging criteria include "when tasted, should reveal a custard with a creamy smooth texture and a balance of vanilla taste with a crisp, crunchy pastry topped with a smooth and shiny glaze/fondant". Although it was originally held in Ouyen, Victoria, in 2011 the town decided to award the rights to host the Great Vanilla Slice Triumph to another town in the Sunraysia district – Merbein, in northwest Victoria
