Bushfood naturally occurs in the Australian environment composed of both flora and fauna, it offers a diverse range of flavours.
Source:
NAIDOC in the City and Masterchef
Warrigal
A wild spinach found around mangroves and along the banks of inland rivers. Warrigal greens were used by Captain Cook and have found their way even to the back blocks of Paris, where it is known as Tetragon and is used by the Parisians in preference to English spinach.
Muntharies
Small, fragrant, apple flavoured berries from a beach creeper common in dunes in Southern Australia. It is also called muntires, emu apples or native cranberries.
Emu
Belonging to the same family as ostriches, they are the source of a range of unique quality product from exquisite red meat with a slightly gamey flavor to the very sought after emu leather. Emus are now commercially farmed in several Australian states.
Wattle
Wattle is obtained from the roasted seeds of one species of the thousands of wattles found in Australia, harvested by Indigenous people in the west of the Great Dividing Range. It is very versatile and has a unique flavor best described as a mix of chocolate, coffee, and hazelnut nougat.
Bunya Nuts
The large edible seeds from a native pine. Often likened to a chestnut in flavour, they have nearly no fat or protein but are high in complex carbohydrates.
Kakadu Plum
This small sized fruit has the highest fruit content of vitamin C in the world.
Paper Bark
This very useful natural biodegradable material imparts a delicate smoke flavor when used for baking.
Quandong
Also sometimes catted native peach. The Quandong is well known for making jams or being used in pies.
Bush tomatoes
Wild Australian relatives of the tomato and potato. The fruits are also known as “Akudjurra”, have a tamarillo-like flavour but ground into a power they make a good substitute for sweet paprika. They grow in the ground.