Native Foods
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We tend to take for granted things that are in our own backyards, by saying that I am not meaning the patio setting or the ‘Hills hoist’- they aren’t edible so saying that would be largely out of place on a foodie website. What I am referring to is an industry that although taken for granted by some, is by others, being developed into something really special and worthy of defining.
The main thing that I come across when discussing native foods is that the average person is not quite sure where to begin with these foods and that is understandable considering native foods are not commonplace; there are people that find it hard enough dealing with a bunch of parsley and cracked pepper let alone wattle seeds and bush tomatoes. As good a place to start as any, is to actually try a few of the available products that have utilised native foods as one of their more predominant flavourings. It is a great way to get a feel for the flavours and see what applications they are used in and once you get a little braver then try utilising the raw products. Having said that, there are so many wonderful ready made native gourmet products available you’ll probably exhaust yourself before you ever go any further. With native foods something that should not be ignored is the huge indigenous history and I believe that that is where the most valuable information can be found and I would like to take this opportunity to direct you to Dale Chapman’s website: This website is a huge resource for native food and cultural information and Dale is one of the Sunshine Coast’s greatest ambassadors of native foods. Dale does Bush Tucker workshops and travels the world informing and teaching people about bush tucker / native foods. She is a chef and her informative website is a great place to start. I started using native foods gently; macadamia nuts everyone knows, bunya nuts are less common, try using some bunya nuts as a substitute for macadamia. Bush Tomatoes I ground and added to tomato based pasta sauces and stews for a more intense flavour, wattleseeds I put in a biscuit mix instead of cardamom, and fingerlimes….well; I fell in love with those!
John and Mary gather most of the raw products from their property based near Conondale. They are careful not to deplete their resources by not over-harvesting and are compassionate about native regeneration and sustainability. Their Myrtifolia Liqueur, just one of 16 flavours, is made of the leaf of the ‘cinnamon myrtle’ and has the most beautiful spicy flavour and as is written on the labels, is to be ‘enjoyed slowly and with good companions’. There are not many outlets that sell this liqueur but I have seen it at the Maleny Bottle Shop and I am sure if you emailed Mary and John they would be more than happy to inform you of some other outlets. |
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Galeru... |
 Again, I came across Galeru’s RainberriesTM and RaincherriesTM a number of years ago and was just so excited by their uniqueness. The native Syzygium fibrosum RaincherriesTM and Syzygium leuhmannii RainberriesTM are sensational. They are a pure natural product that has no preservatives or artificial ingredients and are hand-picked from Galeru’s orchard grown trees. Martha suggests swirling them though yoghurt (a range that they sell using Maleny Dairie's Yoghurt at the markets) and I know from personal experience that they are delicious with ice cream or desserts. They can also be drizzled on a creamy brie or camembert, serve with cold meats, roast lamb, pork or game meats. The Raincherries have an amazing sharp-sweet flavour, reminiscent of tart cherry & plum, whereas the Rainberries are small & intense, with notes of ginger and cloves. If you go to the markets look out for their stall as available at the markets are also the most delicious native fruit based cakes – the Chocolate Rainberry Truffle Cake is just to die for! Make sure you buy some fresh Lemon Myrtle for some refreshing tea when you get home while you're there. Martha has shared one of her recipes with us in which to use the Galeru Rainberries: |
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Cedar Creek Farm... |
 Cedar Creek Farm have quite a diverse range of native products also, creating some wonderful native condiments such as Mountain Pepper Relish, Pepperberry Jam, Red Desert Sauce, they even make some wonderful pasta sauces. They also stock native spices – Peter is a chef and I am sure he would be more than happy to share some cooking ideas and tips. For those of you who haven't already seen their profile on the website have a look as they have a unique range of products. |
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Lloyds Gourmet Condiments... |
| Kathryn Lloyd has some pretty special condiments to try as well. Lloyds create a delicious Bush Tomato Relish and Chilli Sauce with Lemon Myrtle as well as a native twist on traditional jams such as the Davidson Plum Jam. Kathryn also does cooking classes - they have planted a large number of native plants on their property to compliment their product range so I am sure her classes would be informative in more ways than one. And there are so many more to mention... but I need to save something for next time hoping that this will keep a few of you occupied in the meantime. Be brave and try some of these products as this is where we are going to see huge growth in the future which will be not only exciting but delicious. To find details of some of these native producers and others as well as links to their websites: |
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>>> View Native Food Producers |
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Broadly defined, it is the Native Food industry, the foods that are native to Australia and grow naturally in many of our native forests as well as many of our gardens; they are foods that are seeped in culture and native history and of course, when utilised well, extremely delicious.
My family could well have accused me of fingerlime obsession when I first experimented with these tart little fruits as I felt compelled to use them in nearly every single dish; I needed to determine what worked and what didn’t (that was my excuse anyway). Although the family agreed that they were delicious they let me know in no uncertain terms that a meal without them wouldn’t go astray. They went in pasta sauces, curries, with seafood, in drinks, on oysters, in icings; basically they worked with anything that a lemon or lime would – they were just more interesting to use that’s all!