Provenance and the Plant
One of the larger Indigenous fruits, the Davidsons Plum grows hugging the slender trunks (D.jerseyana) or hanging in pendulous clusters (D.pruriens) from the trunks of these towering rainforest trees. The leaves of the tree are broad and large and look a bit like giant fern fronds , and this is especially so of the lovely pinkish crown of the new growth. These ancient trees are indigenous to the north-eastern rainforests of New South Wales (jerseyana) and Far North Queensland (pruriens) and while rare and endangered in the wild, are now cultivated commercially in both states for their magnificent fruit.
With their dark purplish-black skin, Davidsons Plum looks a lot like the more available and traditional non-Indigenous blood plum, but this is where the similarity ends. Cut a Davidsons Plum in half and the first thing you will notice is the incredible magenta colour of the juicy flesh, the second is that the plum has two small flat seeds that are easy to remove, so almost all of the plum is useable.
Our Davidson's Plum comes from the sub-tropical regions of eastern NSW.
Culinary Use
Davidsons Plums have an exquisitely sour plum flavour that makes your lips pucker when eaten raw! However, this tart and tangy flavour delivers beautiful results in sauces, marinades, chutney, jam, cakes, deserts and even ice-cream. Davidsons Plums make a fabulous sauce to go with rich meats like lamb or pork and duck. You can add it to a fresh seafood ceviche where it's perfect tartness helps pickle the fish while adding its tangy deliciousness. You can use Davidsons Plum in cakes - we love our Davidsons Plum and Banana Cake!
As with many of our native foods, the Davidsons Plum is intensely flavoured so while it may be treated in much the same way as more familiar plums like Blood Plums, you may need to modify the amount used to compensate for its strength and acidity. A little goes a long way.
As it is difficult to find the Davidsons Plum fresh, unless you are lucky enough to live in the regions it grows in, we have developed a freeze-dried powder that can be used in many culinary applications.
The fruit from this tree have been utilised by indigenous people for thousands of years. There are numerous customs, dreaming stories, ceremonies and significant cultural sites associated with Ooray in Far North Queensland.
You will find more ideas in our Recipes pages including the Davidson's Plum and Banana Cake , pictured
Health Benefits
Jam packed with antioxidants, it's greatest asset is its nutritional profile. In some ground-breaking research in 2012, RIRC reported that Davidson’s Plum identified as one of two of the the richest sources of phenolic compounds and flavonoids of the fruits and herbs tested. Davidson’s plum
exhibited the highest total reducing capacity (using the FRAP assay - one of the tests conducted to asses phenolic activity) for free radical inhibition and exhibited superior antioxidant capacity as compared to the Blueberry standard, renowned worldwide as the ‘health-promoting fruit.’ In comparison to commonly consumed fruits that comprise predominantly hydrophilic antioxidants, native foods such as Davidsons Plum contained antioxidant activity in both hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions. A lipophilic antioxidant is better absorbed by the human body.
This is an extract from Rural Industries Research Development Corporation report
'Davidson plum contains high levels of anthocyanins, natural pigments that are strong antioxidants. Its antioxidant capacity is higher than the blueberry, which is renowned worldwide as the ‘health-promoting fruit The substantial amount of antioxidants found in Davidson plum compared to other fruit and vegetables means consumers are able to eat smaller amounts and still receive the equivalent nutritional benefits. Antioxidants are believed to hold a number of benefits for human health, potentially preventing and delaying diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune and cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Davidson plum is a good source of potassium and also contains lutein (a compound that plays an important role in eye health and wellbeing), vitamin E, folate, zinc, magnesium and calcium. The skin of the Davidson plum contains the majority of the nutrients, so it is recommended to consume the fruit in full for all the benefits. Due to its intense colouring, Davidson plum can act as a natural food colour without the use of preservatives and additives.'
In summary, the RIRDC report analysis identified
- a great source of Vitamin A with active phytochemicals known as Carotenoids and these help protect us against certain cancers, heart disease and age related macular degeneration
- more lutein than an avocado (known as the benchmark for a high lutein level). Lutein is one of those important carotenoid vitamins that is so important for healthy eyes. And Lutein can help reduce the effect of blue light that affects our iris and can lead to macular degeneration as well as acting as an anti- inflammatory.
- high levels of anthocyanins (another powerful antioxidant found in red fruits) and this antioxidant helps fight the damaging free radials that can affect cognitive function and lead to dementia diseases, and some cancers. In fact the Davidson's Plum has about 27% more anti-oxidant activity than Blueberries!
- an excellent source of potassium that is important for nerve and heart health
- A good source of Vitamin E and zinc that helps our skin look it's best.
- A unique dairy-free source of calcium.
- Contains properties believed to have anti-diabetic effects and a capacity to reduce hypertension and obesity.
- a similar folate level to the benchmark Blueberry
- higher levels of the minerals Mg (magnesium), Ca (calcium), P (phosphorus), K (potassium), Mn (manganese) and Cu (copper)
- Na (sodium) levels 3.6 times lower.
A true Australian Superfruit!