Australian Native Ingredients - A glossary of the different ingredients available. Discussing their provenance, cooking with them & the health benefits that these plants have.

Provenance and the Plant We respect and thank our Aboriginal supply partners for imparting their incredible knowledge to us about this amazing plant. The Kakadu Plum is not just endemic to the Kakadu Region but is found right across the Top End from East Arnhem Land in the east to the Country around the Dampier Peninsula and Broome in the Kimberley, the top western region of WA. The tree is prolific in these coastal woodland regions and the mature trees are tall and slender with a wide canopy and a spreading habit. They have broad, large , green leaves and the fruit,...

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...

Provenance and the Plant We respect and thank our Aboriginal supply partners for imparting their incredible knowledge to us about this amazing plant. The Bush Tomato is from the same botanical family as tomatoes and potatoes. The shrubs are small (up to 30cm) in the wild, with grey to sage-green leaves and small, yellow fruits similar to cherry tomatoes in size. The tomatoes are sun-dried on the bush: the fruit shrivels in the desert heat of summer and the colour deepens to a rich ochre colour and resembles a reddish, brown-coloured raisin. The process of drying is essential as it reduces the levels...

The Plant Anisata is a coastal rainforest tree of subtropical eastern Australia. These days it's rare to find it in the wild, and the ones left in their natural environment must not be foraged. Fortunately for those of us who love to cook with this aromatic herb, there are significant plantations of Anisata in this region, particularly in the area around Lismore. Brush past an Anisata tree and an intriguing aniseed aroma will envelop you. The leaves are rich in the essential oils anethole and citral: anethole is an aromatic compound that gives the leaves their aniseed flavour, and the citral...