OUR INGREDIENTS

Bush Tomato

The bush tomato is a small desert plant approximately 30cm in height, with grey to bronze leaves and attractive mauve/blue flowers. It grows naturally through the central deserts from Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory to Marla in South Australia.

There are over 100 species of wild tomatoes in Australia, with only six known to be edible, and Kutjera – Desert Raisins – are the most well known and certainly the most consumed species of the bush tomato.

A rich source of minerals, particularly potassium, they are also high in vitamin C. The traditional harvesting method is to collect the sun dried fruits of the small bush in the Autumn and Winter months.

Riberry

Riberry is a small pear-shaped fruit, with a striking red/cerise colour that fades to pink when cooked. It is native to sub-tropical areas of Queensland and New South Wales. Wild harvest has been replaced by cultivation, with several plantations on the north coast of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. There are historic references from New South Wales and Queensland about riberry being regularly eaten raw as a snack by Aboriginal communities, and suggestions the pulp was also applied to sore ears.

The lilly pilly, as it’s also known, was one of the first edible plants to be noted during Captain Cook’s visit to Australia in 1770. It’s also reported to be one of the first fruits consumed as jam or cordials by early colonists of Australia.

Riberry is strongly clove and spice flavoured and makes an excellent processing and culinary fruit. The fruit can be eaten straight from the tree, but is not generally consumed fresh. It is used in both sweet and savoury products including jams, conserves, chutney, relishes, ice cream, yoghurt, chocolates, cakes and sauces for meat dishes.

Riberry has high levels of folate and antioxidants. Riberries are also a very good source of calcium.

Lemon Myrtle

Our First Nations People have used the leaves of the Lemon Myrtle tree for centuries as a bush medicine for coughs, colds, stomach upsets and in some cases applied topically for skin problems. The leaves of the Lemon Myrtle tree would be soaked in water and then put over a fire, for the vapour from the leaves to be inhaled.

Other names for lemon myrtle are lemon scented ironwood, sweet verbena tree, lemon scented verbena and lemon scented myrtle.  It can be found in the subtropical rainforests of northern NSW and south east Queensland and more recently, in gardens in Victoria.  They do require a lot of attention, particularly in the early growing days, from the cold southern winds and frosts but the trees have a huge attraction for gardeners who love their fragrant leaves.

Now, known all around the world, Lemon myrtle has established itself as a wonderful culinary herb and can be used in many dishes that require a strong lemony flavour.  It’s used in everything from creating wonderful and unique gourmet dishes, exotic teas and beautiful lemon-smelling soaps.

Strawberry Gum

The strawberry gum has several uses due to the presence of essential oils in the leaf and has been harvested commercially for flavouring and perfumery since the 1980s. Strawberry gum leaf is used to enhance the flavour of cooked fruit dishes and in deserts spiced jams and confectionary to bring-out the classic berry flavour. The leaf is used fresh or dried and as a ground spice. It can also be used in native herb teas and carbonated beverages. The main ingredient methyl cinnamate which imparts a fruity aroma and flavour and composes of up to 98% of the essential oil.

Salt Bush

The saltbush is a hardy Australian native plant that can withstand the dry desert plains of western NSW. It is grey-white in colour and has small spear-shaped succulent leaves. It flowers from December to April.

The saltbush grows in the semi-arid and arid regions of mainland Australia. While usually found in dry environments, saltbush can also grow amongst granite tors and wet claypan margins.

Traditionally, some Indigenous groups used the saltbush (“Purngep” or “Binga”) seeds in baking, where they were ground and added to dampers.

The round silvery-green toothed-edge leaves can be added fresh to salads, stir-fry and meat marinades, or dried and used as seasonings and can be a direct substitute for salt.

More recently it is being used to flavour beer and spirits, and as a natural alternative to potato chips.

Mountain Pepperleaf

Indigenous people have used Mountain (or Tasmanian) Pepperleaf as a flavour for food and as bush medicine for generations.

This ground Pepperleaf is wild-harvested in Tasmania. Pepperleaf has an aromatic, wild spicy flavour and can be used like ground pepper in any recipe or as a delicious Bush Tucker condiment.

Davidson Plum

This native tree is found in sub-tropical and tropical rainforests of Eastern Australia.  The fruit has a sour taste and is therefore not suitable to eat fresh.  Davidson Plum is an ideal fruit for jams, yoghurts, drinks and sauces.

Bunya Nut

During Bunya nut season in south east Queensland you have to watch out for falling nuts!  The nuts are encased in what resembles a large green pinecone the size of a bowling ball that can weigh as much as 10kg.  The Bunya Pine tree fruits were once food for the dinosaurs that’s how long they’ve been around.

Traditionally the seeds inside the casing were roasted and eaten as a high-nutrient snack, today the seeds are used in many contemporary dishes replacing other nuts.

Peppermint Gum

The Eucalyptus nicholii or Peppermint Gum tree has a thin grey-green leaf that has a beautiful peppermint / eucalypt flavor.  It is found predominantly in Northern New South Wales.

Its minty leaves are excellent in desserts, cakes and teas, but the flavour also compliments savoury dishes such as sauces, relishes and stuffings for meat dishes.

Wattleseed

Wattleseed is the edible seed of the Acacia or Wattle tree. They have a very hard husk and when they fall to the ground, will last for up to 20 years in their natural environment, usually only germinating after bushfires. Wattleseed has provided Indigenous Australians with a rich source of protein and carbohydrate in times of drought.

The seed was crushed into flour between flat grinding stones and cooked into cakes or damper. Today wattleseed is used as a versatile spice in both sweet and savoury dishes.

Wattleseed contains potassium, calcium, iron and zinc in fairly high concentrations.

Native Thyme

This strongly aromatic bush is native to south east New South Wales, eastern Victoria and Tasmania. Native Thyme has lilac flowers on the tips in spring, it has very small round leaves that grow in pairs, attached to a multitude of stemletts.

The distinct flavor of native thyme is used in savoury dishes and is at its best with meat dishes.

Finger Lime

Wild Finger Lime also known as Citrus Caviar, is an exquisite rainforest fruit. When the finger-shaped green fruit is split open tiny lime crystals ooze from within.  Pop them in your mouth and they explode giving a unique lime sensation.

There is a variety of skin and flesh colours – yellow, green, pink, red and clear- each variety having its own distinct flavour.

Finger Limes can be used as a substitute for any lime or citrus recipe both sweet and savoury.  The flavor differs from regular European lime and the different colours make for impressive decoration.