Bush food, also known as bush tucker, is any food native to Australia such as wild fig, wattle seeds, bush coconut, honey and nectars found in honey ant and the list goes on. These bush foods are not only delicious, there are also packed with nutritional punch, especially when it comes to antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and micronutrients. In fact, the world’s richest known fruit source of vitamin C is our Kakadu Plum, closely followed by native quandongs.
Bush food facts may be a feast for the brain but these bush food recipes will be a feast for your eyes and tummy! One of our favourite is this kangaroo kofta with warrigal greens, beetroot and feta from taste.com. This is not just an easy dish to make, it also makes a healthy dinner option as it includes the lean kangaroo meat as your protein sources and warrigal greens to pump up your fibre intake for the day.
Another favourite of ours is this bush tomato soup recipe by bushfoodaustralia.com You can either have it as a soup or reduce it further to make a pasta sauce. The ingredients required are simple, that is bush tomatoes, dried native pepper leaves, ripe tomatoes, onions, olive oil, salt and fresh basil leaves. A useful tip would be to prepare this bush tomato soup in advance as the flavour profile of the bush tomato will build up over time.
Australian native ingredients and bush foods are not just nutritious and delicious, they also help to connect a dish to the land that it originated from, giving it meaning and context. At Otao Kitchen, we provide the opportunity for you to discover Asian culture through the use of a wide array of Asian ingredients at our cooking classes.