Bush Tucker The Food Of Aboriginal Australian's

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There are all types of food out there in the deserts of Australia. They are quickly becoming more and more popular with the average Australian and indeed chef world wide.

You can buy kangaroo meat in many countries all over the world. Bush tucker is a term that real native foods of Australia are referred to these days. There are restaurants all over Australia that specialise in Bush Tucker as a theme.
They serve everything from crocodile to Emu and kangaroo. They use many different berries and grubs together with lots of native peppers an seasonings. Here are a few that you may have or not have heard of previously.


AUSTRALIAN DESERT LIME RECIPES



Bush Tucker - The BUSH BANANA has a scientific name of Marsdenia australis and the Aboriginals call it ipalu. A bush banana grows on a vine with a little green oval shaped fruit, this is referred to as a banana. The bush banana has to grow near to trees because it will die if it lives on plains or in hills. The trees help by giving shade and support to the vines . The bush banana lives in nearly every habitat, but mostly it lives in woodlands and creeks as it is there where it thrives.

When you eat the bush banana you just peel the skin like you would with a normal banana. After you take the banana of off the plant and it will firstly require washing. If the fruit has dried already you can then cook it for nourishment, on the coals of an open fire. The leaves and the flowers are also totally edible making this a great find the next time yo find yourself wandering around the Australian desert in search of some bush tucker.

Bush Tucker - The Mulga Apple

The Mulga apple grows on the mulga tree, which in reality looks a lot more like a bush than a tree, standing around 2mts tall. It likes sandy conditions and woodlands often found on the sides of hills or the foothills. The fruit you will find has spikes, which you will have to remove with a knife before you get to the fruit inside. The fruit does not require cooking and can therefore be eaten straight away.

AUSTRALIAN SUPERFRUITS

Bush Tucker – The Quandong

The Quandong has a scientific name of Santalum acuminatum and the aborigines refer to it as a mangata. The Quandong tree grows to a massive 4 mts high and once again is more like a huge bush than what most folk would know as a tree. When the fruit is ripe it has a pinkish reddish colour and can be safely eaten raw. The skin and the flesh can be eaten raw and the seed are used in aboriginal medicine. These trees like many other Bush Tucker plants and trees of the Australian Outback like the woodlands and the foothills to grow.


Bush Tucker – The Bush Raisin

The Bush Raisin has a scientific name of Solanum Centrale and the Aborigines refer to it as kampurarrpa. This is a small shrubby looking bush that grows to around 30cm's in height and width. The raisins are a yellowish brown and is recognised often by it's purple flowers. You can eat the fruit as it is but the aborigines often grind it to a paste, roll it into small balls and dry it out. In this state it can be stored indefinitely making it great food for the very nomadic aborigines. These bushes can often be found in traditional Spinifex country and sandy hills.

Bush Tucker – The Witchetty Grub

The Witchetty grub lives it between the roots of the Witchetty Bush that has a Latin name of Acacia Kempeana. The grub itself is quite white with it's head either black or often yellow. These grubs can grow up to 12cm in length and if you scout around the roots of the bush they are quite easily found. The aborigines use a digging stick to do this and that is called a kudra. The grubs can be eaten raw or otherwise cooked on a stick over a naked flame. They are very creamy in texture when raw. Full of protein and other nutrients these are favoured by the nomadic natives during long walks or walkabouts.

THE RED DESERT LIME - BUSH TUCKER COMES TO TOWN

Bush Tucker – The Honey Ant

The Honey Ant or Camponotus inflatus look like any other ant except that they have unusually large abdomens which funnily enough are found to be full of honey. These ants are found around the base of the Mulga trees generally on the shady southern side of the tree. The nests are often massive and can go down to two meters deep. How does one eat a Honey Ant? Simply by picking it up by its head and biting of it's abdomen. Nice!

Bush Tucker – Kangaroo

The Macropus Rufus or Red Kangaroo is a vegetarian and is found all over Australia, from the shady woodlands to the treeless deserts. These animals can cover hundreds of miles in a single day and can often be seen in large groups of up to 100. They can destroy crops instantly and are culled because of it. All of the kangaroo can be eaten. The aborigines would also drink the blood for its goodness.
The meat is really lean as these animals carry very little fat at all. An excellent source of protein. The skins are also used as blankets and for carrying water.

Bush Tucker – The Parentie

The Varanus Giganteus is the largest lizard found in Australia, brownish really with greenish markings for camouflage. Often found with small yellow spots all over it. These are found in woodlans and around creeks and waterholes. They can also climb so often found up in trees during the heat of the day if they cant find a watering hole. Once again these are a great source of protein and once gutted can be roasted over a campfire simular to the way most folk would cook a chicken.


Bush Tucker – The Emu

The Emu or Dromaius novaehollandiae is a flightless bird that stands up to 2mts tall. These birds although flightless can run very quickly when they have too. Their defence mainly is through pecking with their long necks and a sharp beak. Beware of your watch or necklaces if you ever get close to one of these birds folks as they are attracted to the sparkle or shinny objects. Once again these animals are very lean and full of protein. Often hunted with throwing sticks or boomerangs.

Bush Tucker – Bush Turkey

The Ardeotis Australis or common bush turkey looks a little like an emu but a lot smaller in height and structure. It's feathers are highlu prized for dressing up at special occasions by aborigines and once again its meat is lean and full of protein.



Bush Tucker – The Echidna

The spiny Echidna has many black and white spikes covering itself to protect it against it's predators. These echidna live mainly on ants and often found burying themselves into ant hills. These are usually cooked by the aborigines by gutting them and filling the cavity with hot coals and burying the whole animal. When cooked the spikes can then be removed. Another rich source of protein.


Bush Tucker – The Wild Fig

The Wild Fig is about the same size as a marble and can only be eaten when they turn red. Eaten white they will cause you severe stomach discomfort. Generally these are mashed and eaten when they resemble a pulpish mash.

WHAT IS BUSH TUCKER ANYWAY?

Bush Tucker - Python

The Australian Python or Carpet Snake (morelia bredli) really is a big snake. It is a very attractive snake (if that is possible) as it is decorated with brown and yellow stripes, normally a brown crown or head with piercing black eyes. These snakes live on mice, rabbits and lizards. They are found almost anywhere but prefer sandy rocky outcrops or sand hills. Very meaty, these are cooked in twenty minutes over hot coals. They are non venomous in case you may have been wondering.

So there you have it. There are many more types of plants and a few more animals eaten by aborigines in Australia but the above are the main source of foods. Crocodile is another meat eaten in the northern states. The meats particularly are popular amongst chefs trying to introduce Bush Tucker into the mainstream pallet. There are some amazing peppers and berries also along with desert limes that are also being grown and harvested to feed on more main stream markets now.

Take a look at the Australian section for recipe ideas using some of these and other Bush Tucker products.

Enjoy

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