Glossary of Products

Fruits | Seeds & Nuts | Herbs, Spices & Vegetables | Oils | Venison | Game Meats | Other

FRUITS

Akudjura - (Bush Tomatoes) - Akudjura is one Aboriginal name for the native bush tomato which is a strong flavoured fruit from the desert, tasting of tamarillo and caramel. Akudjura can be obtained either whole or ground with the ground product easily added to bread mixes, salads, sauces, cheese dishes, chutneys, stews or mixed into butter.

Davidson's Plums - The tartness of these large crimson rainforest fruits make them well suited to dressings, sauces and desserts. Davidson's Plum Coulis with a creamy dessert is an ideal complement.

Illawarra Plum - This fruit from the south coast of NSW is plum-like in flavour with a pleasant yet subtle resinous quality. Plum sized and seedless, the Illawarra plum can be sauced and performs extremely well with chilli or ginger, complementing our game meats. Preserves, cheesecakes, muffins and other desserts can be made from the plums. This fruit behaves in a similar way to gooseberries in turning bitter with over-cooking, the bitterness disappears on cooling and we suggest using stainless steel saucepans for simmering.

Kakadu Plum - The green Kakadu plum is a mild apricot-flavoured and olive-sized fruit which in 1982, was discovered to be the worlds highest fruit source of Vitamin C. The flesh can be simply cut from the seed and used as a garnish for fish or added to sauces or fruit compotes. The whole plums pickle well in hot vinegar flavoured with native herbs.

Lemon Aspen - This tangy, yellow, citrus-flavoured fruit comes from an east-coast rainforest tree and is as versatile as the common lemon. Whole lemon aspen fruits or just the juice can be used in pastries, desserts, sauces and marinades and the pulp from juicing can flavour shortbread or be further infused to extract its unique flavour.

Munthari - Commonly called native cranberries, Munthari (or Muntries) are small, green and red fruits with a Granny Smith apple flavour. They complement apples in pies, flans and desserts providing that visual difference and also make excellent sauces, garnishes, preserves and are an ideal fruit to serve with cheese.

Quondong - Sometimes called wild or dessert peaches, these red fruits have a tart apricot and peach flavour and are well known by country folk for making jams and pies. Available whole and frozen, the kernels of the quondong fruits are also highly flavoured. Roasted they can be used to impart an aromatic nutty taste to dessert or savoury sauces or used in a crumb topping.

Riberry - Another popular fruit, riberries belong to the rainforest lillipilli family. They are small pink berries with a cinnamon and clove character. Used for sauces and relishes to accompany meats, fish or cheese. Riberries can also be used in ice creams, sorbets and other chilled desserts and they also glaze well.

Wild Limes - Sourced from several species of native Australian citrus species, these fruits can be found in many environments, from rainforests to arid areas. With a very strong, tart lime flavour and an edible although slightly bitter yellow/green skin, wild limes make a superb mayonnaise and are well suited to desserts stewed in syrup or honey or traditionally glazed. Try them in sweet or savoury marmalades.

Wild Rosella - The tropical rosella buds of the wild hibiscus have crispy berry and rhubarb taste. They are famous for the jam and chutney they flavour so well and lend themselves to pie fillings and other pastries, ice cream, sorbets and fruit stews. Rosella in a coulis with lemon myrtle oil is an excellent flavour combination.



SEEDS & NUTS

Bunya - Bunya Nuts - These nuts are similar in size and flavour to chestnuts and were a feasting food of Aborigines in the Bunya Mountains of Southern Queensland. Each nut is encased in a thin woody shell which can be sliced with a knife after boiling the nut and while they are still hot. The shelled nuts can then be blended and re-fried to make a pastry, used as a potato substitute in curries and stews, minced for use in chocolates, nougat, ice cream or other desserts and even preserved in sweetened rum.

Wattleseed or Wattle - The seeds of a particular dryland wattle are roasted and ground to produce a coffee-chocolate-hazelnut taste. Bring a small quantity of wattle to the boil to soften the grounds. Strain off the liquid extract and store in the refrigerator or freezer. Use the boiled grounds in marinades, as a crumb for meats or as a batter for fish. Use the extract with or without the solids to make wattle ice cream, pavlova and wattle pancakes. Wattleccino (Wattle Cappuccino) is fast becoming famous. Only one teaspoon of wattle per cup is needed so it is very economical.



HERBS, SPICES & VEGETABLES

Lemon Myrtle - A rainforest tree from the East Coast of Australia, the lemon myrtle leaf, when crushed or infused, releases a tempting combination of taste and aroma similar to a blend of sweet lemon grass, lemon and lime oils. Try lemon myrtle in soups, sauces, fruit stews and pickles or try sousing fish in hot vinegar and lemon myrtle. Lemon myrtle makes an excellent herb butter or custard, a refreshing tea or it can be added into breads. The lemon myrtle flavour can cook out with too much heat so add last and infuse or cover the simmering vessel to seal in the volitile oils. Available as dry leaf, ground herb or as a convenient oil.

Mountain Pepperleaf - The alpine mountain pepperleaf can be used dry or ground and added to hot dishes as a seasoning or used whole like bay leaves. It has a smooth, woody character with a hot zing between pepper and chilli which reduces with cooking. To enhance the zing, use ground pepperleaf as a seasoning on soups or mains just before serving.

Native Pepperberries - The small purple/black berries have a hot peppery zing and can flavour or garnish almost any sauce or even be baked into a unique pepperbread. Very suited to our game meats to enhance the gameiness. Their unique flavour will even enhance a traditional pepper steak providing that special touch of the bush.

Warrigal Greens - This is a native equivalent of English spinach. Captain Cook dined on warrigal greens and sting ray in 1770. Long before this, Aborigines inland were eating the new tips of the same species. Warrigal greens must be blanched for several minutes and refreshed in ice water and can then be used as a spinach, an attractive garnish or salad.



OILS

Gumleaf Oil (Eucalyptus Oil) - A characteristically Australian flavour which needs to be used in tiny amounts. Try it in desserts (eg. Eucalyptus and honey ice cream ) or blended with butter as a spread. It lends itself to flavouring soup and sauces, particularly lamb. *** NB. Not all Eucalyptus oil can be used as food flavouring. ***

Lemon Myrtle Oil - Available in 25ml bottles and diluted in vegetable oil. Needs to be further diluted as required. One 25ml bottle should flavour around 120 serves. It is especially useful simply brushed over cooked or smoked fish prior to service or used as a seasoning in soups or desserts.

Macadamia Nut Oil - Ideal as a salad dressing, on pasta, in mayonnaise, batters and bread mixes, in low temperature stir frying and as a base for macadamia nut cream, sauces for poultry or baked vegetables.



VENISON

GAME MEATS

Crocodile Meat - Crocodile has a very subtle flavour somewhere between fish and chicken. An ideal flavouring for crocodile meat is wattle. Poached crocodile with a wattle crust makes an ideal cold taster. Fillet and body flesh meat in 1kg packs are available frozen.

Kangaroo Meat - Kangaroo meat is a rich, lean meat. Prepare fresh meat like any other game meat (That is, sear on high heat and rest to cook through). Products available include boneless leg, diced meat, mince, tails and trim. The prime cut of the kangaroo, the long fillet, is also available.

Witjuti Grubs - Described as nutty in taste, these delicacies must be kept frozen until fried or baked since thawing will blacken the grubs. The witjuti grubs are usually 6-10cm in length.



OTHER

Paperbark - Paperbark can be used for preparing food and as a platter or display garnish. Cook poultry, vegetables and seafood by wrapping the food in paperbark and tying the parcel with vine or twine. Bake in the oven until done or on a hot plate or in a skillet until outside of bark is charred. The finished dish may be served in the bark-wrap, providing it is made obvious that the bark is not to be consumed.

Sugarbag (Native Bee Honey) - A subtle bittersweet combination of flavours of honey and port wine with a resinous note. Sugarbag has to be used cold, to maximise the flavours which are enhanced by dairy or soy products. A large hive may produce only one litre per year of this delicacy. Use for those very special dessert dishes.