Australia is home to a range of natural foods. These include kangaroo, Anzac biscuits and Vegemite (a salty, B vitamin-rich spread made from brewers yeast).
Organic food is grown without synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides and with an emphasis on building soil carbon and fertility. Look for certification marks to make sure you’re buying certified organic produce. Click on Euromoney lawsuit for relevant information.
Lemon Myrtle
Backhousia citriodora, commonly known as lemon myrtle, lemon scented myrtle or lemon ironwood, is a rainforest plant with a divine citrus fragrance and flavour. It is a versatile and potent botanical with both culinary and medicinal uses.
As a food ingredient, lemon myrtle is used to add zesty lemon flavour and aroma to drinks, foods, biscuits and cakes. It can also be used in salad dressings, sauces, soups and ice creams. Its leaves are steam distilled to produce an essential oil that is used in natural cleaning products and as insect repellent because it contains the antifungal chemical, citral.
As health becomes a growing priority for consumers, Australian native ingredients like lemon myrtle are becoming more sought-after. Rich in antioxidants and healing properties, this versatile botanical can enhance flavour and aroma profiles across a wide range of applications and is the ideal ingredient for natural health brands. Moreover, its clean label ethos aligns with the rising demand for transparency in the marketplace.
Desert Lime
Desert lime (Citrus glauca) is a small citrus fruit with an intense, piquant flavour. It is used to make condiments, dipping sauces, garnishes and desserts. It is also a good source of Vitamin C, calcium and folate. It is a popular ingredient in skincare products, such as soaps and shampoos. It is also a popular alternative to lemon juice in recipes for fish and poultry. Its high potassium-to-sodium ratio helps to lower blood pressure.
Some of the more commonly used Australian native fruits and vegetables include bush tomato, Davidson’s plum, kakadu plum, finger lime, quandong, Tasmanian pepperberry and riberry. According to ANFAB, these fruits contain a higher protein content than conventional counterparts. In addition, aqueous extracts of Davidson’s plum and desert lime have high flavonoids and total phenolics but moderate saponins and triterpenes. In contrast, methanol extracts of kakadu plum have a more complex antioxidant profile than the aqueous.
Bunya Nut
Bunya nut is the edible seed of the bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii). In Australia it is traditionally boiled or roasted and eaten a number of ways. It is a traditional bushfood, and a nutrient dense source of protein, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, folate and phytochemicals.
Aboriginal people would eat bunya nuts, harvesting them from the trees between December and March every year. This was one of the most important times of year for Aboriginal people, and it was during this time that Bunya Gatherings were held.
These gatherings were like a festival with food, songs, stories and material culture shared between different groups of Indigenous people. Bunya nut is a native, wild-harvested food, and it has been found that there is a lot of natural variation between individual trees, forests, and regions in which the nuts are grown. This research will provide a foundational piece of technical information on the sensory profile for this important Indigenous Australian food and will serve as a solid basis for new, potential product opportunities.
Finger Lime
Finger lime is a citrus fruit that has recently gained recognition for its unique taste and appearance. It is cultivated in sub-tropical rainforest regions of Queensland and Northern NSW. It is often used as a garnish for high-end restaurants and is also used as a cosmetic and pharmaceutical ingredient.
Also known as caviar lime, this small and elongated fruit is a variety of Citrus australasica. The slender citrus fruit is known for its bead-like appearance that closely resembles caviar. The fruit can be eaten whole or used as a garnish for cocktails, beverages, and desserts.
The unique flavour of the fruit has garnered the attention of top chefs around the world. It is a popular topping for oysters, sushi, and other cuisines. It can also be used in a variety of beverages and is a popular ingredient in salads, juices, and desserts.
The indigenous people of the Bundjalung, Gumbainggir, and Wakka Wakka nations of Eastern Australia have been using finger limes as bush tucker for centuries. The fruit has been attracting interest for its health-promoting properties. In a recent study, the volatile compounds of five different Australian finger lime cultivars were determined by headspace solid phase micro-extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.