Bush Foods

This spectacular flower is the red and green kangaroo paw Anigozanthos manglesii. It's the floral emblem of Western Australia and this one is growing in a pot in my garden.









When the first European settlers arrived here in Western Australia they brought with them a lot of ideas on how to 'improve' the country. With the pretence that Australia was terra nullius or a land that belonged to no-one, they tried to wrestle the land and indigenous people into a European mould. Very belatedly there has been recognition that the indigenous population possessed a rich culture. They had been using firestick farming for thousands of generations and they still have much knowledge to share. We can't go back and alter what happened but we can acknowledge and learn from them and one way would be to acknowledge that this is not Europe. I know - who'd have guessed that a continent on the opposite of the globe might not work in the same way as that the colonists came from. It was a belief fuelled by extraordinary arrogance and ignorance I suspect.

Well the world turns and we learn. Which is why these days like many others I'm very interested in growing indigenous food plants along with those that have been imported from the Mediterranean climes which are so similar to our own. There was a time when this was difficult. With the exception of macadamia nuts very little notice was taken of local food crops. In fact in many places they were deliberately pulled out to provide growing space for exotics and while this still happens to a degree people are becoming more aware of bush tucker and how to use it.

And it's not only gardeners who are interested. Flavourings like lemon myrtle, finger limes and pepperberry as well as foods like quandongs, riberries, warrigal greens and wattleseed are only a few of the native plants making their way to restaurants and specialist suppliers. I've discovered a couple of nurseries that specialise in edible bush plants nearby and I've plans to go on a wander and stock up on some of the more unusual ones but in truth I don't have to go all that far. When I was at my local Bunnings store recently I discovered a section devoted to some of the more commonly used species. I didn't buy anything that day - I needed to go home and prepare some beds for planting - but I've convinced Pisces that we need to go back. Who knows what treasures I may find there. I'll let you know when I've had a look around.

If you're wondering why the kangaroo paw image, it's because I read recently that it was a food staple  for the local Noongar people before colonisation. I haven't been able to find out how they used it  yet but I will be continuing my journey of discovering how to use bush tucker and when I find out you'll be the first to know.