The Australian Ingredients Kitchen

Many Australians are still unfamiliar with native foods such as wattleseed and lemon myrtle, while international New Age superfoods like goji berries and acai are all the rage.

In this accessible cookbook, bushfoods industry pioneer and Nyul Nyul Elder Bruno Dann and Tahlia Mandie of Kakadu Plum Co. have come together to share recipes and stories as part of Australia’s ongoing journey towards reconciliation. There are 60 everyday dishes drawn from Elder Bruno’s camp kitchen and Tahlia’s family kitchen, as well as contributor recipes from both First Nations and non-Indigenous cooks, all with the mission that every Australian cook will choose local ingredients over international varieties.

There is a detailed pantry section with an overview of each bushfood and 60 delicious recipes organised into chapters as follows:
• Drinks: Bush teas; Lemon myrtle iced tea; Cacao, coconut & gubinge (kakadu plum) smoothie bowl.
• Coastal: Dave’s chilli mud crab; Whole barramundi with lemon myrtle; The ‘no-recipe’ grilled salmon; Bush fish curry.
• Meat: Barbecued steak with pepperberry & bush honey carrots; Chilli con kanga tortillas with warrigal greens salsa verde; Easy roast chicken with lemon myrtle, pepperberry & pepperleaf.
• Plant-based: Fresh green salad with karkalla; Hearty vegetable soup with lemon myrtle & native thyme; Cucumber & parsley salad with finger lime pearls.
• Sides: Wattleseed & native oregano foccacia; Uncle Charlie’s desert lime & quandong popcorn; bush dukkah.
• Sweets: No-bake brownies; Easy apple & quandong crumble; Raspberry & finger lime custard pie; Wattleseed pikelets with strawberry gum & berry topping.

By more Australians cooking with bushfoods, we can better respect First Nations knowledge, as well as appreciating the importance of living in harmony with the land. The Australian Ingredients Kitchen offers a practical way to connect to Country and First Nations cultures.

Author Biography

Bruno Dann is a Nyul Nyul Elder who lives on his traditional lands near Broome, where he runs Twin Lakes Cultural Parks and grows bushfoods including gubinge (kakadu plum). Bruno uses traditional Nyul Nyul bush and fire management systems to maintains healthy bushlands. These practices have been passed down for thousands of years, and ensure the continuance of the biodiversity on Country and its food sources.

Tahlia Mandie established Kakadu Plum Co. in 2016 when she realised that too many people were opting for international superfoods over Australian varieties. After connecting with Bruno and learning about gubinge (kakadu plum), Tahlia made it her mission to put Australian bushfoods on the map for all Australians. Kakadu Plum Co. has an online store and is also a platform showcasing many artisan products, homewares and body products made by Australian and First Nations businesses.