Opinion 14 indigenous Australian bush foods every cook should know

To celebrate National Reconciliation Week, we’re exploring the incredible world of native Australian bush foods — ingredients with deep cultural roots, extraordinary flavour, and endless potential.

National Reconciliation Week (27th May – 3rd of June) is a time to learn about, reflect on, and celebrate the rich cultures, stories, and living traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples — and one of the most joyful ways to do that is through food.

Whether you’re a culturally curious home cook or simply keen to learn more about Australia’s native botanicals, these bush foods will change your definition of ‘local’ produce, and you might be surprised how easily they fit into dishes you already know and love!

What are Australian bush foods?

Indigenous Australian bush foods are plants and ingredients that have been cultivated, harvested, and cooked by First Nations peoples on this continent for tens of thousands of years. They’re the original Australian ‘superfoods’, each one infused with local tradition, culture, and an intimate knowledge of the land that continues to this day.

And yet, most of us probably couldn’t name more than one or two bush foods! Think about that for a moment — the abundant natural flavours of the lands we live on, ingredients that have nourished people here for millennia, are almost entirely absent from our everyday cooking. If you’re keen to change that, growing and cooking with native Australian ingredients can be a small but meaningful way to deepen your connection to Country and culture, one recipe at a time.

You can find many bush tucker foods online through Indigenous-owned suppliers like Bush to Bowl and Bakarindi Bush Foods, or even at your local farmers’ market and specialty greengrocers. And keep an eye out on your morning walks! A few of these Australian bush foods might even be growing wild near you.

Note: Many of these ingredients carry different names across hundreds of distinct Aboriginal language groups. Where traditional names are included here, they represent just one of many.

1. Wattleseed

If you haven’t cooked with wattleseed before, prepare to have your mind blown! Ground from the roasted seeds of Australia’s native acacia trees, wattleseed delivers a rich, earthy, complex flavour with notes of coffee, chocolate, roasted hazelnut, and warm spice all at once.

An ingredient now celebrated by chefs and artisan bakers worldwide, wattleseed has been a staple that has sustained First Nations people for thousands of years. Traditionally ground into flour for damper, wattleseed can also be stirred through brownie batter, blended into chia pudding, swirled through ice cream, or even made into a native (and plant-based) twist on Nutella. As a bonus, this protein-rich Australian bush food is super low-GI, meaning its carbohydrates release slowly and help keep your energy steady.

2. Midyim Berry

These small white-and-purple-speckled berries look like little marshmallows and taste like a more exciting blueberry — sweet and tangy with a refreshing hint of spice. Midyim berries are wonderful eaten fresh as a snack, folded into muffins and scones, stirred into fruit salads, or preserved as a jam.

Plus, they’re remarkably nutritious! A single serving delivers around 28% of your recommended daily iron intake, making them a great energy booster and healthy sweet treat.

3. Bush Tomato (Akudjura)

Renowned Torres Strait Islander chef Nornie Bero calls the bush tomato the “indigenous stock cube”, and once you taste one, you’ll understand why! This small desert tomato packs an extraordinary punch. Fresh, it’s intensely savoury and umami with a sweet, caramel-like twist. Dried, its flavour intensifies into something earthier and more complex — think sun-dried tomato crossed with raisin, carob, and a hint of spice.

Grate it over bruschetta in place of garlic, stir it into braises, curries, sauces, and chutneys, or grind it into spice rubs and dukkah. Bush tomato contains selenium (a rare and important mineral) as well as iron, vitamin E, folate, zinc, magnesium, and even more antioxidants than the mighty blueberry.

4. Native Thyme

Despite the name, native thyme is actually from the mint family. Found all across Australia, it has aromatic undertones of oregano, rosemary, and — yes — thyme, and both the leaves and beautiful purple flowers are edible.

You can use the leaves sparingly as a direct replacement for thyme in any savoury dish, from tomato-based pasta sauces and roasted root veggies to homemade pizza. The flowers make a gorgeous garnish, or you can infuse them into syrups for something a little more special. Packed with highly concentrated beneficial plant compounds, native thyme more than earns its place in any kitchen pantry or herb garden.

5. Cinnamon Myrtle

Cinnamon myrtle is a glossy-leafed shrub that grows all along Australia’s east coast. Its aromatic leaves carry cosy notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, and can be used fresh or dried as a one-for-one substitute for cinnamon in almost any recipe.

Try adding it to pumpkin or sweet potato before roasting, folding it through the batter of baked goods like muffins, biscuits, and slices, or simmering whole leaves in plant-based milk or cream for a gentle, chai-like infusion. It also makes a spectacular addition to mulled wine and warm cocktails.

Traditionally used as both a cooking ingredient and digestive aid by First Nations people, cinnamon myrtle is also rich in antioxidants and antimicrobial properties.

6. Muntries (Emu Apple / Munthari)

Crunchy, a little spicy, with a flavour falling somewhere between apple and juniper berry, muntries are one of those Australian bush tucker foods that will make you wonder why they aren’t in every supermarket already.

Serve them fresh on a cheeseboard or in a salad, use as a one-for-one substitute for apples or sultanas in baking (e.g. folded into buns and cakes), or transform them into a rich jam, chutney, or fruit glaze. They’re also lovely on top of muesli bowls or a decadent dessert like pavlova. In addition to their delicious flavour, muntries are overflowing with antioxidants, vitamins C and E, dietary fibre, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

7. Coastal Pigface (Karkalla)

Also known as beach fig, coastal pigface is one of those Australian bush foods that stops people in their tracks at first taste. Its thick, succulent leaves are juicy and crunchy with a briny, sea-salty flavour that’s every bit as interesting as it sounds.

Every part of the plant is edible raw or cooked, including the leaves, daisy-like flowers, and berries. The leaves can be pickled, tossed raw into salads, stirred into soups, or roasted for a natural salt substitute, whereas the ripe fruits are wonderful fresh or turned into native jam.

Pigface also pairs beautifully with mushrooms, leafy greens, ginger, and garlic, making it an awesome addition to stir-fries — and is an excellent source of fibre, iron, and calcium.

8. Old Man Saltbush

Consider old man saltbush your native alternative to table salt. The plant naturally draws saline from the soil, making its succulent leaves intensely salty and mineral-rich.

Add them fresh to salads and stir-fries, or pan-fry them until crispy and use them as a garnish on top of pizza or arancini balls. You can even blitz dry saltbush leaves into a powder and combine them with other natives, like Tasmanian pepperberry or lemon myrtle, to create your own bush food spice blend. With its leaves containing up to 10% protein, this humble shrub is a superfood (and craveworthy salt fix) hiding in plain sight.

9. Lemon Myrtle

Lemon myrtle’s claim to fame is that it’s even more lemony than actual lemon, though somehow without the sourness. The bright, aromatic leaves of this rainforest tree carry a sweet lemon-lime fragrance with subtle eucalyptus undertones, and a little goes a long way.

Use it wherever you need a citrusy lift, for example, in marinated tofu or roasted veggies, creamy pasta sauces, soups, salad dressings, or as a stand-in for bay leaf in hearty slow-cooked dishes. And, it’s just as versatile in baking: try lemon myrtle in cakes, slices, and desserts for a mellow but refreshing zing.

Nutritionally, lemon myrtle is a rich natural source of antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and E, and minerals including calcium, zinc, and magnesium.

10. Tasmanian Pepperberry

If you love black pepper but feel like it sometimes lacks a certain je ne sais quoi, try Tasmanian pepperberry! Up to four times more potent than ordinary black pepper, it builds gradually into a deep, complex heat that mellows beautifully during cooking, revealing a subtle fruity sweetness.

Use it anywhere you’d typically use black pepper — in sauces, salts, marinades, and dressings — or get adventurous and add a pinch to dark chocolate truffles or brownies. Tasmanian pepperberry handles savoury and sweet notes with equal grace, and it’s a nutritional powerhouse compared to black pepper, packing antioxidants, vitamin C, fibre, and minerals into every sprinkle.

11. Davidson Plum (Ooray)

With its vibrant purple flesh and wildly tart, tangy flavour, the Davidson plum is one of the most striking indigenous Australian bush foods around — and there are so many different ways to incorporate it into your go-to recipes.

We recommend using this ingredient as you would rhubarb or sour cherries. It’s delicious poached, stewed, made into jam or compote, and especially paired with chocolate, as its sharpness cuts through sweetness in a deeply rich and satisfying way.

The powdered form is spectacular blended into smoothies, pies, blissballs, or cheesecake, and for savoury applications, try it in a glaze or relish alongside roasted veggies. Rich in vitamin C, dietary fibre, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, Davidson plum is just as nutritious as it is vibrant.

12. Finger Lime

Often called ‘citrus caviar’, finger limes contain tiny, pearl-like vesicles that burst with tart, citrusy flavour as you chew them. Slice the fruit in half lengthwise, squeeze out the pearls, and use them as a garnish anywhere you want a hit of brightness and texture — avocado toast, salads, cocktails, sparkling water, or desserts like key lime pie. (My favourite use of finger lime is to add zing to tartar sauce for vegan calamari!)

The skin is edible, too: simply zest it like a regular lime or candy the whole fruit into marmalade. Finger limes are increasingly available fresh at specialty greengrocers and are well worth seeking out, especially since they’re also a great source of vitamin C, dietary fibre, and potassium.

13. Strawberry Gum

Strawberry gum lends itself well to a fun culinary party trick — adding warm, strawberry flavour to baked goods and drinks without a single strawberry in sight! Although it’s a member of the eucalyptus family, it has leaves that smell and taste uncannily like ripe strawberries, with lingering hints of cinnamon and passionfruit.

Dried and ground, you can use it to add jammy sweetness to meringues, cookies, and cakes. Alternatively, when infused into a simple sugar syrup, it becomes the perfect base for sorbets, glazes, sauces, and fruity cocktails.

Also high in antioxidants, it’s a brilliant way to add natural sweetness to a dish without reaching for extra sugar. Trust us, strawberry gum is the native ingredient your dessert repertoire didn’t know it was missing!

14. Warrigal Greens

This native leafy green has a mild, pleasant flavour similar to regular spinach, and can be substituted into almost any recipe that calls for it — think pasta, stir-fries, pastries, quiches, and even green smoothies.

The one thing to know about warrigal greens is that you’ll need to give them a quick blanch before eating, as this neutralises oxalates in the leaves and brings out their best texture. Once blanched, the sturdy, fleshy leaves handle heat beautifully, making them ideal for anything from a simple sauté with garlic to a hearty pie filling.

Abundant in vitamins C and K, fibre, iron, and antioxidants, warrigal greens are a reminder that First Nations peoples have understood the nutritional wealth of this land for many thousands of years.

Want to grow your own Australian bush foods?

Many of these ingredients thrive in home gardens and are a beautiful way to bring a little Country into your everyday life.

Warrigal greens are an easy, fast-growing start. Treat them with  little TLC, and they’ll reward you generously! Lemon myrtle, old man saltbush, and river mint are all hardy and easy to care for, while finger limes make a stunning, productive garden tree given a little time and patience.

Murnong (yam daisy) is a more adventurous pick — a small, dandelion-like plant with sweet, coconutty tubers that was once one of the most important staple foods in south-eastern Australia. Most native plant nurseries across Australia stock at least a few of these species, so be sure to call ahead and see what they have.

Growing any of these plants on the land on which you live is, in its own small way, an act of respect and restoration, and means you’ll always have something genuinely local to cook with.

Celebrate National Reconciliation Week by cooking with Country

If you’re keen to incorporate more bush foods into your cooking, these 14 native ingredients are just the beginning! There are hundreds of native plants, seeds, fruits, and herbs that make up these diverse culinary traditions — all shaped, refined, and lovingly passed down through countless generations of First Nations peoples.

While Australian bush tucker foods deserve far more than seven days’ attention, Reconciliation Week is a great time to start trying something new. Cook with an ingredient you’ve never heard of, order from an Indigenous-owned supplier like Bush to Bowl, Bakarindi Bush Foods, or simply share what you’ve learned with someone else. Every small act of curiosity and respect adds up.

The knowledge embedded in these ingredients — about this land, its seasons, and how we can nourish ourselves from what it offers — has been kept alive for longer than we can fully comprehend, and we have so much yet to learn from these living, evolving traditions.

As a special gift for our VegKit community, enjoy 20% off native bushfoods, plants, produce, and workshops at Bush to Bowl. Visit our special voucher page for more details and start experimenting with the many native ingredients available to us.

Want to learn more about First Nations food culture and land management? Bruce Pascoe’s award-winning book Dark Emu is an eye-opening place to start.