

| Edible seeds found in South Australian Native Flora Wattle Seeds. |
| The Aboriginals used wattle seed to make a type of four. They cooked this often in ovens made in a hole in the ground using hot coals and hot rocks. Wattle seeds are very nutritious. Some types were also eaten green or cooked in the pod. According to CSIRO studies the following nutritional elements are in wattle seeds, exact amounts vary amongst the different species. Potassium, calcium, iron and zinc in fairly high concentrations. Protein aprox. 23%. Carbohydrate - 26%, fat/oil (poly & mono - unsaturated) - 9%. Wattle seeds have a low glycemic index which means they are good for diabetics, providing a steady stream of sugars that do not produce sudden rises in blood glucose levels. Most vitamins are found except for C, B12 and riboflavin. they are high in fibre - over 30%. Listed below are some of the edible species found in Australia. Acacia notabilis, Acacia papyrocarpa, Acacia pycnantha, Acacia victoriae - the last one being considered one of the best for commercial use. Some Acacia wattle seeds contain toxins and should not be eaten. It is important that wattle seeds be prepared correctly to ensure some minor toxins are dealt with. Some species need heat treatment as in roasting the seeds before grinding, others need the sticky pod coating removed because it is an irritant and other seeds can be even eaten green. Acacia Wattle seeds are today used in cakes, ice cream, breads to improve protein content and as a coffee substitute drink. The popularity of wattle seeds in cooking is increasing as varieties are becoming commercially available. "Reports of adverse effects. No records of adverse effects have been located. This, together with the long history of traditional use, indicates that A. victoriae seeds have no inherent toxicity. Other Acacias used by the bushfood industry include: • Acacia notabilis F.Muell. (notable or noble wattle) • Acacia pycnantha Benth. (golden wattle) and • Acacia retinodes Schltdl. (wirilda) • Acacia sophorae (Labill.) R.Br., also known as A. longifolia var. sophorae (elegant wattle, coast wattle)" Extract taken from <http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/NPP/01-28.pdf> |
| Spicy Quandong Fruit sauce This sauce is nice with Kangaroo fillet. 15 Quandongs (dried or fresh) rough chop 1/4 cup vinegar (don't use sweet spiced type) 2 small chillies - chopped and de- seeded 1 tsp salt 1 tbspn brown sugar or palm sugar If using dried quandong soak in a little warm water for half an hour, then drain. Simmer slowly quandong and chillies in the vinegar with salt and sugar added, until mixture has become reduced and quandongs soft and mushy. - About 30 mins. Sauce should be nappier, meaning the mixture coats the back of a spoon it does not just run straight off, a bit like thin custard. |
Quandong Fruit Jam 21/4 cups fruit 2 cups sugar rainwater to cover. Foil fruit until tender, add sugar and simmer 20-30 minutes. Pour into clean warm jars seal with lids tight allow to cool. You can use half brown sugar instead of all white. You can also make Quangdong chutney. Use recipe as above then add 1 tbspn of sultanas, 1 dspn of mixed fruit (optional) 1/2 an apple (fine dice), pinch salt, pinch cloves, 1 tspn lemon or vinegar. Simmer for another 30 mins. Nutrition value Quandong Fruit:- per 100g 2645 kj, Protein - 16 g, Fat - 63.1g, Fibre - 4.8g Minerals:- Cu-1.8mg, Fe-10.6mg, Mg-200mg, K-388mg, Na-65mg, Zn-6.6mg Vitamins:- Niacin 2.7mg CSIRO says it is high in vitamin C but I have not yet found anyone with specific values. |

| Bush Cucumber: Cuccumis melo Subspecies agrestis |
| This species of fruit has relatives in Asia and Europe where it has been bred into all manner of melons and cucumbers, including the cantaloupe. It prefers a sheltered spot and is a creeping vine, spreading up to 3 meters. It has triangular, pale green leaves with a rough texture. Grows in semi-arid lands of NT Queensland and South Australia. It is a little frost sensitive. Has a pleasant taste. The seeds are spread by birds as their stomachs do not digest them but cattle and sheep digest the seeds and are causing a decline of this species in Australia. |

| Ever wondered what Australian Aboriginals survive on in desert regions such as Uluru (Ayres Rock). Well one plant commonly know as the Mulga (Acacia aneura) has a rich source of food. You can eat the lumps of gum that form after insect attack - very sweet. You can eat the seeds by making flour from them - high in protein. Then there are the parasites that live on them which taste good too. Such as the Mulga apple - wasp gall, the Red lerp - Austrochardia acaciae red scale insect. and the fruit of the pale leaf mistletoe Amyema maidenii. Australian Bush Tucker is amazing |
| Australian Figs Rock Figs - Ficus platypoda, found in the outback of australia contains upto 4000 milligrams of calcium ber hundred grams, far more than any western food. ( Tim Low - Bush Tucker Australia's Wild Harvest. The Morten bay fig is also edible. The Rock Fig sprouts in crevices among boulders - hence the name. |
| Nitre bush (Nitraria billardieri) found in Southern Australia, has juicy fruit slightly saline, not high in vitamin C. |