Could one find any "bush tucker" in Sydney?

Generally, bush tucker refers to any edible wild (ie. non-farmed) plant or animal in Australia. Hunting and roasting a wild rabbit, however, would not be considered as bush tucker, 'cos rabbits had not yet been around prior to European civilisation (or invasion, depending on view point) in 1788. Thus kangaroos, wallabies, emu or even goannas would be prime examples of bush tucker as far as animals are concerned. In other words, native species of flora and fauna only qualify as bush tucker - although the term 'native' is open to interpretation as well: Are dingoes native? After all they originated in Asia and only came to Australia long after the first Aboriginal peoples already lived here...

A second characteristic usually attributed to bush tucker is that these were traditionally used as food by the various Aboriginal peoples. There are many edible plants that nobody ever bothered about, 'cos other, more nutritional or tastier species were available and usually such plants would not be considered bush tucker in a direct sense.

Given the vast size of Australia and the distinct landscapes and climates of different regions the various types of bush tucker available at any given location will vary across Australia. In the following paragraphs I will limnit myself to a few examples of bush tucker that can be found here in Sydney. And, yes, despite being a big metropolis called home by some 4.5 million people today there are quite a number of wilderness areas within the city and I'll talk about the reasons for that in one of my future blog posts.

Black-faced Wallaby (with joey) © 2008 Jo Gerk

There are still wild wallabies around some areas

of Sydney, but they are more likely to end up as roadkill (especially now in Winter when the evening rush hour traffic occurs around or after sunset) with the Wakehurst Parkway being one of the major wildlife death traps here in the North, than as BBQ fare. But the latter would be illegal anyway, as the only remaining mammal habitats in Sydney are within National Park boundaries, in which one should take nothing but photographs! Any interference with flora & fauna, aboriginal heritage sites or geological features is strictly - and rightfully! - prohibited in protected landscapes.

Sydney Rock Oyster

Pre-1788 seafood was a major part of Aboriginal diet in this region, especially shellfish varities: for example, Abalone (aka muttonfish or muttonshells here in Oz) and various types of oysters, such as the Sydney Rock Oyster.

The discarded shells piled up over time and these mounds are called (shell) middens. Today they provide invaluable information to archeologists, but back then they were very important in providing information about which species had been consumed last at a particular site, so that the next visitor would eat something different - quite a smart way to ensure "sustainable practices" centuries before white people had any idea what that term even means.

The European settlers destroyed many of those middens in the 18th and 19th century in order to use the shells in lime production for the construction of buildings in Sydney Town and also as fertiliser in the farms struggling on the poor sandstone soils.

And with the big harbour, fish were, of course, also on the menu - Bream, Mullet, Flathead or Leatherjackets, for example. The latter have a very rough skin, which the Aboriginal peoples supposedly have used like sandpaper. The Australian Museum lists a number of traditional names for different fish varieties in the Sydney region.

Often, when people hear the term "bush tucker" they think of insects and grubs, especially the Witchetty Grub, the large, white, wood-eating larvae of the Cossid Moth. Aboriginal women and children in the inland desert areas had to rely on these as a high protein source. The raw witchetty grub supposedly tastes like almonds and when cooked the skin becomes crisp like roast chicken while the inside becomes light yellow, like a fried egg (Wikipedia). I wouldn't know, as I haven't tried any (yet).

Witchetty grubs with bunya nuts and quandong dipping sauce

I found this platter in a photo by David Hancock accompanying an online article about Charles Darwin University cooking lecturer Steve Sunk in the NT News from 2008. Arranged like this the grubs look quite appealing, wouldn't you agree?

But with the seafood available in coastal regions there is no need to include any grubs or other insects in the diet. However, good to know for bush survival situations....

Much bigger importance lies with plants: berries, seeds, tubers, grasses... Whole books could be written about this subject - and actually, have been! Most notably Tim Low's "Wild Food Plants of Australia", which concentrates on more than 180 plants from South Eastern Australia and Les Hiddins' "Bush Tucker Field Guide". I just want to mention a handful here:

New Zealand Spinach

Warrigal Greens or (Warigal Cabbage aka New Zealand Spinach) are native to Argentina, Chile, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, where it was famously "discovered" by Captain James Cook, who used the plant extensively on board the Endeavour to allay scurvy amongst his crew. 

The Magenta Lilly Pilly is one of 4 species of Lilly Pilly growing in the Sydney region and the only one to be confined to NSW. The little dark red fruits are quite tasty, despite being fairly sour and the seed inside can ruin the experience sometimes.

Some 45 different types of figs grow in Australia, mostly in rainforests and on riverbanks. While all of them are edible, their taste quakities can vary substantially. Only five species grow as far South as Sydney and of these the Crowned Sandpaper Fig supposedly is the tastiest.

The most famous, and only native plant to also be farmed extensively internationally is the Macadamia Nut. Strictly speaking it does not belong here in this post, as it is from Queensland, rather than Sydney. However, I was told to use Macadamia Nut Oil with Ginger and Lemon-Myrtle to marinate kangaroo meat and I must admit that the result was very yummy!!

Finally, a word about Wattle Seeds: not all of them are edible, but among those that are, quite a few are very protein rich. The soft green seeds were eaten like peas, while the hard ripe ones were crushed into flower to make damper, or bush bread. On the South Coast the green seeds were often used as back-up food in times of food shortage. Talking about peas - there are about 850 kinds of native peas and beans in Oz and almost all of them are poisonous!

Apart from foods there were also medicinal uses for some plants. Lemon-Myrtle, for example, could be used to cure headaches, while Peppermint Gum unblocks a stuffy nose. Pig Face leaves can be used against sunburn and Lemon Scented Tea Tree chucked into the fire will keep the mozzies away!

Here is a little video clip featuring Aboriginal Education Officer Jess Sinnott showing some of those plants in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. Jess frequently runs presentations all over the city and if you ever get a chance to see her live, you should take advanatage of that. And if you're lucky she may have some yummy samples for you to taste as well (like her wattle seed cream cake, for example)!

How about you? Has any of you ever tried any bush tucker? Or used it as an ingredient for an "ordinary" meal? What was it and how did you like it? I'm looking forward to your stories :)