Thanks to a new collaboration involving researchers from across UQ, Australian bush tucker could soon be found in kitchens around the world.
If you were asked which foods Australia is most famous for, there are probably a few key staples that come to mind.
Pavlova, Vegemite and the trusty meat pie are all examples of iconic ‘Aussie’ foods, despite the fact they are actually just local forms of foods found all over the world.
On the other hand, there are many foods found only in Australia that many of us have never even heard of – but thanks to a new UQ-wide initiative, their benefits are starting to be revealed to the world.
The Uniquely Australian Foods initiative, led by Associate Professor Yasmina Sultanbawa, is a collaboration between six organisations that is working with Indigenous groups to bring Australian native foods like Kakadu plums, pindan walnuts, wattle seed and sugarbag honey to the culinary world stage.
While Australia’s Indigenous population has long known the health benefits of native bush tucker, these unique Australian ingredients have remained a largely untapped commodity by the mainstream food industry.
“Indigenous plants – nutrient-dense, climate-resilient and biologically unique – have the potential to impact food biodiversity on a global scale."
For more information: www.uniquelyaustralianfoods.org
