From foraging with an Indigenous guide to dining on bush tucker under the stars, an exploration of Australia’s unique local fare is a delicious way to get to know the country better.For many, one of the best parts of travelling is introductions to new cultures and, as part of that, new foods. Australia is no exception.
Australia's Indigenous people are well versed in the native ingredients of the land, having depended on them for some 60,000 years.
Many native plants have long been used as medicine with astonishing health qualities – like the Kakadu plum, which grows in northern Australia, has the highest vitamin C content of any fruit in the world. The lemon myrtle herb is rich in calcium; and the endemic wattle seed is exceptionally high in protein, iron and zinc.
Learning about and tasting some of these in the settings they're found in, often from Indigenous guides whose knowledge is passed down through generations, is an enriching experience and can take many forms.
Here we explore some of the bush tucker encounters on offer that will excite the palate and expand the mind.
One of Western Australia's most awarded wineries, Mandoon Estate in Swan Valley sits on a land of rich history, influenced by the traditional owners, the Noongar peoples.
Noongar Elder, Dale Tilbrook, passes on some of that knowledge through her Bush Tucker Tasting & Talk, on which you can try traditional bush food and learn about Indigenous farming methods.
For something more hands-on, Tropical North Queensland has a number of interactive tours to choose from.
Walkabout Cultural Adventures host, Juan Walker a Kuku Yalanji man from the Mossman-Daintree area, hosts an epic mud-crabbing adventure. His parents, grandparents and many generations before them were born in the region, making this a deeply personal, intimate experience. Cruise mangroves scanning for mud crabs in tidal flats, forage for pipis in the shallows, and learn how to spearfish.
Or head to the remote areas of Cape Tribulation on an Adventure North Australia tour, guided by Kuku Yalanji brothers Linc and Brandon Walker. Here you can also learn how to spearfish, catch a crab or fossick for traditional bush tucker, before cooking up your haul with damper, a traditional bread.
Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, the Walker brothers teach you about traditional foods and hunting techniques, as well as help you gain an understanding of the environment, sacred sites and ancient rock formations.
For something a little more sedate, but equally memorable, Ayers Rock Resort in the heart of the country, provides a bush tucker bonanza in style.
Travel to the Northern Territory's Red Centre with Voyages Indigenous Tourism and choose from a wide range of native food experiences, including everything from free, accessible cooking demonstrations to the famous Sounds of Silence dinner – a three-course banquet of fine bush dining in the open-air, under an unbelievable blanket of stars...not to be missed.
You don't even need to head to the bush to get a taste of native ingredients. An Aboriginal Bush Food Tour at Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden, located just behind the Sydney Opera House, will introduce you to a raft of seasonal bush fare, followed by a unique dining experience using the ingredients you've come to learn about.
In restaurants around the country, too, chefs have been tapping into the unique qualities of native ingredients and introducing their own modern twist.
Foods such as saltbush (a desert shrub with a beautifully clean umami flavour) and wattleseed, which changes its flavour profile dependent on whether it has been ground or roasted are a chef's dream. Green wattleseed tastes almost like peanut satay, while roast wattleseed has a lovely coffee-chocolate flavour.
And, in some of the world's most acclaimed restaurants, such as New Zealand chef Ben Shewry's Attica in Victoria, Jock Zonfrillo's Orana in Adelaide and Matt Moran's Bea in Sydney's Barangaroo House, your palate will be taken on an unforgettable journey of Australian flavours.