HEALTH

INDIGENOUS FLAVOURS WEEK - YEAR 10 FOOD TECHNOLOGY

Australian bush food, colloquially and affectionately referred to as “bush tucker”, refers to any flora and/or fauna native to the lands of Australia. Recently, the Year 10 Food Technology students paid homage to 60,000+ years of Indigenous culture by taste-testing a variety of native foods as well as investigating Indigenous culture.

Continue reading to hear directly from two Year 10 Food Technology students:

“Recently in Year 10 Food Technology, the students had an Indigenous culture week. During this time, we were invited to produce ‘Spiced Kangaroo sausage rolls’. I (like many others) was excited that I had the privilege to experience something new. Once our sausage rolls were in the oven, we were given the opportunity to try crocodile. At first, I was a little skeptical but I ended up trying some and to be honest, it was good - it tasted a lot like chicken! The crocodile was quick to cook and was cut into small pieces for everyone to try. The vast majority of students loved the sausage rolls too and overall, the week was an amazing experience. 

In the same week we also tried a variety of native herbs in our workshop class - these include wattle seed damper and flatbreads sprinkled with ‘old bush man’s salt’ and ‘bush tomato.’ The damper went really fast as it was still steaming from the oven. The nutty aroma of the wattle seed wafted around the room. The bread was served with butter and it was delicious. It was my personal favourite because I loved the flavour of the damper with the hints of sweet spice”. 

Montana Aloi 

“Australian food variety has changed a lot over time, with people migrating from distant places, bringing new tastes and flavours. But we must not forget the times prior to the settling of British colonization, when Indigenous Australians peacefully lived together and used the natural resources provided by mother nature to endure the difficult conditions. Indigenous Australians hunted meat and gathered berries, nuts and wild fruit to use for their food; bush medicines were also created from native flora which have superior antioxidant capacities”.

Adele Finn 

‘Spiced Kangaroo rolls served with tomato relish’ 

Noah Fato 

If you would like to read more about Australia’s native bush foods and access a range of delicious recipes which include Indigenous herbs and spices, check out the following link: Natif Foods.

Ms Carmen Moloney

‘Health’ Learning Area Manager