Introduction:
For people who are outdoor enthusiasts, or say, who love to go around for a trip to nature, they will be loving to visit the land of indigenous foods in Australia. To be honest the indigenous people in Australia have been working to ensure their local culture, agricultural and natural resources are properly sustained for a very long time. Their diet also includes bush vegetables, fruits, small berries, and small animals as well. Being health conscious, they also believe that these foods are gifts of their deity and use these foods in ceremonies as well. Another interesting fact about this indigenous food diet is that these foods have balanced or low sugars for which they tend to stay away from chronic and terminal illnesses most of the time.
Animals Over Bush Foods?
These people do crave fish and meat a lot. So much so that in ancient times they used to collect bush foods from the mountains and would give them to the coastal people in exchange for some fish and meat. That was in the past but in modern times, they can access meat very easily. The scientific reason for these people’s cravings for meat is because from the meat they can receive a high amount of protein and Vitamin B which in turn levels up their energy and gives them enough stamina to concentrate on all the hard work throughout the day.
Other than their exchange system, they also used to hunt for bigger animals in the jungle and fish in ponds and oceans whenever they had the chance. The meats used to be pounded perfectly before steaming in the water for stew or smoking on the open fire. Their favorite seafood includes the water crab and barramundi and was roasted or burnt covered in paper bark for a hearty dinner. In the case of meat once again, kangaroos were and still are their favorite as their meat is high in protein than beef, low in fat, and rich in Vitamin C. Some of their other preferred meat and seafood include duck, oysters, mussels, eels, etc.
Grubs- A Favorite In The Indigenous Diet:
Most people may feel nauseous hearing this but this type of food is common in the nutrition list of tribes around the globe. These are small insects and no one will want to put them on the list of nutrition and no one is judging as well. Witchery grub is the favorite of the aboriginal people of Australia and they either consume it raw or roast it on an open flame. These grubs are essential according to the people there for their survival. These grubs are filled with thiamine, folate, niacin, and calcium and are great immunity boosters. They taste exactly like lemon and hence they prefer it the most.
Bush Fruits And Vegetables:
We are done now with all the grubs and insects on the diet and it is time to move on to fruits and vegetables. Taking a hike in nature, we will find so many native bush fruits and vegetables. The kakadu plum is popular among everyone and is known as the key ingredient for kakadu plum sauce. Kakadu plum has Vitamin C which is equal to the Vitamin C found in more than 50 oranges in total. Davidson’s plum jam sauce also comes as a complementary dip in many restaurants. Water lilies, yams, white elderberry, snowberry, etc are also some of the nutritious foods that are becoming popular outside of the indigenous communities.
Conclusion:
If you want to learn about or visit an indigenous community in Australia, it is important that you also familiarize yourself with their diet and how they have lived and survived throughout the ages. This helps in understanding the history and cultures and is a way to connect with new friends.
