From lemon myrtle potato chips to five-star restaurant meals, native ingredients are fast becoming popular ingredients in our food.
But for First Nations people, it's much more than a trend.
Adnyamathanha and Dieri man, Damien Coulthard, says native plants are woven into the identity of First Nations people — much like the Country they're from.
"If I think of the Flinders Rangers and the quandong (known as 'urti'), I think of our kinship system," he says.
"When you're born, you're given a moiety and that gives you your connection to place, plants and animals."
The benefits of cooking with native ingredients are endless. But with rising demand and a small number of farmers growing native produce, it can be hard to find on your local supermarket shelves — and once you do find the ingredients, how do you cook with them?
I caught up with Damien and his partner Rebecca Sullivan to get their advice on growing and cooking with native ingredients at home.
Over the last couple of years, Damien and Rebecca have been working hard to 'decolonise the food industry'.
They do this in a couple of ways — the first is teaching people about the importance of using traditional language names for native plants.
"Each plant is connected to a different [Indigenous] group … language is very important because it explains certain elements," Damien says.
By using original language names, it places you in the specific Country where that plant grows and the special connection First Nations people from that area have with it.
"Some of my fondest memories are with my grandmother, walking on Country foraging for fresh quandongs and then getting back to the kitchen to make a quandong pie," Damien says as he reflects back.
Thanks to international chefs, some native ingredients have started to boom – but it's also coming at the cost of cultural connections being lost.
"Macadamia is being shipped and grown offshore and the industry is worth over $40 million but the [number] of Aboriginal people [working] in the industry is less than 1 per cent," Damien says.
"What impact is that having on Elders who have a particular connection with that plant when it leaves Country?"
Damaged by colonisation, some native ingredients have lost their traditional name — like the Tasmanian pepperberry.
"When we deliver educational workshops, we use the Tasmanian pepperberry to talk about frontier warfare because it's a powerful tool for saying this belongs [to Palawa people] but sadly it doesn't have a language name," Damien says.
Understanding the colonial impact on native plants is important, especially when it comes to buying ingredients ethically today.
Before spending your money, Damien recommends researching the values of the business you're buying from first.
Look for products made by First Nations people or plants that are harvested by First Nations people on Country — particularly if you're buying from one of the big supermarkets.
You can also support First Nation suppliers, farmers, and businesses by buying from marketplaces or directories online that sell products from 'certified' Indigenous businesses.
Rebecca Sullivan is a self-taught cook, author and urban farmer who has been working in the sustainable food industry for over a decade.
She says the easiest way to use native plants in home cooked meals is by swapping them with staple ingredients — like herbs or salt and pepper.
"Everything we find in our cupboards or fridges, has a native alternative," Rebecca says.
"Tasmanian mountain pepper is super high in antioxidants, and it packs a huge punch, so you need way less than traditional pepper."
Many native Australian bush foods can fit right into backyard veggie patches and balcony gardens. Here are four to try.
To keep your pepperberries fresh, store them in an airtight container or a pepper grinder (if you're using dried pepper berries instead of the fresh leaves).
A simple dish Rebecca likes to cook for the family using lots of native ingredients is bolognaise.
"You can swap parsley for sea parsley along with bush tomatoes, bush salt and pepper berries. [For meat] try kangaroo, it's 84 per cent protein and it's cheaper than beef at the moment," she says.
Ripe bush tomatoes (known as 'kutjeri' to First Nations people in Central Australia) can be eaten raw, cooked or dried, replacing ingredients like sundried tomatoes, raisins and even vegemite.
If you're a tea or coffee lover, Rebecca says there's a range of great native ingredients you can try that not only taste good but have other benefits First Nations people have used for many years.
"Native lemongrass was nature's paracetamol," Rebecca says. "It's great for migraines but also makes a delicious cup of tea."
Another plant that Rebecca likes for tea is Geraldton wax, which calls Western Australia home.
"It's got a piney, lemony [taste] and it gives a citrus punch. It's great in tea and great as a stuffing in fish," she says.
If you're a coffee lover, it's all about the wattle seed.
"Wattleseed (known as 'ariepe' in Arrente or 'minga' in Adnyamathanha) is a coffee substitute," she says.
"You can make a pot of wattleseed coffee the same way you'd make a regular pot of coffee but it's caffeine free and still gives you a natural kick."
For First Nations people, plants like wattleseed are used for more than just food, making it an important part of caring for Country.
"The seed, 'minga', is used to make a particular type of paste for bread and when I think about the plant, it's also used for medicine and the tree is used for fire for warmth but also to make tools," Damien explains.
Want more food and recipe ideas? Join the conversation on the ABC Everyday Facebook group.
Damien and Rebecca have a variety of native plants they grow at home not only because it helps repair Country but because it's a great hobby for your mental health too.
"We're so busy in our day-to-day life that we don't actually take time to sit and process thoughts or emotions, so we really encourage people to start growing their own plants and spend some time in the garden," Damien says.
You don't need a large backyard or lots of space to start growing your own native plants.
Rebecca says herbs are a great plant to start because they can be grown in pots and kept in small spaces like your balcony.
"We've had our Geraldton wax for nearly 10 years and that started on our balcony and is now outside our kitchen window," she says.
"Plants I recommend [starting with] are native thyme, river mint, Geraldton wax, lemon myrtle tree and a pepperberry because the leaf is stunning."
Growing your own native plants aren't just good for your health and your wallet but they play an important role for our future too.
"This isn't a trend … and it's not just about eating this at home, this is reconciliation in more ways than one and it's environmentally climate resilient stuff."
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