Ancient Flavours: An Introduction to Native Australian Ingredients and Where to Try Them

More than 60,000 years in the making, Indigenous ingredients are a unique way to experience – and taste – Australia.

What does Australia taste like? For some, Australia is all about dazzlingly fresh seafood, fished from some of the planet’s most pristine waters. For others, it’s the love-it-or-hate-it taste of Vegemite that transports them down under, while the international brunch set will tell you that Australia’s greatest gifts to the world are the flat white, avocado toast and other hallmarks of the Australian cafe.

But to Australia’s Indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the taste of Australia is best expressed through the continent’s larder of native ingredients; a kaleidoscope of flavours and textures that represent some 60,000 years – and counting – of connection to the land. Traditionally, many native fruits, grains and plants were used as medicine. Today, chefs around the country are using these ancient ingredients to create a fuller, more delicious expression of Australian cuisine: a cuisine that could only exist on a continent awash with such unique ingredients.

Here's a checklist of 10 commonly found native ingredients and dishes to seek out next time you’re in Australia.

Kakadu plum

With around 100 times more vitamin C than an orange, the Kakadu plum is the definition of a superfood and has turned heads in the medical world. At Songbird at Ritz-Carlton Perth, Kakadu plum stars in the Spotted Dove, a non-alcoholic cocktail that chimes with the fruit’s good-for-you reputation. (Not that Songbird doesn’t know how to party: the bar also carries a hefty range of spirits infused with other native ingredients that get showcased in imaginative cocktails.)

Kangaroo tataki at Three Blue Ducks, Brisbane

Kangaroo

Australia is famous as one of the few countries in the world that eats the animals on its coat of arms. While there are many reasons to eat kangaroo – kangaroo is low in fat; its numbers are plentiful; plus it’s better for the environment – perhaps the most compelling argument is that it’s delicious: check out the kangaroo tartare at Silvester’s (Sydney Harbour Marriott) or Three Blue Ducks (W Brisbane) that swaps out raw beef for Australia’s best known animal.

Name: OVEROASTED / 24

Ingredients: Brandy, Spent Coffee Liqueur, Macadamia and Wattleseed Orgeat, Mead

Macadamia

Fun fact: although macadamia nuts – often covered in chocolate – are synonymous with Hawaii, the nuts are indigenous to Australia. Rich in healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and flavours, macadamias are used in everything from baking to beauty treatments. At W Melbourne’s underground cocktail bar Curious, macadamia is combined with wattleseed (another native ingredient) to create a very Australian riff on orgeat, a classic syrup typically made with almonds.

Grilled Manjimup marron with congee at Hearth restaurant

Marron

Comparable to the crawfish of Louisiana, this freshwater crayfish is native to Western Australia but is served at top restaurants around the country. One mouthful of its sweet, succulent flesh and it’s not hard to understand why. Marron is a regular feature at Hearth at Ritz-Carlton Perth where it’s given a star turn on the restaurant’s eponymous open-fire grill.

Lemon Myrtle

One of the best known native Australian plants and ingredients, lemon myrtle is a rainforest tree whose leaves have an intense, citrussy aroma and taste. It’s an ingredient that can be found in perfumes, beauty products and – of course – food and drink. A case in point: at Curious at W Melbourne, lemon myrtle and blackcurrant join forces with Fords gin to create the Tea for Four, a punchy grown-up mixed serve for groups.

Dellendale camembert ice cream with grilled strawberry and shaved sandalwood at Hearth restaurant

Sandalwood

Traditionally, people sought out Australian sandalwood for its fine-grained wood or heady oil: a popular scent with aromatherapists. Nowadays, cooks are also getting in on the action and showcasing this native hardwood in smart, creative ways. At Hearth, the nuts get toasted to provide a crunchy counterpoint to the lushness of a sweet-and-savoury Dellendale cheese ice cream.

Native pepperberry

Grown in cool-climate Tasmania, native pepperberry (also known as mountain pepper) tastes similar to regular pepper, only with the added bonus of an electrifying herbal finish. Unsurprisingly, it has countless uses in any forward-thinking kitchen. At the JW Marriott Gold Coast’s in-house restaurant Citrique, native pepperberry brings a sharp Aussie accent to that most classic of steak sauces, peppercorn sauce.

Steak with pepperberry sauce at Citrique

Beach herbs

Australian beaches are internationally renowned for their surf, sand and sunsets: isn’t it about time the world started paying attention to its beach herbs, too? From the chew of coastal saltbush to the fleshy succulence of samphire, pigface, ice plant and other saline greens, these wild ingredients encapsulate the taste of the sea. Look out for them as part of the afternoon tea at Hearth where they offer a juicy contrast to pork rillettes.     

Saline greens and Berkshire pork at Hearth restaurant

Finger lime

Named after the fruit’s stubby digit-like shape, finger lime is a masterclass in both form and function with each lime filled with tangy citrus jewels. Its uses are many, from making a fun add-on to flutes of sparkling wine to adding pops of colour and acidity to everything from seafood – the Rockcliff spanner crab at Silvester’s, say – to desserts such as the fig sundae at refined waterfront restaurant, The Gantry (Pier One Sydney Harbour, Sydney).

Fig sundae at The Gantry

Quandong

Native to the central deserts and southern regions of Australia, this sour and salty native peach can be eaten in many ways including stewed, dried and raw. At Three Blue Ducks Brisbane, it’s pickled and bring acidity to the kangaroo tartare. Over at Songbird, one of the house gins is infused with a combination of quandong and anise myrtle: an aromatic, native leaf.

Galah cocktail with quandong at Songbird

Marriott Bonvoy Restaurants & Bars Benefits – Dine and Earn

Marriott Bonvoy is Marriott International’s award-winning loyalty program and app that allows members to earn and redeem points for hotel stays and dining, credit card spending, exclusive experiences, access to major events, and more. Available at over 2,700 participating restaurants and bars in Asia Pacific, Marriott Bonvoy members can savor year-round dining privileges, providing another way for members to dine more and earn points – even without a stay.

Earn Marriott Bonvoy points next time you dine?
Discover all participating Restaurants & Bars in Asia-Pacific