Indigenous ingredients aren’t niche garnishes anymore; they’re workhorse staples ready for weeknight dinners, barbecues and beyond, showcasing the bush pantry’s incredible diversity.
These rubs, sauces and condiments fold Indigenous fruits, herbs and seeds into familiar formats – aioli, pesto, salsa verde, jam. Grilled prawns shine with lemon myrtle–vanilla hollandaise, pork belly with native citrus caramel, and bruschetta gets a kick with a bush tomato relish, crispy pork belly becomes (even more) irresistible with a sweet-salty native citrus caramel sauce.
Here are some easy, tasty ways to incorporate Indigenous ingredients into everyday dishes.
Strawberry gum coconut sauce
Strawberry gum, a native leaf with a sweetish, berried flavour profile, is sifted into a coconut sauce built on Thai tom kha aromatics – lemongrass, galangal, lime. The result is bright and savoury over briny raw oysters, topped with pops of finger lime citrus. This would also work wonderfully over any carpaccio.
Finger lime marmalade
Finger limes, aka 'citrus caviar' are cooked into a chunky marmalade, then loosened into a syrup and poured over a yoghurt-citrus cake straight from the oven, so the sponge drinks it in. The marmalade will keeps for months sealed in the fridge and can be spooned over anything from a hot crumpet to whole roasted fish, and even served with a cheeseboard.
Lemon myrtle and saltbush marinade
Try coating a variety of meat and vegetables with this quick marinade before grilling – the ground lemon myrtle and saltbush bring a fragrant, herbaceous and citrusy edge to brighten up a barbecue.
Davidson plum dressing
Davidson plum is a deep purplish-red native fruit with a real sour edge, as well as complex berry-like, citrus-like qualities. For this dressing, used with a papaya salad and grilled mackerel, it's pounded with chilli, garlic and dried prawns, replacing tamarind for the tart vibes. The result is astringent, fruity and uniquely Aussie-Thai blend. It could also be a great dipping sauce for spring rolls or rice paper rolls.
Pepperberry sugar
Pepperberry brings a slow-building, floral heat – tossed with sugar and salt it becomes a finishing dust with range. It cuts the sweetness of hot pineapple here. Try it over grilled stone fruit, or added a little to a flour coating for frying seafood.
Karkalla tartare
Karkalla, a briny coastal succulent, adds extra crunch and saltiness to this labneh and mayonnaise tartare. Use it to brighten fried fish or spoon onto a sandwich in place of your usual mayo.
Wattleseed ricotta and a Native Dressing
Wattleseed turns up here in two forms. The dressing is sharp and herbaceous, built from vinegar, tarragon and wattleseed, with hits of pepperberry and saltbush. The ricotta goes the other way: it's whipped smooth with lemon and is a creamy base to showcase wattleseed's toasty coffee-and-cocoa notes. In this Nornie Bero's recipe for toasted brioche with charred peaces, they come together in sweet-savoury harmony, but could easily stand on their own in a variety of dishes.
Lemon myrtle beurre blanc
This silky beurre blanc, by Torres Strait Islander-born chef Nornie Bero, balances the richness of butter with the citrusy brightness of lemon myrtle. It's a delicate yet distinctive sauce that works beautifully with shellfish, reef fish or vegetables like asparagus and fennel.
Davidson plum butter
Beaten until smooth, this butter blends the tartness of Davidson plum powder with Japanese powerhouses like soy sauce, mirin, and yuzu-kosho – a concoction that melts magically over hot dishes, particularly scallops and seafood, to infuse them with a vivid blend of tartness and umami.
Bush tomato emulsion
For an elegant appetiser, chef Peter Kuravita serves gin-cured ocean trout with bush tomato emulsion – a fragrant blend of tangy bush tomatoes, white wine, shallots and fish stock. Silky and layered, with a bold bush tomato tang, it’s just the thing to dress up cured and raw seafood dishes like carpaccio.
Mountain pepper aioli
Bold and creamy with a sharp herbal bite, this mountain pepper aioli offers the classic dippable luxury of aioli with accents of the Aussie bush – earthiness, fruitiness, a hint of dry paperbark. It’s an instant feature served alongside golden, crunchy seafood and roast or fried potatoes.
Bush tomato tahini
Nutty tahini meets bush tomato in this toasty, tangy sauce with real backbone. It’s a natural with lamb, but don’t stop there – try it with roasted eggplant, grilled mushrooms or flatbread wraps.
Green gnocchi with cinnamon myrtle burnt butter sauce
To make the burnt butter sauce, melt the butter with the cinnamon myrtle, garlic and some warrigal greens, cooking until the butter is slightly brown. This warm and woody sauce pairs well with gnocchi, roast pumpkin and other cinnamon-loving ingredients.
Native dukkah
A coarsely ground blend of bush tomato, nuts and spice, this dukkah is smoky, nutty and sharp-edged. Serve it with olive oil and bread, roasted sweet potato, labneh or grilled halloumi, for a local spin on traditional Middle Eastern dukkah.
Pepperberry mayonnaise
A smooth mayo spiked with native pepperberry, this sauce offers warmth and a slow-building spice. Served with shellfish, on sandwiches, or even with fried chicken, this mayo is floral and quietly spicy – more fragrant than fiery.
Warrigal greens chimichurri
Chimichurri gets a wild refresh by adding blanched warrigal greens into the mix, providing a faint coastal note of minerality. This fresh herb sauce is a match made in condiment heaven for grilled meats and deep-fried snacks, where the punchiness cuts through rich flavours.
Native citrus caramel
Need a barbecue show-stopper? Brush this lemongrass-ginger caramel – sparked with Geraldton wax, lime juice and finger-lime pearls – onto pork ribs just before serving. The sticky glaze delivers smoky crackling plus bright bush-citrus burst in every bite.
Lemon myrtle emulsion
Vivid and citrus-boosted with lemon myrtle, this sauce is sharp, savoury, elegant – and pairs well with grilled shellfish, roasted veg or cold meats.
Desert lime nam jim dressing
Small fruit, big attitude. Thai nam jim dressing gets a native update with desert lime, infusing it with a citrus bite and a hint of bitterness. Use it as a dipping sauce or drizzle it over grilled seafood, chicken or tofu.
Lemon myrtle and vanilla hollandaise
If you’re looking for a condiment with distinction, this offers poise and grace of vanilla, with the herbal citrus notes of lemon myrtle. Use it wherever you would regular hollandaise – as a dip for cooked prawns or salmon, a topping for breakfast eggs, a sauce for salmon and asparagus.
Quandong jam
This quick stovetop jam uses peeled and chopped quandong to make a ruby condiment with sharpness and body. It balances oily fish beautifully and keeps well for cheese boards or glazing meats.
Karkalla vinegar
To make the karkalla vinegar, simply place a sprig of karkalla in a pickling jar and pour over white vinegar. Seal the jar and allow the infusion to take place. Karkalla has a naturally briny flavour, subtly perfumed with a fruitness reminiscent of wild strawberry or kiwifruit.
Native herb dry rub
A dry rub that leans into Indigenous aromatics: lemon myrtle, wattleseed, thyme and saltbush bring warm, earthy depth and a distinctly Australian character. Simply mix together the ingredients and rub directly onto meat before cooking.
Warrigal pesto
Warrigal greens, an indigenous Australian leafy green, form the base of this pesto, offering a slightly peppery flavour. Combined with traditional pesto ingredients, it brings a local twist to a classic sauce.
Desert lime chilli sauce
Desert lime brings an electric citrus jolt to this bold sauce. Spiked with chilli and flavour heavy-hitters like tamarind, soy sauce and pepperberry, this robust condiment clings to seafood and lingers on the palate – ideal for spooning over grilled or freshly steamed shellfish.
Bush tomato relish
This chunky relish blends soaked kutjera (bush tomato) with fresh tomato and red onion for a sweet-savoury finish. Its bold, concentrated flavour makes it a natural pairing for egg-based dishes like quiche, game meats, in sandwiches, on a cheeseboard – anywhere you'd use a classic tomato chutney.
Native salsa verde
This sharp, green sauce brings together parsley, mint, capers and native greens like sea parsley for a salsa verde with real bush bite. Use it to lift fatty cuts, roast veg or grilled mushrooms.
Hibiscus spice
This hibiscus-based rub adds floral tang and colour to grilled or pan-fried seafood. An aromatic mix inspired by the Torres Strait with peppery, herbaceous, eucalypt notes from ground pepperberry, saltbush and lemon aspen powder.
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