Three Indigenous Australian ingredients to know if you're new to First Nations food

Why you'll soon be no stranger to Geraldton wax, Kakadu plums and different types of myrtle, and some great recipes to use them in.

Kakadu plum. Source: Kimberley Wild Gubinge

— NAIDOC Week is a national celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, history and culture, which in 2025, runs from July 6-13. Watch curated NAIDOC week content on SBS On Demand, catch up on Indigenous news and features on NITV and find NAIDOC education resources via SBS Learn. —

Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan's book, First Nations Food Companion, shows you how to buy, cook, eat and grow 60 different Indigenous Australian ingredients. 

Coulthard is an Adnyamathanha and Dieri person of the Flinders Ranges who's also a cultural educator, artist and teacher. He and his partner, Sullivan, a food educator and writer, run Warndu, a First Nations boutique food experiences and education business, from their 90-acre property in the Clare Valley in South Australia.

Coulthard's love of First Nations food began during his time camping on Country as a child in the Flinders Ranges.

I wanted to chat with him about what Indigenous Australian ingredients are best to cook with if you've never cooked with them before, and how to make them a part of your everyday life.

Coulthard says you can learn by experience. "It's all about trial and error and just enjoying the experience," he says.

When we understand language, land and food, we combine that together and start to learn the true history of this country.

He hopes the experience will encourage people to deepen their exploration of First Nations ingredients.

"It's through creating the experience and identifying where that plant is from through language, and naming the plant," he says. "Then hopefully the conversation will grow not only around the flavours that you're placing on the plate, but I guess the historical context of Australia."

Here are three ingredients to start your journey into Indigenous Australian flavours:

Myrtles

There are numerous different types of myrtles, such as anise myrtle (known as wurrganyga in the Gumbaynggirr language of NSW's Mid-North Coast) and lemon myrtle.

Lemon myrtle tea cake is a great way to begin using the fragrant and citrusy leaves of the lemon myrtle. Source: Murdoch Books/Josh Geelen

Anise myrtle tastes like aniseed. You can use dried, fresh or ground anise myrtle in any dish you'd like the flavour of anise, such as in baked bush apples, chutney, quandong jam or salad.

This Australian smørrebrød is tinged with anise myrtle leaves. Source: Kitti Gould

Lemon myrtle is a fragrant herb known for its citrus flavour. The leaves go with just about anything and are an excellent substitute for bay leaves. This herb can be used dried, fresh or ground, and it's a great addition to fragrant coconut rice, ricotta cake or kangaroo lasagne. 

"The wonderful thing about plants like lemon myrtle is you can have them around the home and rub the skin on your leaves and smell them," says Coulthard.

Geraldton wax

Geraldton wax is a plant from Western Australia. Its leaves are versatile and can be used like juniper berries or lemon zest. Its flavour is like lemon or pine. You can also use the flowers as edible garnishes.

"This is a beautiful plant in Western Australia, first commercially grown for its flowers," says Coulthard. "But we use the leaf, both fresh and dry, and it really has that citrus burst."

You can get fresh, dried or ground Geraldton wax at online stores. You can also get Geraldton wax pot plants. Coulthard likes to use this ingredient to make cupcakes and shortbread for its citrusy hit. The citrus note also works well in savoury dishes.

Kakadu plum

The Kakadu plum is found across northern Australia and has several Indigenous names, including gubinge in the Bardi language in the Kimberley region. In English, it's sometimes called the miracle fruit because it's rich in nutrients including vitamin C.

"The Kakadu plum can grow up to be a huge tree, but effectively, [the fruit] looks like an olive, and has the flesh inside much like a plum or a grape," says Coulthard.

When plucked from a tree, a Kakadu plum tastes both sweet and sour. In powdered form, it can be more sour.

Coulthard brines fresh Kakadu plums like olives, and he uses powdered plums to zest up yoghurt, salad, fruit salads and veggies. 

Coulthard suggests sharing the love by making your next gift a native plant with an accompanying recipe.

"When we understand language, land and food, we combine that together and start to learn the true history of this country."

Love the story? Follow the author here: Twitter @wojennifer, Facebook @jenniferwongcomedian, Instagram @jenniferwongcomedian.