8 Best Native Ingredients to Make Gourmet Vegetarian Dishes

Australia has been known for its food culture that thrived even before the early European settlers came to this land. This culture was sustained by the aboriginal Australian tribes for centuries. Almost 20% of Australian native flora includes nearly 5000 native food varieties. The traditional bush tucker ingredients are unique and innovative to add a lot of flavours to your kitchen. If you want to cook vegetarian dishes, you must stock up your pantry with some essential spices that dominate Australian cuisine. They include:

Cinnamon Myrtle:

It is a calming herb that aids digestion. It is traditionally used to make tea, sweets, and desserts. You can also add cinnamon metal to your curries and stews to enhance their flavour. It can be mixed with lemon myrtle and chilli for a riot of taste in your gourmet vegetarian recipes.

Aniseed Myrtle:

The flavoured and strongly scented leaves of aniseed myrtle plant are used in sweet sauces and desserts. It can be used as a scented marinade for your dishes. You can also add a fragrant aroma to your salad dressings with aniseed myrtle.

Saltbush and Mountain Pepper:

While mountain pepper is a rich source of antioxidants, saltbush offers a lot of vitamin E to boost your health. You can use these ingredients while making bread or pastries. It prepares a native herbal mix to enhance their taste.

River Mint:

When you want to enjoy the flavour of spearmint in your mint tea, you should try this native ingredient. River mint is widely used for medicinal purposes. It can soothe a headache and control the symptoms of cold and cough.

Wattleseed:

With a rich composition of nutrients like calcium, zinc, iron, and potassium, Wattleseed is a wonderful Australian spice for gourmet vegetarian recipes. It has a mild and nutty coffee-like flavour. You can mix it with your daily cup of coffee or use it in the desserts to improve their taste.

Lemon Myrtle:

This popular and versatile native ingredient is preferred for its lemony flavour. You can dry and grind it for using fresh. It can also be added to your sauces to enhance their taste. Sweets, sorbets, and cakes can be made more delicious by using lemon myrtle.

Kutjera:

It is a variety of Australian bush tomato. It is also known as desert raisin. There are nearly 100 varieties of wild tomatoes found in Australia. Out of these, only 6 are considered edible and Kutjera is one of them. Being the rich source of vitamin C and potassium, it is widely used in many Australian recipes. You can add it to your sauces or vegetarian spice mixes to lift the taste of any dish.

Pepperberry:

This is a versatile Australian native ingredient that can be used in your savoury gourmet dishes. The berries of this plant taste sweet at first and you will get a kick of hot peppery flavour after a while. The leaves and stems also have a unique peppery flavour. It can be used in a variety of vegetarian recipes.

These are the most versatile and unique bush tucker ingredients that can enhance your gourmet cooking.

If you want to buy blends for vegetarian recipes or Hario in Australia, the author of this article suggests The Spice People.

Nigella seed is one of those spices that deserve greater attention. It is used in worldwide cuisines and carries multiple vitamins and minerals for a healthy living. Called by different names, this seed is a powerhouse for taste and health.