Top 5 Native Australian Superfoods You Must Know
When we buy superfoods from our go-to grocery stores, we always assume that they are imported from other countries. Understandably, the most popular superfoods known to man, like the super mushrooms and the super berries, originated either from Europe, South America, China, or the other Asian regions.
Little did we know, Australia is also home to several superfoods that have been around for thousands of years. These superfoods are nutritionally powerful and incredibly tasteful but are surprisingly underrated.
And we feel that it’s about time that we put these edible native fruits and plants into the spotlight.
Davidson's Plum
Davidson’s plum is a staple bush food of Indigenous people of Northern New South Wales and Queensland. It’s a superfood that is characterized by its deep dark purple fruit with almost crimson red flesh, and soft and juicy pulp inside.
When eaten raw, its taste is strikingly sour with a slight bitterness, which is mainly because of its sharp acidity. It also exudes an earthy aroma that’s reminiscent of the rosella jam.
Early settlers used to pick these plums not specifically for their medical properties but for their juicy flesh that can be turned into delectable jams and sauces. But with the advancement of medical technology, scientists have found out that this superfood is a nutritional powerhouse that possesses a ton of benefits for anyone who takes a bite.
Health Benefits of Davidson's Plum
1. The high levels of anthocyanin are one of its claim-to-fame. It’s a type of antioxidant that improves your mental well-being and protects you from diseases like cancer and heart failure.
2. It helps you achieve healthy skin and a youthful glow because it’s also rich in Vitamin E and Zinc.
3. It is a great source of Potassium, which is one of the staple nutrients that our body needs. It helps in most of our bodily functions like muscle movement and toxin filtration in the kidneys.
4. This plum is a unique source of dairy-free Calcium that helps strengthen your bones.
5. It also contains Lutein that helps prevent eye inflammations and macular degeneration caused by old age.
Lemon Myrtle
When we think of superfoods or traditional herbs in general, somehow, we always picture weird-looking plants or root crops. That’s because most of the superfoods that we know are, admit it or not, visually unpleasant.
Lemon myrtle is different. It’s a flowering plant that looks as gorgeous as it sounds. In fact, it’s even considered as the Queen of the lemon herbs!
But more than its pure white flowers, whisker-like stems, and dark green leaves, it’s also known for being both a bona fide medical herb and a delectable ingredient. This flowering plant was used not only to add flavour to staple dishes like kangaroo, lamb, and chicken, but also to heal common diseases.
Native Australians also used to suck the leaves for hydration, getting some nutrients, vitamins, and minerals at the same time. They also crushed these leaves into a paste then rubbed them on their skin to treat sores and boils or burnt them to repel insects.
Health Benefits of Lemon Myrtle
1. Lemon myrtle has the most plant citral content. Citral possesses antimicrobial and antifungal properties to keep your body in tip top shape.
2. It’s also a great source of phytochemicals, which are antioxidants that prevent damage to cells and tissues caused by oxidative stress.
3. This bush plant is also rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Zinc, Magnesium, and other nutrients and minerals.
4. Lastly, it’s an eye-friendly superfood because of its Lutein content that protects your retina from inflammation and damage, thus, preventing vision loss.
If you're keen on learning more about Lemon Myrtle, read our article "10 Remarkable Health Benefits of Lemon Myrtle". And if you're ready to add Lemon Myrtle to your diet, check out our lemon myrtle recipes here.
Mountain Pepper
Also known as the Tasmanian lanceolata or Tasmanian native pepper, this berry-like super fruit is set to be the future of Australia’s superfood culture, just waiting to be discovered by the world.
They normally grow in the mountain gullies and enjoy the cool climate of southern New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. Traditionally, native Australians took advantage of its antiseptic properties to treat sore gums and toothaches.
The berries and the leaves of this native plant are also harvested, dried, and used as a cooking spice that certainly packs a sharp, hot, and spicy punch.
But aside from the aromatic and spicy flavour that Mountain pepper brings to your cooking, it can also bring a ton of health benefits to your body.
Health Benefits of Mountain Pepper
1. This pepper contains four times the antioxidants of blueberries. Antioxidant-rich superfoods protect your body from the free radicals that can cause critical illnesses like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune, and cardiovascular diseases.
2. It’s also a rich source of Vitamin E, folate, Zinc, Calcium, Magnesium, and Iron which all play a vital role in promoting good health.
3. Its protein and dietary fibre content also help in slowing down the absorption of glucose in the body, thus, normalizing your sugar level.
4. The polygodial compound is also one of its claims-to-fame. It’s a nutrient that can relieve your arthritis, asthma, and gut irritability.
5. The polygodial content is also great in protecting the stomach lining from pathogens and other diseases.
Wattleseed
Wattleseed is also an underrated superfood. Some 40,000 years ago, Wattleseed was a staple in native cuisines. The seeds collected from the pods inside were roasted, and ground into fine flour by indigenous Australians.
The ground seeds naturally have a nutty, coffee-like aroma and chocolatey flavour that’s perfect for baking loaves of bread and muffins.
Also one of the best things about Wattleseed is that it is not that picky with weather conditions. That’s why you can find them all over Australia, especially in the Northern Territory and South Australia.
Health Benefits of Wattleseed
1. Wattleseed is rich in protein and carbohydrates, which are essential in you building your body and maintaining good health.
2. It has high concentrations of Potassium, Zinc, Calcium, Iron, and Selenium.
3. Selenium in Wattleseed plays a vital role in keeping your metabolism in good condition.
4. It’s also rich in antioxidants which are good for fending off free radicals to prevent cellular damages that often lead to chronic diseases and several forms of cancer.
Kakadu Plum
Last, and certainly not the least. Kakadu Plum has been a staple superfood in Northern Australian cuisine and medicine for thousands of years. And it’s also known as one of Australia’s superfood rising superstars.
Not only is it refreshing and thirst-quenching when eaten raw, but it’s also beneficial to your body because of its healing properties. In traditional medicine, native Australians harvested these plums and used them to treat colds, flu, and headaches.
This super fruit goes by many names like Kakadu Plum, Murunga, Gubinge, Billygoat Plum, among others. If you think that’s a lot, wait until you hear its other benefits.
Health Benefits of Kakadu Plum
1. Believe it or not, this plum has the highest content of Vitamin C compared to all the known fruits in the world. For reference, it has 100 times the Vitamin C content of an orange.
2. In fact, you only need 1g of freeze-dried Kakadu plum to match the orange’s Vitamin C.
3. It’s also known for its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties.
4. Much like the other superfoods mentioned in this list, eating Kakadu Plum can also help prevent the development of macular degeneration, thanks to the retina protection that the plum’s Lutein content provides.
5. If you follow a vegetarian diet strictly, Kakadu plum is a great alternative source of Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium, Copper, Phosphorous, Vitamin E, and folate.
6. This Potassium-rich fruit can help reduce the risk of hypertension.
7. It’s a fitness freak’s friend because it’s also high in dietary fibre and low in calories.
Save a Pantry Spot for These Native Superfoods
If you’re an avid fan of herbs, spices, and superfoods, make space for these homegrown superfoods in your pantry.
Scroll through our online shop Superfoods Australia and fill your cart with whatever that satisfies your superfood craving. We offer super mushrooms, super berries, and other superfoods in all forms and sizes, so you’ll never run out of choices!
Also, we can deliver them right at your doorstep wherever you are in the Land Down Under. For orders over $100, we’ll gladly do it for free! Sounds like a great deal? Ready your Afterpay or ZipPay and happy shopping!
