List of Australian herbs and spices facts for kids
Australian herbs and spices are special plants from Australia that have been used for a long time to make food taste amazing! Aboriginal peoples used them to flavour their meals, often cooked in ground ovens.
When we talk about "spices" from Australia, we usually mean the parts of plants that aren't leaves, like tasty fruits and seeds. These often have strong smells and flavours. Some Australian wild peppers even have spicy leaves! Australian "herbs" are usually leaves too, but unlike herbs from other parts of the world that come from small plants, Australian herbs often come from big trees found in rainforests or woodlands.
These herbs and spices are often dried and ground into a powder or flakes. You can use them on their own or mix them together to create unique flavours. People from other countries who settled in Australia in the 1700s and 1800s didn't use them much at first. But since the 1980s, more and more people, including chefs, have discovered these amazing native flavours. They are now becoming very popular, even being sent to other countries!
You can also use these plants fresh. Some leaves can be used whole, just like a bay leaf in cooking. Spicy fruits can be added to different dishes for a burst of flavour. Even the oils taken from the leaves and twigs can be used to flavour food.
Tasty Native Fruits
Many native Australian fruits are used as spices. They add unique and sometimes tangy or sweet flavours to dishes. Here are some examples:
- Acronychia acidula, Lemon Aspen
- Acronychia oblongifolia, White Aspen, Yellow Wood
- Austromyrtus dulcis, Midgen Berry, Silky Myrtle
- Citrus australasica, Finger Lime, Caviar Lime
- Citrus australis, Round Lime, Australian Lime
- Citrus glauca, Desert Lime
- Eupomatia laurina, Bolwarra, Native Guava, Copper Laurel
- Kunzea pomifera, Muntries, Emu Apples, Native Cranberries
- Solanum centrale, Akudjura, Australian Desert Raisin
- Solanum chippendalei, Chippendale's Tomato, Bush Tomato
- Solanum cleistogamum, Potato Bush, Bush Tomato
- Syzygium luehmannii, Riberry, Cherry Alder, Small Leaf Lilly Pilly
Fragrant Native Herbs
Australian native herbs are mostly the leaves of plants, often from trees. They add wonderful smells and tastes to food, from minty to peppery. Here are some of them:
- Apium insulare, Flinders Island Celery
- Apium prostratum, Sea Celery
- Atherosperma Moschatum, Southern Sassafras
- Atriplex nummularia, Old Man Salt Bush
- Backhousia citriodora, Lemon Myrtle
- Backhousia myrtifolia, Cinnamon Myrtle
- Boronia safrolifera
- Crowea exalata
- Cinnamomum oliveri, Oliver's Cinnamon
- Cymbopogon refractus, Barbed wire grass
- Doryphora sassafras
- Doryphora aromatica
- Eucalyptus dives, Peppermint Gum
- Eucalyptus globulus, Tasmanian Blue Gum
- Eucalyptus olida, Strawberry Gum
- Eucalyptus polybractea, Blue-leaved Mallee
- Eucalyptus staigeriana, Lemon Ironbark
- Melaleuca quinquenervia, Broad-leaf Paperbark
- Melaleuca leucadendron, Weeping Paperbark
- Mentha australis, River Mint
- Mentha diemenica, Slender Mint
- Mentha satureioides
- Ocimum tenuiflorum, Holy Basil
- Prostanthera incisa var. incisa, Cut-leaf Mintbush
- Prostanthera rotundifolia, Native Thyme
- Syzygium anisatum, Aniseed myrtle
- Zieria smithii
Spicy Native Spices
These Australian native spices often come from seeds, roots, or berries and can add a real kick to your cooking!
- Acacia victoriae, Gundabluey, Wattleseed
- Alpinia caerulea, Native Ginger
- Tasmannia lanceolata, Mountain Pepper
- Tasmannia stipitata, Dorrigo Pepper
- Tasmannia insipida, Brush Pepper Bush
- Tasmannia xerophila, Alpine Pepperbush
