Glossary

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL is made from nut shells or coconut shells and is commonly used as a purifier. It can be found at most health food shops.

AGAR AGAR is a powdered gelling agent that is obtained from algae. It is a natural vegetable gelatine and is available from selected health food stores, Asian grocers and online.

AMARANTH / RED GARNET LEAF is a plant from the amaranthus genus. We grow our red amaranth from seed in our gardens – the seeds can be obtained at any nursery. The leaves are crimson red with a malty, slightly sweet taste. There are over 900 species of amaranthus, so you should be able to find something in your own area.

BEACH MUSTARD LEAVES can be gathered from the north and south coasts of New South Wales during autumn. This is a beach foreshore plant with small purple flowers and is related to the brassica family. If beach mustard is not available, young rocket leaves and buds would be similar in taste, although not as strong.

BEE POLLEN is the pollen ball that has been packed into pellets by worker bees. Foraging bees bring pollen back to the hive, where workers pack it into cells. The pollen becomes mixed with nectar and bee salivary secretions. Bee pollen is the primary source of protein for the hive. It can be bought at good health food stores.

BERGAMOT is from the citrus family. The bergamot is an orange but the colour of the peel is yellow and is inedible – although it can be used to flavour food. You can buy bergamot essence in good food stores. It has a sour taste and a strong aroma of orange.

BLACK NASTURTIUMS are also known as Indian Empress nasturtiums. They have dark blue–green leaves that taste peppery, and dark red flowers.

BRACKEN TIPS are available pretty much all over the world. There is nothing that entirely replicates their flavour.

BURNET is a bright green leaf that tastes like cucumber. Salad burnet is a common lettuce that is available world wide.

BYCATCH PRAWNS, also known as ebi prawns, are small prawns that are caught unintentionally while fishing for other species. You can sometimes find them for sale at fish markets. These are best eaten raw and very fresh and have a wonderful sweet flavour.

CLOVER is an annual herbaceous weed that grows in lawn and paddocks. It has a very grassy taste and is full of chlorophyll. It is one of the main nectar sources for honey bees. If it’s not available where you live, young spinach leaves provide a similar flavour.

DRIED SCALLOPS can be found at any good-quality Asian grocer, or you can make them at home by dehydrating scallops for several days. These are wonderful for use in stocks and dressings.

FAT HEN is an annual weed found in paddocks and on the side of the road. It’s a nutritionally dense member of the goosefoot family. When the buds or seed heads form they can be eaten fresh. If you don’t have fat hen, use chrysanthemum leaves or even winter brassica, depending on the season.

FENNEL POLLEN has a wonderful intense flavour. We gather it from wild fennel and dry it, but it can also be obtained from speciality ingredient shops.

GARLIC SCAPES are the tender young flower stalks from the plant. We cut them off to promote larger bulb growth. Scapes have a wonderful onion and garlic flavour and the texture of a very young spring onion (scallion). If they aren’t available where you live, use garlic chives for a similar flavour.

GELLAN GUM is a gelling agent used for applications such as soft suspended purées. In some instances it can be used in place of gelatine in vegan dishes. It is available from speciality food stores and online.

HAY ASH is the ash that is left over when we have smoked ingredients in hay. We take the ashes and mix them in a spice grinder to form a smoky black dust for flavouring.

IOTA CARRAGEENAN is a gelling agent derived from red seaweed. It works well with proteins and dairy products and can be found in most speciality ingredient shops and online.

KUZU is a thickening agent made from the kuzu plant. It has superior thickening properties, especially for smooth, shiny sauces, gravies and soups. It is bought as a powder and should be stored in an airtight jar. Kuzu is mixed with cold water and added to other ingredients close to the end of the cooking time. As it simmers, it will thicken and become translucent.

LEMON ASPEN is a fruit native to North Queensland. It tastes like wild lime and is very sour. If it’s not available where you live, finger limes provide a similar flavour.

LICHEN that we use is taken from radiata pine trees in the forest during winter months. We clean the lichen, dry and then fry it in hot grape seed oil. If it isn’t available to you, just leave it off the dish.

MALLOW is a weed that grows in moist soils near river beds and creeks. It has the texture of aloe and a high water content. If it’s not available where you live, try using dandelion leaf.

MALTODEXTRIN is used as a carrier of flavours, a sweetener, a thickening agent and to help dry out foods. It is a white powdered substance that can be made from corn, potato, tapioca, wheat or rice. It is found in speciality ingredient shops.

MEC3 LIQUORICE COMPOUND is a confectioners’ liquorice paste that can be found at most quality cooking shops.

MUNTHRIES are the native fruit of an Australian ground-cover plant. They taste like spicy apples and are also referred to as native cranberries. Munthries are full of antioxidants. If they aren’t available where you live, use young fresh red fruits or berries that are local to your region – we sometimes use elderflower berries or even red currants.

ONION FLOWERS are bulbs that burst into white flowers towards the end of their cycle and have a wonderfully strong onion flavour. If they are not available where you live, society garlic flowers would be the best alternative.

OXALIS / RED CREEPING OXALIS is the largest genus of the wood sorrel family and has a strong acidic taste reminiscent of sorrel. It’s high in oxalic acid and is fantastic with dairy-based dishes. If it’s not available, wood sorrel or even large leaf sorrel can provide a similar flavour.

PEPPER BERRIES are the autumn fruits of a native shrub of eastern Australia. They can be used fresh or dried and have a very pungent peppery taste. If these are not available where you live, fresh green peppercorns will provide a similar flavour.

PINK MURRAY SALT is natural salt from Australia’s Murray River.

RADISH PODS form after the plant goes to seed – the best variety for this is the rat-tail radish. These have a strong flavour and can be eaten blanched and chilled or raw when young. If you can’t buy them, you could use the stem of the rape plant, or even just the radish itself.

RAPE is an annual from the brassica family, with a distinct mustard flavour. It can be found at most quality greengrocers and markets when in season.

RED SHISO LEAVES are from a plant also known as perilla. Red shiso has a distinct flavour of aniseed. It’s used fresh in pickles, or cooked.

RENNET is a complex mixture of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals and is used in the production of most cheeses. It can be found at good ingredient shops.

RIBERRIES are the pink-red fruit of the lillipilli plant and have a distinct flavour of cloves or cinnamon. The plants fruit in Australia in the summer. If these aren’t available where you live, use any young, fresh red fruits or berries local to your region – we sometimes use elderflower berries or even red currants.

RIVER MINT is a rambling mint bush found across south-eastern Australia in moist forests and around waterways. The thin, soft serrated and pointed leaves are found in pairs on long runners. If you can’t find river mint, use variegated mint.

SALTBUSH covers large areas of the dry inland of Australia. It is a sprawling grey-blue shrub with leaves full of water. These have a slightly salty taste. If it’s not available where you live, use sorrel or even dandelion.

SAMPHIRE is a fleshy, smooth branched plant that grows between rocks by the sea in the hot months of the year. It has a crispy texture and is quite salty. There is no suitable alternative for the flavour and texture of samphire, so if it isn’t available to you, simply leave it off the dish.

SCARLET RUNNER BEAN (MULTIFLORA BEAN) is a member of the legume family. These are long, green, knife-shaped pods. The purple seeds inside have a strong bean flavour and, when young, can be quite nutty. Can be eaten raw or cooked.

SEA LETTUCE is also known as green kelp or wakame. We are lucky to be able to gather sea lettuce along our coastline. This is very translucent and bright green, sometimes brown depending on the season and type. It adds an umami flavour to dishes and can be bought at Asian grocers.

SLIPPERY JACKS are a common variety of mushroom in our local forests. They are yellow-brown in colour and appear in late autumn/winter. Check very carefully before picking and eating any wild mushrooms. If slippery jacks aren’t available, use whatever mushroom is most local to you.

SOCIETY GARLIC FLOWERS are small purple flowers that form at the end of the garlic plant cycle and have a slight taste of garlic. The leaves and flowers are both edible raw.

WHEY is also called milk serum or milk permeate, and is the liquid that remains when milk has been curdled and strained, often during cheese making. It has a tangy taste that is refreshing when chilled.

WHITE SOY SAUCE is thinner and cleaner than regular soy sauce. We use it as a seasoning in many of our dishes, sometimes instead of salt. It can be found at good Asian grocers.

XANTHAN GUM is produced by fermenting corn starch and is used as a thickener. It is gluten free and is available from health food stores and online.

YARROW is a flowering plant. It is sweet with a slight bitter taste, and it is best to use young leaves. If you are using older leaves, blanch them first. There is no suitable alternative, so if yarrow isn’t available to you, simply leave it off the dish.

YOGHURT POWDER is powdered dried yoghurt found in speciality cooking shops and good health food stores.

DISCLAIMER: Individuals using or consuming the plants listed in this book do so entirely at their own risk. Always check a reputable source to ensure that the plants you are using are non-toxic, organic, unsprayed and safe to be consumed. The publisher cannot be held responsible for any adverse reactions.