Native Grocery List

Somebody here only likes some of them it seems.

**Disclaimer**
I do not resent the majority of Australians

**Disclaimer2**
The above disclaimer does not apply to John Winston Howard. I hate him.

Do you resent the people of Australia?

**Disclaimer**
I do not represent the people of Australia

That make you feel any better ?

Your opinion is noted, Maelinar. Your attitude toward Australianism is a little ‘black and white’ (for lack of a better term) for my personal taste, but if you believe in this form of equality, then I’m glad.

I did not accuse you of racism, merely voiced that I was offended by your utilisation of negative stereotyping.

It’s your right to do so, though I was attempting to make you aware that such catagorisation at the expense of those individuals who live, work and learn in contemporary australian society can be viewed as voicing a racially elitist attitude.

As far as your last paragraph, perhaps it damages your perception, though you can only speak from your personal understanding.

Please do not act as a spokesperson for the people of Australia, especially if I am expected to identify myself with your cohort.

My point was only racist in the eyes of the racist. If you were highly offended I might suggest you go and get a can of hardenup.

As for me, when I want to find some native plants to go harvest, I’ll read my peter cundall book (yes the white guy) who knows a whole heap of stuff about australian plants – go figure.

What it really comes down to, is you’re either Australian or you’re not. Being Australian is encompassing the entire dynamic, not just your own.

As for blatant steriotyping – I acknowledge that there are significant factors both positive and negative that determine an individual. The fact that there is a steriotype that I could readily identify without even mentioning it in my post is not my fault though is it ?

Your protectionism of your own circumstances is doing more damage to the perception than good. Unfortunately, I think I’d need a block of 4×2 and several concussive blows to get you to see it though.

Warrigal greens (spelling does vary) are an excellent spinach-like green; they were actually hugely popular with the English up to the early 1900s, grown as “summer spinach” (“English” spinach is best in the cool winter months). Apparently it’s still big in France, where it’s called “tetragon” (after its botanical name, Tetragon tetragonides – er, I think).

It can be relatively easily sourced as seedlings or seeds; once planted, it grows like buggery and is practically unkillable. It might die back in frost – my plants are yet to go through an unprotected frosty winter so I don’t know how extensively they might get damaged – but it definitely regenerates afterwards.

The only catch with tetragon is that it requires blanching before use, because of high oxalite levels in the leaves. If you eat the mature leaves raw, you do get a sort of funny feeling in the throat. Plunging them in boiling water for about a minute removes that, and leaves the leaves still green and lush and tasty.

Back to the resources … there’s a list on the CSIRO Native Foods site. Tanamera is one name I hear a lot in conjunction with possible suppliers of fresh foods; they’re based in SA. I haven’t found a website for them but contact details are on the link above.

As for the rather contentious issue of “who ‘owns’ knowledge about Australian native foods” … well, that’s a whole ‘nother article. Certainly we need to acknowledge that without the knowledge of the original settlers of the continent, we wouldn’t know the food properties of many of the flora around us – particularly those that are toxic unless prepared properly.

On the other hand, does the fact I eat a lot of Asian, Italian, and Moroccan food at home mean that the Asians, Italians and Moroccans in the Australian community have more “ownership” over the dishes I create than I do? And if I sell products based around the flora of Australia, do I require a heritage of x000 years on this land (rather than on land somewhere overseas) in order to do so?

I tend to work on the “intellectual property attribution theory” (I’m a librarian; it comes naturally) – I cheerfully and wholly acknowledge the debt of knowledge and information to those peoples of the cultural background of the food I’m preparing and recipes I’m using. But if I sell basil (a mediterranean herb) at the markets, am I breaching an Italian’s “ownership” of that herb because my cultural background happens to be Scottish and Anglo-Saxon? Does that mean I’m limited to selling thyme (actually, that’s Welsh), thistles, oats, and venison?

I don’t think so, but I’ll happily have a debate about it 🙂

I suspect that Mako is after mountain pepper, warragul greens and the like. My advice is google the seed vendors, and grow them in your backyard. Warragul green pesto made with macadamias and macadamia oil is fantastic!

In order to avoid the possibility of pointless, childish flaming… I’d like to correct my mistake in spelling.

* As an Indigenous Australian male *

As an Indegnous Australian male currently studying in the education field, I’m highly offended by your ignorance and blatant support of negative stereotyping of Indigenous people.

No, over 100 years and over 3 generations has dulled any representation of ‘traditional’. It’s time to get off welfare and get with the rest of Australia.