Nuts are a vital part of Aboriginal fare, but should be sampled only with the help of a knowledgeable guide. The infamous but rare Bunya Nuts grow on Bunya Pine trees, which can grow up to 40 meters tall. The female cones, which can weigh up to 10 kilograms (21 pounds), contain small seeds that are removed and can be eaten roasted, raw, or pounded into a flour to make bread and cakes. The Candle Nut grows in small clusters on the aleurites moluccana tree. Although the nuts are poisonous when eaten raw, roasting the nuts destroys the toxins, making them safe for consumption. While Candle Nuts are nutritious and high in energy, they should be eaten in sparing quantities. Because of their high cyanide content, eating too many Candle nuts at a time can cause stomach cramps and vomiting.
Native berries are renowned for both their taste and bright flavors. Unlike Australian nuts, many berries often do not run the risk of being poisonous. However, if you are unfamiliar with the native vegetation, it is always important to seek advice from a guide. Native raspberries are the sweet, tangy treasures of bush food. They grow on small brambly shrubs, and are edible when eaten raw. Riberries grow on dense, colorful rainforest trees. Bunches of white flowers transform into clumps of bright red fruit in the summer. The berries taste like cloves and are used to flavor jam, meat and cakes. Riberry plants have been modernized to grow in a seedless variety, which is used commercially.
Australia is home to many varieties of exotic fruits that boast unique flavors. The Cedar Bay Cherry is one of the sweetest bush fruits that Australia has to offer. The cherries have a bright red skin and a white fleshy consistency, growing on shrubs with thick, dark green leaves. The unique sandpaper figs are small, dark fruit that grow in clusters along the tree's stems. They get their name from the sandpaper texture of the tree's leaves, and can be found growing along creek banks. The sandpaper fig is only one of many types of figs native to Australia.
