Bush food

Gain fascinating insights into traditional Aboriginal life in the Territory and get great tips on how to survive in the harsh desert environment.

The hunter-gatherer ways of Aboriginal people has seen them acquire the knowledge and skills that have sustained them for tens of thousands of years, and now you can arrange an indigenous guide to show you how it’s done.

Organised tours are by far the best way to understand bush tucker. Take a bushwalk led by expert Aboriginal guides to locate all kinds of local food and water sources. They can be arranged all over the territory. Note that if you plan to go by yourself you need to obtain a permit before taking anything with you.

It is what you eat

Head into the Outback and try some foods you’ve surely never tried before. Taste magpie geese cooked beneath hot coals, or sample turtle, kangaroo, goanna, snake and also a wide range of seafood if you’re out near the coast. There’s plenty for vegetarians too. Depending on the season, some interesting finds include bush bananas, wild watermelon, yams, wild grape, pink beach apples, billy goat plums (complete with 50 times the amount of vitamin C of oranges), cockleberries, waterlillies and wild beans and nuts.

For those with a taste for adventure or want to relive an episode of Survivor, why not try a meal of live witchetty grubs? They’re found in roots from the ground and are high in protein with a distinct nutty taste. Honey ants are another edible insect that are highly sought after by indigenous people for its sweet taste.

The good doctor

Bush medicine is another handy thing to learn if you want to be able to survive in the wild. Some examples include squashed green ants to remedy the flu and sap from wattle trees to cure a headache.

Aboriginal bush food in Darwin

You wouldn’t normally associate parliament with bush tucker, but in Darwin you can experience both. Speakers Corner Café, on the ground floor of Parliament House, utilises native bush foods in their menu. Kakadu plum, bush honey, bush tomatoes and quandong all feature regularly and the café is staffed by local Aboriginal people gaining and developing their hospitality skills on the job.

At the top of the Smith Street Mall – opposite the Tourist Information Centre, Aboriginal Bush Traders, offers bush tucker influenced dining in a café setting. The store includes an impressive retail section, where you can purchase bush food for your own cooking, skincare and bush medicine products, ethical fashion, artwork, homewares, books, maps and cards. All products are genuine, ethically sourced and sustainably made by people in remote Aboriginal communities.

Aboriginal bush food on the Tiwi Islands

Join the Tiwi Islands Aboriginal Cultural Tour for an incredible day on Bathurst Island immersing yourself in traditional culture. Visit the museum and learn about Dreamtime stories of the Tiwi people, before sitting with local Tiwi ladies with a billy tea and damper while they weave and paint. Witness a traditional totem dance and a smoking ceremony, before heading out on a drive to collect bush tucker, bush medicines and natural fibres and dyes. This cultural experience on Darwin’s doorstep is popular, so be sure to book to avoid missing out.

Aboriginal bush food in East Arnhem Land

For an authentic bush food and medicine tour that includes weaving, spear making, dance and ceremony, the Liya Wanhurr Aboriginal Corporation offers camping and tours well off-the-beaten-track into the Dhalinybuy homelands. Each tour is customised to the season and the environment, so no 2 tours are the same, guaranteeing a unique cultural experience.

Bawaka homeland opens its doors to visitors with the Bawaka Two Night Tour. Arrive in the community to a welcome dance and smoking ceremony, before experiencing the daily life of the Yolngu people. You’ll learn basket weaving techniques, gather medicinal plants for traditional healing, hear stories and learn about language, kinship and sacred ceremonies.

Aboriginal bush food in Kakadu

The Taste of Kakadu festival offers the best of Indigenous cuisine and culture, showcased in Kakadu National Park. Outside of festival time, visitors get to experience all the other incredible sights and activities of Kakadu National Park. The festival is only held once a year, so book in early to avoid disappointment.

Animal Tracks Safari is a small group tour into exclusive areas of Kakadu National Park not open to other operations. Participants learn about Aboriginal culture, go on a wildlife safari and then try fresh bush tucker, including turtles, snakes, grubs, fruit, yams, tubers, bulbs and corms. Finish the day with a sunset campfire, billy tea and damper, and other bigger bush tucker like magpie geese and buffalo.

Aboriginal bush food in Central Australia

Alice Springs Desert Park is a great place to learn about finding food in the harsh arid environment of the surrounds. Survival in the Desert runs daily, with a park guide demonstrating how Aboriginal people used plants and animals as both food and medicine to survive the hot and dry conditions.

If you’d like to try your hand at cooking with traditional bush tucker ingredients, Kungkas Can Cook – based in Alice Springs – has a great online shop where you can find ethically sourced, organic bush food harvested from the Central Desert by local women. Wattle seed, saltbush, desert raisin, lemon myrtle, anise myrtle, pepperberry, bush spice rub rosella, wild lemongrass, quandong, strawberry gum and boab powder are all available to purchase. There’s no better way to take your desert experience home with you.

Just outside Kings Canyon & Watarrka National Park, you’ll find the Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Tour. This one-hour tour gives visitors an introduction to the Luritja and Pertame (Southern Arrernte) language and culture, as well as taking a deep dive into bush tucker and medicine, jewellery making and cultural artefacts. This walk through the traditional lands of the Wanmarra family group is suitable for all of the family and provides a greater appreciation of the plants seen throughout Central Australia.

Aboriginal bush food around Uluru

When visiting Uluru, take the time to try the Bush Food Experience at Ayers Rock Resort in Yulara. This free experience gives you an introduction to identifying, gathering and preparing bush tucker from the local region. The experience culminates with a cooking demonstration that helps you incorporate traditional Indigenous flavours into your cooking at home.

Tali Wiru means ‘beautiful dune’ in the local Anangu language. This dinner experience on a private sand dune, encapsulates the magic of dining under the Southern Desert sky. Enjoy champagne and canapes, before indulging in a 4-course dinner – each course using fresh local bush tucker ingredients. The accompanying didgeridoo performance and Aboriginal storyteller enhance the ambiance of this unique dining experience.

Sounds of Silence offers an unforgettable dining experience from a viewing platform overlooking the Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park. A traditional dance performance under the outback sky is the prelude to a bush tucker inspired dinner that incorporates native bush ingredients. The exceptional clarity of the night sky showcases various visible planets and galaxies, including the Southern Cross and the signs of the zodiac – all decoded for you by the resident ‘star talker’.

Discover more food and drink ideas in the NT.