Bushfood industry history
Encyclopedia
The modern Australian native food industry, also called the bushfood
industry had its initial beginnings in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when regional enthusiasts and researchers started to target local native species for cropping.
In the late 1970s, horticulturist, Peter Hardwick
, began investigating subtropical native plants suitable for commercial cropping, selecting fruit species like riberry, Davidsonia
, and later leaf-spices, like lemon myrtle
, Aniseed myrtle
, and Dorrigo Pepper
. Hardwick started targeting strong flavoured species suitable for processing, which later became the main industry strategy. In the 1980s, Hardwick worked in the New South Wales Department of Agriculture, where he met essential oils researcher, Dr Ian Southwell. Southwell played a significant role in providing the essential oil
profiles of many of the most popular native spices.
In 1983. the University of Sydney's Human Nutrition Unit, headed by Jennie Brand-Miller
, undertook a nutritional analysis programme analyzing bushfood for Aboriginal health. Vic Cherikoff
, a member of the Human Nutrition Unit team, started-up a wholesale distribution company marketing native Australian ingredients. Cherikoff played a vital role in linking-up the Aboriginal
and regional bushfood research with the restaurant and food processing industry. Cherikoff also contributed to Jennifer Isaacs'book, Bush Food and authored The Bushfood Handbook and Uniquely Australian, A wildfood cookbook which publicly defined the emerging industry.
In the mid-1980s several Australian theme restaurants opened-up in Sydney
. This included Rowntrees The Australian Restaurant, run by Chef Jean-Paul Bruneteau
and Jenny Dowling. In 1996, Bruneteau, Dowling and Cherikoff opened a second restaurant, Riberries – Taste Australia. Edna’s Table restaurant also opened-up and was run by brother and sister team, Chef Raymond Kersh and Jennice Kersh. The Red Ochre Grill in Adelaide
opened-up in the early 1990s, with Andrew Fielke as its chef. Fielke also co-founded a production company, Australian Native Produce Industries (ANPI).
Value-added production emerged in the late 1980s with products marketed via mianstream retailers. Ian and Juleigh Robbins, established a line of processed sauces, jams and dried spice products through Robin's Foods Pty Ltd. Boutique value-added production - such as jams, sauces and beverages – has become increasingly significant in the regional development of native foods.
Small-scale trial commercial production of native food plants started to occur in the late 1980s, especially in Northern New South Wales. In 1994 the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
and Greening Australia
co-sponsored a conference on growing bushfoods near Lismore. The 2000 Olympic Games, in Sydney, were targeted by the developing industry as an event for promoting native foods.
Various regionally based industry associations were formed to represent growers in a national process. Government agencies have become increasingly involved with new native crop development. CSIRO researcher, Dr Stephen Sykes, developed a range of native Citrus hybrids which became available through ANPI.
Since 2000 the industry has continued to consolidate, with a growing overseas market for produce and greater refinement in production methods to supply the demand. Some new products have been introduced, including Finger Lime
, mintbush and Eucalyptus olida
. However, while the rate of introduction of new native food-plant species has slowed since the early period of the industries conception in the 1980s, the marketing of herb and spice blends, fruit mixtures and functional extracts has grown, potentially leading the industry into new and larger market segments.
Crops initially associated mainly with bushfood, such as lemon myrtle
, have since broadened to become associated with essential oils and cosmetics
.
Bushfood
Bushfood traditionally relates to any food native to Australia and used as sustenance by the original inhabitants, the Australian Aborigines, but it is a reference to any native fauna/flora that is used for culinary and/or medicinal purposes regardless of which continent or culture it originates...
industry had its initial beginnings in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when regional enthusiasts and researchers started to target local native species for cropping.
In the late 1970s, horticulturist, Peter Hardwick
Peter Hardwick
Peter Hardwick is an Australian food horticulturist and environmentalist, recognized as an early pioneer of the Australian bushfood industry...
, began investigating subtropical native plants suitable for commercial cropping, selecting fruit species like riberry, Davidsonia
Davidsonia
Davidsonia is a genus containing three rainforest tree species, that are commonly known as the Davidson or Davidson's Plum. The fruits superficially resemble the European plum, but are not closely related...
, and later leaf-spices, like lemon myrtle
Lemon myrtle
Backhousia citriodora is a flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, genus Backhousia. It is endemic to subtropical rainforests of central and south-eastern Queensland, Australia, with a natural distribution from Mackay to Brisbane...
, Aniseed myrtle
Aniseed myrtle
Syzygium anisatum , ringwood or aniseed tree is a rare Australian rainforest tree with an aromatic leaf that has an essential oil profile comparable to true aniseed...
, and Dorrigo Pepper
Dorrigo Pepper
Tasmannia stipitata, Dorrigo Pepper or Northern Pepperbush is a rainforest shrub of temperate forests of the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. Leaves are fragrant, narrow-lanceolate to narrow-elliptic, 8-13 cm long. Dark bluish to mauve berries follow the flowers on female shrubs...
. Hardwick started targeting strong flavoured species suitable for processing, which later became the main industry strategy. In the 1980s, Hardwick worked in the New South Wales Department of Agriculture, where he met essential oils researcher, Dr Ian Southwell. Southwell played a significant role in providing the essential oil
Essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove...
profiles of many of the most popular native spices.
In 1983. the University of Sydney's Human Nutrition Unit, headed by Jennie Brand-Miller
Jennie Brand-Miller
Professor Jennie Brand-Miller PhD, FAIFST, FNSA holds a Personal Chair in Human Nutrition in the School of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Sydney. She is best known for her research and publications on the glycemic index, and its role in human health...
, undertook a nutritional analysis programme analyzing bushfood for Aboriginal health. Vic Cherikoff
Vic Cherikoff
Vic Cherikoff is regarded as an authority on Australian native foods and its associated industry, having been involved in the selection and commercialization of many of the 35 or so indigenous Australian plant foods now in the market place....
, a member of the Human Nutrition Unit team, started-up a wholesale distribution company marketing native Australian ingredients. Cherikoff played a vital role in linking-up the Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
and regional bushfood research with the restaurant and food processing industry. Cherikoff also contributed to Jennifer Isaacs'book, Bush Food and authored The Bushfood Handbook and Uniquely Australian, A wildfood cookbook which publicly defined the emerging industry.
In the mid-1980s several Australian theme restaurants opened-up in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. This included Rowntrees The Australian Restaurant, run by Chef Jean-Paul Bruneteau
Jean-Paul Bruneteau
Jean-Paul Bruneteau is a French-Australian chef and author who is credited with playing a pioneering role in the development of an authentic Australian cuisine based on indigenous ingredients....
and Jenny Dowling. In 1996, Bruneteau, Dowling and Cherikoff opened a second restaurant, Riberries – Taste Australia. Edna’s Table restaurant also opened-up and was run by brother and sister team, Chef Raymond Kersh and Jennice Kersh. The Red Ochre Grill in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
opened-up in the early 1990s, with Andrew Fielke as its chef. Fielke also co-founded a production company, Australian Native Produce Industries (ANPI).
Value-added production emerged in the late 1980s with products marketed via mianstream retailers. Ian and Juleigh Robbins, established a line of processed sauces, jams and dried spice products through Robin's Foods Pty Ltd. Boutique value-added production - such as jams, sauces and beverages – has become increasingly significant in the regional development of native foods.
Small-scale trial commercial production of native food plants started to occur in the late 1980s, especially in Northern New South Wales. In 1994 the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation is an Australian statutory Corporation formed in July 1990 under the Primary Industries and Energy Research and Development Act 1989...
and Greening Australia
Greening Australia
Greening Australia is an Australian environmental organisation, founded in 1982, the International Year of the Tree, to protect, restore and conserve Australia's native vegetation...
co-sponsored a conference on growing bushfoods near Lismore. The 2000 Olympic Games, in Sydney, were targeted by the developing industry as an event for promoting native foods.
Various regionally based industry associations were formed to represent growers in a national process. Government agencies have become increasingly involved with new native crop development. CSIRO researcher, Dr Stephen Sykes, developed a range of native Citrus hybrids which became available through ANPI.
Since 2000 the industry has continued to consolidate, with a growing overseas market for produce and greater refinement in production methods to supply the demand. Some new products have been introduced, including Finger Lime
Finger Lime
The Finger Lime plant, Citrus australasica is a thorny understorey shrub or small tree of lowland subtropical rainforest and dry rainforest in the coastal border region of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia....
, mintbush and Eucalyptus olida
Eucalyptus olida
Eucalyptus olida, also known as the Strawberry Gum, is a medium-sized tree to 20 m, restricted to sclerophyll woodlands on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, in Eastern Australia. The bark is fibrous in mature trees. Flowers are cream coloured and are followed by small woody capsules. The...
. However, while the rate of introduction of new native food-plant species has slowed since the early period of the industries conception in the 1980s, the marketing of herb and spice blends, fruit mixtures and functional extracts has grown, potentially leading the industry into new and larger market segments.
Crops initially associated mainly with bushfood, such as lemon myrtle
Lemon myrtle
Backhousia citriodora is a flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, genus Backhousia. It is endemic to subtropical rainforests of central and south-eastern Queensland, Australia, with a natural distribution from Mackay to Brisbane...
, have since broadened to become associated with essential oils and cosmetics
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
.
External links
- CSIRO, industry profile http://www.cse.csiro.au/research/nativefoods/industryprofile/index.htm