Nornie Bero is renowned for being a leading expert in Indigenous Australian ingredients. But while there are countless native foods to choose from, even a connoisseur can have her favourites. 

“I just love wattleseed,” she admits. “It’s in my top five list of native ingredients.”

Wattleseed is a small seed from Australian acacia trees that comes in more than 160 edible varieties. For millennia, Indigenous Australians have roasted wattleseed over fire before grinding it into flour to use in their cooking. This hardy ingredient is also made for the Australian climate – the tough outer husk protects the seed, which means it can survive during long periods of drought.

The seed might be small, but the benefits it can bring to your cooking are enormous. The true beauty of roasted wattleseed is in its versatility and variety of flavour profiles. Typically, it has a rich, nutty aroma reminiscent of coffee, with hints of chocolate and spice. But as Bero further explains, the colour of your wattleseed is the best indication of the flavour. 

“The lighter your wattleseed, the more malty it is,” she says. “The darker it is, the more coffee flavours come through.” 

Related story: 20 Nornie Bero recipes that hero Australian bush food

As well as having savoury, sweet, nutty and slightly bitter notes, ground wattleseed is also an excellent binding agent and thickener, making it perfect to add to sauces, casseroles and stews. 

“If you’re making a power-packed stew like a massaman curry, you should use a darker ground wattleseed,” Bero says. “And the more you grind it, the more the flavour comes out.”

You can also keep the roasted seeds whole, which will give your dishes delightful small pops of nutty crunch.

“It’s almost the same effect that you get from nigella seeds,” Bero says. “When whole wattleseeds go into a dish, they expand and suck up all those flavours.” 

While its coffee flavours make this ingredient an ideal caffeine-free substitute, it’s also excellent when used in ice creams or baking. Or, you can do as Bero does and stir ground wattleseed through a creamy hot chocolate. 

“It adds an extra nutty, malty flavour with a bit of a coffee tinge to it,” she says. 

Sounds like the perfect nightcap to us!

Want to try cooking with wattleseed, but not sure where to start? You’ll love the epic wild mushroom & wattleseed risotto in season 2 of Make it delicious. – Flavours of Australia. Find all the episodes at delicious.com.au/makeitdelicious.