1. Bush tomato

“I call bush tomato the ‘indigenous stock cube’,” Bero says. “It’s a really healthy way to bring out the natural flavours in foods. I really think it’s the coolest thing out there.”

When buying bush tomato, Bero recommends opting for whole dried bush tomatoes, rather than ground or powdered versions. 

“Once it’s been ground down, it will start to become hard, unless something has been added to it,” she advises. “So you’re better off buying them whole and grinding them yourself.”

2. Pepperberry

The ‘pepper’ in pepperberry would make most people think that this is a savoury ingredient, but as Bero explains, this isn’t always the case. 

“You can use it for both savoury and sweet recipes,” she says. “It gives you those Sichuan pepper vibes without lingering as long, but it also gives you a full-on clove-iness as well.”

This makes pepperberry perfect for adding some spice to your baking (try it in carrot cake or banana bread). It also works beautifully in jams, and can add a surprising pop of flavour to your desserts.

“Even if you wanted to spice up your chai at home, pop a bit of pepperberry in there,” Bero suggests. “It’ll give you that lovely spiciness.”

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3. Wattleseed

“Wattleseed has these unique coffee and nutty flavours, and hints of chocolate bitterness and cocoa,” Bero says. “When you grind it down into a powder, it can give you so many different flavours. And the more you grind down your wattleseed, the more flavour comes out of it.”

While Bero personally loves to use wattleseed in her damper, this versatile ingredient works equally well in both sweet and savoury recipes. 

“It really does work well in a savoury dish,” Bero says. “Try a darker ground wattleseed in power-packed stews, like a massaman curry.

“Or just add it to your hot chocolate! It gives you an extra nutty, malty flavour with a bit of a coffee tinge to it.”

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4. Aniseed myrtle

“I love all the myrtles – lemon myrtle, cinnamon myrtle – but aniseed myrtle is my favourite,” Bero says. “I think it’s really underrated, because it gives you these really beautiful flavours.”

You can use aniseed myrtle, either fresh or dried, in everything from teas and marinades to salads, shortbreads, soups and seafood. You can even add it to your next trifle!

5. Strawberry gum

For those who love their sweets and those who love to bake, strawberry gum is one native ingredient that should be front and centre in your pantry. 

“Strawberry gum has a strong strawberry extract flavour and a distinctive eucalyptus freshness,” Bero says.

Try it in Bero’s strawberry gum marshmallows, dipped in chocolate, or in her strawberry gum pavlova with chocolate wattleseed cream. It also works a treat in any creamy concoction, or to add some extra zing to a fruit salad.

A note on sourcing your native ingredients

Whichever native ingredient takes your fancy, make sure you’re sourcing native foods that have been produced ethically. Wherever possible, ensure that your native foods are coming from an Indigenous-owned enterprise.

“Indigenous representation in the native ingredients market is only at about one percent, in a multi-million-dollar industry,” Bero says. “But small growers in our communities are doing some really amazing things, and they’re only taking what they need.

“They really know how to use these ingredients – they’re not just selling products because they want to make money. They also know how to nurture them and how to pick them, and can tell you how to best enjoy them when they’re in season.

“It’s about more than just money. It’s about respecting the land and not taking from it more than it can handle.”

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