Biko, but make it bush tucker

Get into bush tucker cooking by adding wattleseeds to biko.

Biko with wattleseeds Credit: Anna Manlulo

Key Points

• Bush tucker is any food native to Australia.
• Wattleseed has a nutty roasted coffee aroma, and has a savoury nutty flavour.
• Get into bush tucker food with a twist on biko.

Bush tucker as the name implies is food from the bush – any food native to Australia.

For thousands of years, Indigenous Australians have nourished and healed using food available from nature and the land.

Their naturally high nutritional value have certain antioxidant and healing properties. Kakadu plums, for example, have 100 times more Vitamin C than an orange and over five times more potent antioxidants than blueberries.

Wild Orchid Kakadu Plum (Delye Outstation, NT) Credit: Delye Outstation, NT

Importance of indigenous food

In 2007, Associate Professor Dr Yasmina Sultanbawa from the University of Queensland undertook preliminary studies on native foods for the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

In the her study, she mentions, “Aboriginal peoples in Australia have subsisted on indigenous plants for over 65,000 years. Despite hundreds of edible plant species being used for nutritional and medicinal value, the full potential of these foods remain hidden.

Native foods from across Victoria. Source: SBS

“Indigenous plants – nutrient dense, climate-resilient and biologically unique – have the potential to impact food biodiversity on a global scale, as well as provide opportunities for economic growth of the Australian agri-food sector.”

There is an abundance of these native ingredients* available for foraging around bushlands and parks around Australia, such as wattleseed.

(*It's still wise to consult experts from local councils before embarking on harvesting them for personal use.)

Wattleseeds

Wattleseed is an Australian bush food that comes from any of the 980 varieties of acacia tree species in Australia.

The ingredient has a roasted coffee aroma and a savoury nutty flavour.

Biko with wattleseeds Credit: Anna Manlulo

Traditionally, wattleseeds were collected by Aboriginal women, parching the seeds with fire before grinding them into flour to make cakes or bread cooked over coals.

Modern day technology uses machines to roast the seeds similar to coffee, then grounded to a powder.

Because wattleseeds are 'seeds', they don’t really melt when cooked, but retain the tiny fragments of the seeds which add specks to the dish.

Biko with wattleseeds Credit: Anna Manlulo

To inspire our SBS Filipino audience to explore bush tucker ingredients, here’s a Filipino classic recipe for Biko (Sinukmani) with Wattleseed.

For Wattleseed Crumble (aka Latik)

100 grams plain flour

50 grams butter (cold)

3 teaspoons wattleseed

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2. In a large bowl using your hands, rub the flour, butter and wattleseed together until they resemble fine crumbs.

3. Place the crumbs on a lined baking tray, and bake until dark golden – approximately 30-40 minutes.

4. Set aside to cool.

For Biko / Sinukmani:

2 cups glutinous rice flour

500 ml water

2 cans 400 ml coconut milk

2 cups dark brown sugar (packed)

3 teaspoons wattleseed

Banana leaves (optional)

Dark muscovado sugar (optional)

1. Using a rice cooker, cook the rice with the water.

2. Using a large pot, bring the coconut milk to a boil.

3. Add the sugar and let it simmer, until slightly reduced.

4. Add the cooked rice in the pot, the wattleseed and continue to cook on low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid the rice sticking to the pan.

5. Prepare a 9x13 cm rectangular tray/pan lined with banana leaves, or alternatively simply brush the insides of the pan with butter.

6. Spoon the biko/sinukmani into the prepared tray. Using a spatula, smooth out the top of the biko.

7. Generously top with the prepared wattleseed crumble.

8. Grate some muscovado sugar, if using.

9. Serve.

Note: Keep in the fridge for up to 7 days. Reheat portion slices in the microwave for 30 seconds before serving.