One of the great pleasures of being the Market Curator around here is the passing parade of beautiful - and often innovative products - made by people whose imagination is only matched by their consideration for the planet.
A few weeks ago, I met Carolyn from Bushcraft Botanicals. She is an environmental scientist, strongly drawn to the natural environment, and obsessed with native foods.
"AUSTRALIAN NATIVE FOODS ARE THE OLDEST FOODS ON EARTH, AND SOME OF THE BOTANICALS THAT HAVE EMERGED FROM THIS EXTREME AND ANCIENT LANDSCAPE HAVE TRULY REMARKABLE FLAVOUR PROFILES.
MY PERSONAL FAVOURITES ARE QUANDONGS, A DESERT PEACH THAT TASTES SWEET, SOUR, SALTY AND EARTHY ALL IN ONE, AND FREEZE-DRIED DESERT LIME – LIKE A GRAPEFRUIT SHERBET BOMB!"
But Carolyn isn't only turning her scientific sights on native foods. She also has extensive experience creating infused gin. That led to her incorporating native flavours into home crafted beverages. And then inspired the creation of DIY gin making kits featuring bush botanical infusions.
Her passion for using native ingredients and a drive to get more Australians tasting Australian flavours, she experimented with conventional beverage recipes, gave them an Aussie twist by swapping in Australian native botanicals and created packs of bush fruits & spices for making Australian inspired mulled wine, sangria and punch.
"HERE AT BUSHCRAFT BOTANICALS WE CARE ABOUT LOTS OF THINGS, BUT FEEL IT’S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGICAL INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE THAT UNDERPINS THE NATIVE FOOD INDUSTRY."
We hope you enjoy finding your new favourite Australian flavours!