Native Ingredients are Moving Forward

At one time you would have been hard-pressed to find native ingredients anywhere at all, let alone in anything other than traditional foods. In fact, for many years, native ingredients were a relatively unknown player on the food scene, known only to those who lived in native enriched lands or who had native history and education behind them.

Fast forward several years, and native ingredients are finally becoming a bigger player in the food scene and more than that are finally getting the recognition they deserve for their amazing flavours, nutrient properties and uniqueness in their medicinal benefits. Our commitment over the years to help educate consumers and bridge the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous communities is coming to fruition, and we couldn’t be happier.

But it doesn’t stop there. With the increased education and awareness of the benefits and versatility of these ingredients, it has become increasingly clear, that they do not have to be relegated to food alone. In fact, these plants are ideal to be used in several areas including beverages, distillation, skincare, cosmetics and confectionary, just to name a few.

Here are some of the many ways native ingredients are showing up:

• Confectionary 
  Think chocolate, lollies and everything in between. From high end, luxurious chocolates, to your favourite bag of sweet treats, the  flavour profile of native ingredients lends itself well to work with sweet . . . and we’re totally okay with the results.
• Skincare and Cosmetics
  If you already know that antioxidants are good for inside the body, you will not be surprised to learn they are also good to put on the body! Native ingredients are brimming with antioxidants, from Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Vitamin C, to Anthocyanin and Rutin, it is these same compounds that can act on the skin cells to help reduce wrinkles, fight aging and counter sun damage.  If you’re keen to learn more, here’s a bit of the science behind why antioxidants are so powerful in targeting healthy skin function.
• Distillation and Alcohol
  Alcoholic beverages are no longer just the plain Whiskey, Gin and Vodka, distilled using the same methodologies as have been around for hundreds of years. Instead, distillers are taking an innovative approach to their craft and using native ingredients to infuse into the beverage during the whole distillation process. The result is uniquely flavoured products that take cocktails and happy hour to a whole new level and simultanesouly get to increase exposure of native plants and their never-ending versatility in the food and beverage industry.
• Beverages
  Speaking of beverages, move over cocktails and alcohol because non-alcoholic is totally making a scene. Native ingredients are taking center stage in the brewing and creation of everything from Kombucha to non-alcoholic beer to virgin spirits. In fact, indigenous communities themselves are taking the reins on this, creating a range of beer that is filled with natives instead of filled with alcohol and hops!

No matter how or where native ingredients are showing up, we love what we see. Our commitment to community and the mission behind our work has always been to simply make people more aware of the edible plants in their own backyard and the superfood powers they contain. And it looks like through a community of chefs and bartenders, educators and businesses, the word is finally getting out!