On Native Ingredients, Chocolate and Beauty Products

The beginning of the year is the time when many people start to think about making changes to their diet, incorporating new foods or cutting some out. And inevitably superfoods enter the radar. Whether as a newly named Superfood that has recently hit the market, or simply to try out a new-to-you superfood like magnesium rich kale, superfoods, are everywhere!

The prevalence of the term in fact, has become so prominent, that it was added to the Merriam Webster Dictionary: “a food (such as salmon, broccoli, or blueberries) that is rich in compounds (such as antioxidants, fiber, or fatty acids) considered beneficial to a person’s health.”

We may be biased, but we love superfoods that are Australian grown and that have their history here in the indigenous communities of the amazing Australian landscape. Much of those are ones that you can consume and add to your favourite smoothie – like Davidson Plum or Cinnamon Myrtle – but it doesn’t end there.

This month, think about these other ways you can incorporate native ingredients into your daily routine, including the following:

• Confectionary
  It’s where sweet indulgence meets health, and it might just be the best pair yet! Chocolate sauce and hand-crafted chocolate, are having a moment when it comes to combining the rich flavours of cacao with the subtle hits of native ingredients, and we are a fan, to say the least. Want to try it at home? Add Wattleseed extract to chocolate sauce or add strawberry gum powder to your homemade chocolates!

• Beauty
  We talked before about native ingredients becoming beauty ingredients, and that is alive now more than ever. Kakadu Plum is a star in helping improve skin health and complexion and the coarser texture of Wattleseed means it can act as a great exfoliant.

• Beverages
  No longer are beverages boring! In fact, there are so many different beverage options on the market, it is perhaps no surprise that superfoods are making their way into liquid form. When we talk about native ingredients, the opportunities abound for combining native foods and tasty drinks! Add Lemon Myrtle Extract to your favourite cocktail, or craft a new cocktail with vibrant coloured Davidson Plum as the star.

• Baking
  From tarts and pies to puddings, sauces and Australian classics like Anzac biscuits, adding native ingredients to baked goods is easy. In fact, most of the time you can slide them into any recipe you like, adding a teaspoon or two of the herb or powder, or 10-15 drops of the extracts. When you are working with chocolate, Wattleseed is a great addition, while fruit dishes do well in taking on Cinnamon myrtle, Aniseed Myrtle or Riberry!

It’s time to get creative and think outside the box for how you can use native ingredients. Use the ideas above to get inspired and start, and then let us know what else you come up with!

News, Nutrition