Fruit & Vegetables Aussie Bush Tucker - An Introduction to Common Native Foods of Australia

Tantalising, aren't they? Dianella brevicaulis. Newington, Sydney. © JPM, 2022.

Some plants go to a measure of effort to make themselves known to passersby. In the off-season, a bushwalker or forager wouldn't think twice about considering the native flax lily as an edible: it just looks like a clump of thick grass. But enter spring and these unassuming plants bloom with an abundance of six-petaled blue-purple flowers, followed in quick succession by appealing, bright purple berries.

Names

This native edible commonly goes by two English names: flax lily and blueberry lily, indicating the two primary uses of the plant, detailed below. It can be found in nurseries under the genus Dianella, with many subspecies, not all of which are edible/palatable. Varieties you might want to look out for if you intend to grow this plant at home as an ornamental bushfood are D. congesta, D. caerulea, D. longifolia (formerly D. laevis), D. revoluta, D. pavopennacea, and D. bambusifolia (Low, Wild Foods, p.113). To Low's list I will also add D. brevicaulis, easily identified in suburbia because of its thin, 'spidery' flower stems and long leaves. All of these aforementioned varieties have the tastiest berries, although these can vary from plant to plant. Avoid D. tasmanica; although D. tasmanica has the largest berries, it is the most irritating species.

Habitat and Range

Flax lily is extremely common, both in the bush and across suburbia. You will find growing abundantly in forests, dry and wet, up and down the northern, eastern and southern coasts, from Cape York and the Kimberleys, to Victoria and Tasmania, and across large swathes of western Australia. In cities, you will find them as an ornamental planter in gardens literally everywhere, from pots and verges in public buildings to formal gardens to nature strips and parks. Some varieties, like D. congesta and D. longifolia, grow into karkalla (pigface) territory at the coastal verge, and you can find these two species in particular growing behind beaches around the Australian coastline. D. tasmanica, the species to be avoided, is most common in Tasmania, Victoria and southern New South Wales.

Figure 1. Distribution of Dianella (all species) across the continent. Atlas of Living Australia.


Identification

Key Identifying Features

• Long, rough-textured, lance-shaped strappy leaves 30-120 cm long, usually with pointed tips and a central, longitudinal vein
• Leaves grow tight, yet alternatively, from a central woody stem emerging from the ground
• Flowers emerge on tall stems, 70-150 cm long, often standing well above the foliage (except D. brevicaulis, its leaves are taller than its flower stems)
• Flowers are blue-purple (rarely, white) with six, swept-back petals, six bright yellow anthers and a single central white pistil
• Flowers set into small green berries
• Berries turn blue-purple when fully ripe (rarely, black).
• Berries have a blue-white, spongy flesh with 3-8 black, nutty-flavoured seeds inside

Look for a large clump of thick, grass-like leaves about 30-120cm tall, growing alternatively from a woody central stem.

Figure 2. D. caerulea foliage with stem. Leaves emerge alternatively, but bunched very tightly that they look opposite. Waterloo Park, Marsfield. © JPM, 2022.

Figure 3. The long foliage of D. brevicaulis makes it look like lomandra (see part 5 of this series), except when its berry season! It is quite a common ornamental planting in suburbia. Newington, Sydney. © JPM, 2022.

Figure 4. Closeup of the leaf underside (D. caerulea), showing the prominent vein. Leaves also have coarse undersides and the edges can cut the skin if rubbed the wrong way. Waterloo Park, Marsfield. © JPM, 2022.


Figure 5. Woody stems of D. caerulea emerging from the ground. Waterloo Park, Marsfield. © JPM, 2022.


Flowers appear in early spring (Aug-Sept) by the dozen on long stems that can rise 1 to 1.5m above the plant, but often droop over into the leaves from their own weight. For the species D. brevicaulis, the flower stems are distinctive, threaded 'spidery' netting amidst their long foliage. Flowers are typically blue to a purple-brown with six petals that sweep backwards towards their own stem, although a few species can have white petals. They have six bright yellow anthers facing outwards with a single, central white pistil.

Figure 6. D. congesta flowers rising up on stems well above the plant. Most varieties have purple flowers of this type with six, swept-back petals and six prominent yellow anthers and a single, white, central pistil. Sydney Olympic Park. © JPM, 2022.


Figure 7. The flowers of D. congesta can also occur in a deformed, dense clump at the end of the flower stalk. Atlas of Living Australia. © Sypser, 2015.


Figure 8. White D. tasmanica flowers. Not all flowers of this inedible species are pure white; they may be pale mauve or purple with a white edge. Wikimedia Commons.


After wind pollination, flowers turn into green berries which will ripen to a vivid blue-purple. The berries are small, spherical, usually 5-15mm in length, with a soft, spongy texture and three to eight crunchy, black, nutty seeds inside. Fruits are typically fully ripe by late November through January, depending on the location; southern species may ripen later than northern ones, sometimes as late as March or April.

Figure 9. Ripe fruit cluster on D. caerulea. These were some of the largest berries I have yet seen for a Dianella species (see figure 13 for scale). The Forts, Magnetic Island. © JPM, 2022.


Figure 10. Rare black berries on what was identified as D. tasmanica (perhaps incorrectly), edibility unknown. Atlas of Living Australia. © Tapirlord, 2021.


Figure 11. Berries on D. brevicaulis, showing the nestled, spidery stems amidst its long, lomandra-like strappy leaves. Newington, Sydney. © JPM, 2022.


Figure 12. Ripe, irritating fruit of D. tasmanica. You will notice there is basically no difference between irritating and palatable varieties! Wikimedia Commons.


Uses

I have enjoyed Dianella berries fresh as a bush food snack, although the best authorities (e.g. Tim Low) caution against eating too many at one time. I have eaten 100+ berries of wild specimens growing in the Newington/Olympic Park area without any ill effects whatsoever, albeit cooked (see figures 14-16 below). The fruits have a spongy texture that 'pops' in the mouth and are generally quite pleasant with a fragrant taste. The black seeds inside add a delicious nutty crunch, although some liken them to chewing sand. In my experience, old berries that look shriveled, damaged or retain any green colour should be avoided; they have a lingering insipid bitterness to them which is the sensation reported in the irritating berries of D. tasmanica in southern climes. Look for berries that are glossy, plump and have unbroken skin (see figure 9 above).

Figure 13. What to expect inside a Dianella berry. Ripe fruit have spongy, blue-white flesh and are dotted with 3-8 crunchy, black seeds with a nutty taste. This large and absolutely delicious specimen of D. caerulea was at The Forts, Magnetic Island. © JPM, 2022.


Figure 14. Another serving of large D. congesta berries I recently discovered in Olympic Park. © JPM, 2022.

I am yet to attempt turning Dianella berries into jams or conserves due to the caution regarding quantity. It may be that cooking destroys the insipid irritant in D. tasmanica but I cannot confirm this at this time. The blue colouring does remain while cooking, however; it does not turn reddish like true blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) do. Dianella berries also retain their spongy texture after cooking and will float due to their internal air pocket. To extract the most colour and flavour for cooking, I recommend crushing the berries thoroughly with a few drops of water in a mortar & pestle before adding to your recipe mix, e.g. cakes, tarts, pastry or even soufflé. The colour alone is incredible in baked goods.

Figure 15. A good harvest of D. congesta, D. longifolia and D. brevicaulis from my local area. Newington, Sydney. © JPM, 2022.

Figure 16. Crushed raw Dianella berries with about 1 tsp water. I see a great future for this dye as a native food colouring. The granite mortar does not do it any justice! Collected from Newington, Sydney. © JPM, 2022.

Figure 17. True blue roux (properly béchamel, but that does't rhyme). 30 g butter and 30 g flour for the roux, mix in 50 ml cream and 200 ml raw milk together with the crushed berries from figures 14-15 above, and mixed until it was a glossy true blue béchamel sauce. The black specks are the crushed seeds. © JPM, 2022.

Figure 18. The final product - a majestic True Blue Dianella Soufflé. The flavour and colour was just stunning. © JPM, 2022.


Figure 19. My earlier attempt at this soufflé. Crushing the berries made a world of difference, both to the flavour and the colour. © JPM, 2022.


I have read on another bushfoods site (tuckerbush.com.au) that the roots of Dianella can be harvested, pounded and roasted like parsnips, but I have not yet dug up a worthwhile root so I cannot vouch for their edibility. Tim Low does not mention this usage, either.

Figure 20. The accidentally excavated root of a D. congesta. It was thin, woody and hardly worth the effort to pound and roast. I replanted it and am currently observing the plant's regrowth, if any. Sydney Olympic Park. © JPM, 2022.

The long, fibrous leaves of Dianella, hence the other name, flax lily, are excellent for tearing into strips for weaving and have been used for this purpose by indigenous Australians to make dillies, baskets and mats for millennia.

Caution!

Some Dianella species as mentioned above may have extremely bitter, insipid, irritating and unpalatable berries. I have personally sampled this in a species in the New England (Armidale) region which were bitter and insipid, on the verge of revolting. If something doesn't taste quite right when sampling this plant, stop eating it and try them somewhere else! As always, if you are not sure that your allergies will allow you to safely consume Dianella, follow the procedure of wild food sampling outlined in the introduction to this series and always trust your sense of taste.

Recipe: True Blue Soufflé

Serves 2 (double amounts for 4)
Time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients
Method

1. Melt 30g unsalted butter in a small saucepan on a low heat, taking care not to burn or caramelise. Add 30g flour and stir until it becomes a smooth yellow roux.

2. Slowly add milk and cream to the roux, stirring constantly to remove lumps (turn heat off if it begins to burn, boil or scorch at any point). Continue to add milk & cream, mixing vigorously until the entire roux has become a smooth, moderately thick béchamel-style sauce.

3. Add 2 tsp honey and the Dianella berry paste to the béchamel. If the sauce is still a little runny, return to a low heat for 5-10 mins. Mix well and set aside to cool completely.

4. Melt approx 20 g butter in a microwave. Using a pastry brush, completely coat the inside wall of 2 ramekins or 2 coffee mugs suitable for oven baking. Refrigerate for 5 minutes or until butter has hardened. Apply a second coat of butter and refrigerate.

5. Once the second coat of butter has hardened, place 1-2 tbs castor (very fine) sugar into one ramekin. Tilting it on an angle downwards, spin the ramekin or mug slowly so the sugar falls out (I pour the excess sugar into the 2nd ramekin, then into the sink or bin), thus coating the inner wall completely in sugar. Refrigerate until ready to fill.

6. Whip 3 egg whites with 1 tbs castor sugar, added gradually while whipping, to make a stiff-peaked meringue.

7. Gently fold the completely cooled True Blue béchamel into the meringue until all is thoroughly mixed and the colour has penetrated. Spoon or pour the soufflé mixture carefully into butter-sugar coated ramekins, filling to within 1/2 cm (1/8 in.) from the top. Try to avoid dripping any mixture on the side wall or lip, as this can create a weak spot where the soufflé can burst as it puffs and rises.

8. Place ramekins or mugs onto a baking tray and bake at 180°C for 16-18 minutes. The soufflés can puff up to 5 cm (2 in.) above the rim when done, so keep an eye on them and make sure they have room in your oven to rise. If they start to collapse, you needed a thicker béchamel (use less milk/cream next time). They can be removed early and eaten gooey if collapse is imminent.

9. To remove, take the baking tray out and use a quadrouple-folded tea towel to carefully grasp each ramekin and move it to a serving plate. Mugs are easier to use at this point because they have handles!

10. Serve immediately! Soufflés will begin to deflate the moment they leave the oven.

Soufflés can be prepared in advance and reheated in a microwave for approximately 45 sec to 1 minute to bring back the puff. Alternatively, they can be carefully tipped out of their ramekins and served with icecream and fresh Dianella berries on a plate. Bon appétit!