To wrap up another successful semester of Stage 1 Food & Hospitality, students were tasked with researching the extent that which the food and hospitality industry (and Australian homes) had adopted native Australian foods, as a means of showcasing Indigenous Australian culture.
With curiosity, students created a short survey for local consumers to gather their perspectives on whether they source native Australian ingredients, and why or why not. What did they find out?
- 79% of local consumers do not source native Australian ingredients – accessibility and lack of education about the ingredients and how to use them were the key reasons why
- 58% of local consumers who do not source native Australian ingredients for the reasons stated, said they would if these barriers were addressed
- 21% of local consumers who said they do source native Australian ingredients are predominantly sourcing lemon myrtle, quandongs, wattleseed karkalla, kangaroo and local seafoods
The students were then asked to design, prepare and serve a Native Australian Tasting Board to showcase native Australian ingredients; they ultimately provided education on how they can be used (one of the barriers stated above by consumers). Their delicious dishes included:
- wattleseed-seasoned kangaroo fillet served on roasted beetroot relish & mini papadum
- lemon myrtle & mountain pepper squid
- lemon myrtle-marinated lamb cutlets on a bed of warrigal greens
- coconut-crumbed king prawns
- baked quandong cheesecakes
We thank Line & Label for allowing us to source fresh lemon myrtle and warrigal greens from their seasonal herb garden.
~ Miss Kesby Turner-Wiebreck (Food and Hospitality Teacher)