Bush tucker, also called bushfood, is any food native to Australia and eaten by the indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Animal native foods include kangaroo, emu, witchetty grubs and crocodile. Plant foods include fruits such as quandong, kutjera, spices such as lemon myrtle, and vegetables such as warrigal greens and native yams.

Since the 1970s, there has been increasing interest in the taste and health benefits of native foods by non-Indigenous Australians, and the bushfood industry has grown enormously. One example is kangaroo meat, which has been available in supermarkets since the 1980s and is still gaining popularity.

“Witchetty grubs” are what Australians call the large moth larvae that feed on the sap from the roots of the witchetty bush found mostly in The Northern Territory. They were traditionally eaten by Aborigines in that region, often roasted in coals or over a fire. Some people say they have a nutty flavour.

The most well-known of Australia’s six species of native citrus, finger limes are considered a gourmet bushfood and are sought after by top restaurants around the world. They grow in the rainforests of south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales. The slender, finger-like fruit is 6 to 12 centimetres long and comes in a range of colours including black, green, red, pink, and yellow.