Time Out Talks | The Politics of Bushfood Now

Time Out

<H2> Wattle Seeds on White Tablecloths: The Politics of Bushfood Now </H2>
When Noma came to Australia, the Scandis beat us at our own game: showing us what’s possible with native Australian ingredients. Though native foods have been going in and out of style since the 1970s, right now it seems like the future of Australian food – from finger limes to abalone – has been growing in our own backyards, just waiting to be foraged. It’s now easier to find lemon myrtle in a bar in Surry Hills than it is in the Byron Bay bushland.
Of course, Indigenous Australians were cultivating bushfood tens of thousands of years before René Redzepi came along. For many Aboriginal communities, bushfoods are totemic and essential – not a gourmet fad. While plenty of crops are protected by IP Rights, the laws around Aboriginal lore and knowledge are shaky at best.
Do we want the world to become obsessed with crocodile fat without really understanding it? How can we ensure those who gave us the ideas in the first place are compensated fairly? Is it even possible?
Our panel will discuss the best ways for Australians to honour First Nations people when it comes to consuming and cultivating native ingredients, and point out the problems with our current practices.
The Panel Bruce Pascoe Bruce Pascoe is an acclaimed author and editor, living in East Gippsland. His 2014 book <A HREF="https://www.magabala.com/culture-and-history/dark-emu.html" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Dark Emu</A>, a history of Aboriginal agriculture, won the NSW Premier’s Book of the Year in 2016 and his film, Black Chook, was shortlisted for an award at this year's MIFF. He is of Bunurong/Tasmanian and Yuin heritage and sits on the board of <A HREF="http://www.firstlanguages.org.au/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">First Languages Australia</A>. His latest novels include <A HREF="https://www.magabala.com/middle-readers/mrs-whitlam.html" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Mrs Whitlam,</A> <A HREF="https://www.magabala.com/fiction/fog-a-dox.html" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Fog a Dox</A>,  <A HREF="http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/5152227" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Chainsaw File</A> and <A HREF="https://penguin.com.au/books/bloke-9781742286518" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Bloke</A>. Jody Orcher Jody Orcher is an Ularai Barkandji woman from Brewarrina, in north west New South Wales, and the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney’s Aboriginal Education Coordinator. Jody teaches the culture, history and heritage of Aboriginal people through school programs, tours and bush tucker classes. Jody is known across Sydney for her knowledge of cooking and bushfoods. Her interest in advocating for Aboriginal culture started as a child through her Grandmother’s teachings and was formalised as a student of Aboriginal Studies. Jody hopes that her work continues to support protection and promotion of cultural understanding and respect, today and for future generations. Jade Santo Jade Santo is in her second year as an apprentice chef at Fratelli Fresh.  This year, she also took a staging placement at Noma Australia. Hailing from Far North Queensland, Jade is an Aboriginal woman of Kudjulla, Bindal and Mitakoodi heritage.  Before getting behind the burners, Jade worked in programming, production and on the sports team at NITV. She’s passionately interested in the use of native ingredients and Indigenous knowledge in a contemporary culinary context. 
Lennox Hastie Lennox Hastie spent five years cooking at Asador Etxebarri in the rugged mountains of the Basque Country, where the raison d'être is to cook food the traditional way: over fire. He brought these skills to Sydney when he opened Firedoor in Surry Hills in 2015 – a kitchen powered by fire, and a focus on beautiful produce celebrated for what it is. Passionate about indigenous Australian produce, Hastie loves to incorporate native ingredients in his almost daily-changing menu.
Tanya Denning-Orman (chair) <A HREF="https://twitter.com/tanyadenning" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Tanya Denning-Orman</A>, a proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman from Central and North Queensland, has led <A HREF="http://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">NITV</A> as Channel Manager since its merger with SBS in 2012. With over a decade of media experience, Tanya has previously held positions as a Journalist and Producer for ABC and SBS and a number of different roles at NITV since 2007. In her current position, Tanya directs the overall management and programming of NITV, which through diverse and innovative multiplatform content, including a unique news service, welcomes all Australians to celebrate Indigenous culture, voices and storytelling.  
Freya Herring As the restaurant and cafes editor of Time Out Sydney, Freya Herring has never met a food trend she couldn’t digest. Her work gives her a rigorous insight into the machinations of the Sydney dining scene, and the way Australian cuisine sits within a global context. She’s dined out professionally from Margaret River to Copenhagen and, as a former pastry chef, can spot the difference between a mille feuille and a snot block from 100 metres away.
On the night, <A HREF="http://indigiearth.com.au/" TARGET="_blank" DATA-MSYS-CLICKTRACK="0" REL="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Indigiearth</A>, an Indigenous owned and operated business who assisted Noma Australia in sourcing ingredients, will be providing refreshments. A tasting menu featuring bush tomato quiche, lemon myrtle arancini balls with bush tomato chutney, mini bush tucker burgers, wattle seed cheese cake and native ice tea is available for pre-purchase for $15 as part of the Entry + Tasting Menu ticket.

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