above from left: riberries, the Davidson plum, and the quandong
Three new ingredients have been added to the Goop. All Australian bushfoods: quandong powder, riberry powder, Davidson plum powder. All are wildcrafted; contain no preservatives, artificial colours, sweeteners or flavours and no added sugar; and are gluten-free and dairy-free.
The Davidson plum was traditional bush tucker for rainforest-dwelling Aborigines, who had the fortitude to eat them raw despite the fruit’s sharp acidity. The strikingly sumptuous, deep dark purple fruit with blood red flesh, boasts a soft juicy pulp and is one of the most nutritionally powerful native Australian fruits. While early settlers may not have appreciated the fruit’s high levels of antioxidants, they did pick the plums for jams, sauces and dry red wine. The Davidson plum contains significantly more lutein than an avocado — thought to be the primary source of lutein. Lutein is a carotenoid vitamin that plays an important role in eye health, improving symptoms in atrophic age-related macular degeneration by inhibiting inflammation. Along with magnesium, zinc, calcium, potassium and manganese, the Davidson plum also contains properties thought to have anti-diabetic effects and a capacity to reduce hypertension and obesity.
On hunting trips, Pitjabtjara men would seek out quandong trees, consume the fresh fruits for energy, and fill their coolamon wiris (dishes) to dry and store for use when meat was in short supply. The quandong kernels, whch are 25% protein and 70% complex oils, were also be used to create powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory pastes. The fruit is valued equally as a food source and as a medicine in the treatment of skin conditions and rheumatism.
For thousands of years, across Australia's east coast and in the hinterland and rainforest regions, Aboriginal people relied on riberries as a core food source. The fruit was usually picked and gathered by women and children. Whilst children thought of the berries as a delicious sweet treat, adults commonly referred to them as “medicine berries”. Riberries provide essential vitamins and minerals to keep colds at bay and to keep the immune system healthy and strong; they contain three times the folate of a blueberry; are rich in manganese and are an important plant source of calcium. They also contain high levels of anthocyanin, a potent antioxidant that is thought to improve cognitive function and protect against certain cancers, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
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