Whenever I relocate, one of my main goals is to buy locally produced food. But only recently it dawned on me that this endeavour never reached my kitchen cupboard – which is stuffed with superfoods: There’s Maca powder and Chia seeds from Peru, Goji Berry from China, Açai Berry from Amazon forests…well, the list goes on.

But surely Australian aborigines must have known a thing or two about what grows around them? Turns out, they did!

Bruno (Winawaal), who harvests Gubinge in the Australian Kimberleys

There’s an entire range of Australian superfoods I had no idea existed. In fact, the Nyul Nyul wild harvested Gubinge (it’s the Kimberley version of the Kakadu Plum) is the world’s highest natural source of vitamin C! It’s a bush plum, light greeny yellow and about the size of an olive with a seed in the middle. Bruno (his aboriginal name is Winawaal) harvests the Gubinge from what is considered sacred land adopting traditional methods – the bush plum in this remote and exotic area of Australia is hand-picked. He also cares for the land the way his ancestors did, pruning deadwood off the trees and cleaning up excessive fuel creating cold burns.

Gubinge harvest

I was absolutely thrilled to discover Loving Earth (set up by a fellow yogi!) which sources products from those indigenous communities where they originated and supports them in maintaining their cultural integrity – because those foods are considered sacred and are part of their cultural heritage. There’s an entire section called Meet the Growers that introduces members of indigenous communities and explains how they harvest the products. Loving Earth works directly with indigenous grower associations, adding as much value as possible to the product at its point of origin – so that more money can be put back into the community.

I’ve tried the Gubinge powder and also the Jarrah Bee Pollen (there’s a slight aftertaste of, well, “hay stack”, but the overall taste will please any honey-lover!) which come from the South-West region of Western Australia and are considered a superfood thanks to their highly absorbable protein (they’re also rich in vitamins, amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals, enzymes and other micronutrients).

Shopping for locally grown superfoods is a wonderful way of supporting indigenous communities – and your health!

If you’re rather into less powdery food items, Loving Earth also stocks adorable Kale chips (the Kale comes from an organic farm two hours outside Melbourne), and – of course – chocolate,  butters, spreads, nuts & seeds, and even low GI sweeteners such as Coconut Nectar.

The website features a wealth of information about local projects, has a food blog, a recipe section – and also highlights calls to action (such as the Save the Kimberleys project). I also love that each of the products, some of them lesser known (or at least to me…), gets a section for What is it..?, How to use, Health Benefits, and Nutrition Information, including links to recipes on the site.

However, be warned: Extensive browsing might lead to a shopping spree!

Are there superfoods growing near where you live?

~ Andrea